D’Angelo Russell Learned From Kobe Bryant’s Confidence

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant gracefully transitioned into a mentor during the final years of his career, taking young players like D’Angelo Russell under his wing.

The Lakers selected Russell No. 2 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and he got a chance to work with Bryant up close and learn from one of the game’s best players in the latter’s final season.

Bryant may not have been the same killer on the court at that point of his career, but his unwavering confidence in himself is something that Russell admired and learned from as a rookie, as he recently explained on The Backyard Podcast:

“So once I seen Kobe’s confidence and how he struggled when I was there, he wasn’t shooting the ball good. He struggled. And I remember going up to him as a 18-year-old rookie and I was just like, ‘Keep shooting. Keep shooting. You’ll be all right.’ We’re going to put that clip in this because there was a clip they asked him during his interview and they were like, ‘Young player asked you told you to keep shooting. How’d that make you feel?’ And I told him, ‘Keep shooting, man. You’ll be alright.’ He looked at me, he was like, ‘You think I’m worried about these shots?’ He’s like, ‘I got more shots that I’ve missed, more shots that I’ve made like that I could ever even imagine. So, I don’t care if I go 3-for-20 or 5-for-15 or whatever.’ He didn’t care about that. His confidence stayed at this level. And I took a lot from that, honestly.”

Bryant was never afraid to shoot the basketball and it never mattered how many he had missed. While most players would shy away from the spotlight in the midst of a poor shooting night, Kobe remained undeterred and continued to trust in his work and process. Some of the best defenders in league history like Shane Battier admitted Bryant gave them the most trouble, and it was easy to see why with how much he prepared and approached games.

Russell’s brashness as a rookie showed often, but as he continued to grow and develop as a player he seemed to appreciate Bryant’s advice and tutelage more. There’s something for everyone to take away from Kobe’s career and his confidence ranks high on the list.

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