'We don't play the game with two balls' - Phil Handy recalls Kobe Bryant refusing to do two-ball dribbling drills

A huge part of being an NBA superstar is being set in your ways. These guys strictly follow their own regimen, and any changes or suggestions are usually met with skepticism. But when Phil Handy, one of the most renowned assistant coaches in the league, suggested to the great Kobe Bryant that he should start working out with two basketballs instead of one, he was met with a blunt response: no.

An adamant rebuff

Handy joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a player development coach under head coach Mike Brown in 2011 and stayed in that position until 2013. During one training session, Phil tried to get Bean to do a dribbling exercise involving two basketballs that would supposedly help him improve his ball-handling skills on the court. But Bryant wouldn't budge.

"One day, we were doing some ball handling, and I wanted him to do two-ball handling, and he was like, 'Man, get out of here. I'm not doing that,'" Handy shared on "Podcast P." "He was like, 'I don't dribble with two balls in the game.'"

At that point in KB24's career, he had already achieved most of his goals, including winning five NBA titles and earning multiple All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive Team berths. This meant he already had a solid idea of what he was excellent at and what he needed to work on. And apparently, the 6'6" wingman felt that working with two basketballs simultaneously was not the answer to his hoop problems.

"'I don't want to—I don't want to hear it. You want me to work on my left hand, I'll work on my left hand.' And he was adamant. He was like, 'We don't play the game with two balls. I'm not dribbling with two basketballs,'" Handy remembered Bryant's words.

Proved Handy wrong

Kobe was one of the most stubborn superstars in league history. It was both a gift and a curse to him. With Phil unrelenting in his pursuit of making Kobe do the ball-handling drill, the Lakers legend eventually relented. And when he did, it was merely to prove Handy wrong.

"And so you know what he did? He said, 'All right, mof*, give me the ball,'" Phil recalled. "He took both the basketballs, closed his eyes, and started dribbling with his eyes closed."

Such was Kobe's supreme confidence in his skill set. Whether it was his ball-handling, shooting, or passing ability, he believed in himself and his abilities above all else. Ultimately, Bryant exceeded Handy's expectations by not only showing he could complete the drill but also doing so with an added level of difficulty.