Incredible Kobe Bryant Story Provides Insight Into Why He Was So Dominant With Lakers

The 18-time All-Star was a wizard on the hardwood.

Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in Jan. 2020 brought pain to the entire sports community. Since his passing, players across the National Basketball Association have shared multiple stories about the impact that Bryant had on their careers.

The passion and focus that Bryant had towards basketball was so intense that it inspired the term ‘Mamba Mentality’. His competitive spirit created a mantra that athletes and civilians across the country turned into a lifestyle. 

Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with former NBA player Quentin Richardson, who spent 13 years in the NBA. Richardson was a known sharpshooter who ranks 63rd all-time in 3-pointers made and was the 2005 NBA 3-Point Contest champion. During the interview, Richardson was asked about his experiences playing against Kobe Bryant and his thoughts on his legacy.

“By the time I was in the NBA, he had been through his growing pains for the first couple of years and was great. Every time I saw him, it was like, here we go," Richardson said. "What really stands out to me and one thing I will say, we were both in L.A. I was there for four years and I never saw him anywhere except for the Staples Center. Like, ever. He never went out or anything.”

Bryant was constantly in the gym working on ways to improve his game, and it showed night after night in the Crypto.com Arena which was formerly known as the Staples Center. During the interview, Richardson praised the talent across the NBA but emphasized the fact that Bryant was truly "one of one."

“Only a handful of guys who would shoot anything. Maybe Allen Iverson was like that too. Actually, no, Kobe is the only one who would shoot anything. Like, he’d put up a left-handed 3-pointer. A lot of guys have moves, but will they actually do it in a game? Kobe would do things that nobody else would even think of trying in a game. Like, he’d get hurt and start shooting left-handed! Who does that?! He was the first one throwing the ball off the backboard to himself in a real game. Not the All-Star Game! In a real game,"

Bryant is one of the greatest shot-makers in the history of the NBA and it stems from the work that was put in off the court. The shots attempted in an empty gym while no one was around led to a Most Valuable Player award, five NBA championships, and a lasting impact on a generation of athletes.

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