In the history of the NBA, only a few players have left a lasting impact as Kobe Bryant did. He was undeniably the greatest player, and each time he placed his foot on the court, fans knew it was going to be remarkable. Bryant announced his retirement in 2016 on The Player’s Tribune website.
On the same website, a few of his teammates answered ‘How will you remember Kobe?’, what no one saw coming was his tragic death. Bryant died in a tragic helicopter crash in 2020 with his daughter Gigi Bryant and 9 others. This tribute by his teammates is more significant than the actual reason for which it was penned down.
“Kobe was different. He would come right up to you during the handshake and tell you he didn’t like you and that he was going to destroy you. Seriously, he wouldn’t just say it in the pregame, he would say it in the heat of battle. He didn’t care who you were. He’d say, ‘I can’t… pic.twitter.com/gKPF4su6bO
— NBAinthezone™️ (@NBAinthezone) October 1, 2023
Among the players, Horace Grant profoundly mentioned how Bryant was different and walked fans through what he did on the court. He started with, “Kobe was different. He would come right up to you during the handshake and tell you he didn’t like you and that he was going to destroy you”.
Furthermore, Grant mentioned how Black Mamba won’t do this in the pregame but in the heat of battle. In his own words, “Seriously, he wouldn’t just say it in the pregame, he would say it in the heat of battle. He didn’t care who you were”. Bryant and his tactics on the court are not unknown to the world. Notably, his hissing tactic on the court made opponents just drop the ball right at that moment.
Horace Grant revealed how Kobe Bryant would plant a seed of doubt in opponents’ mind
Kobe Bryant and Horace Grant played together for the Lakers for only one season that is 2000-1. The two were able to grab a championship together during this season, and fans saw a glimpse of their duo. Since Grant played alongside Bryant, he was well aware of how Bryant sent shivers down his opponents’ spines.
Speaking to The Player’s Tribune, he shed light on what exactly Bryant would say to his opponents. In Grant’s own words, “He’d say, ‘I can’t believe they’re putting you on me. Are you serious? You think you can guard me?’ And he wasn’t joking. He meant it. And the defender knew he meant it”.
Grant continued, “That’s the difference. He would plant that seed of doubt in their mind. And when you had that seed of doubt against Kobe, it was over”. In another interview, Grant chose Michael Jordan over Kobe Bryant in terms of who was better. On the other hand, Bryant has kept himself first in the list of greatest players of all time and pushed his idol to second place.
This revelation by Grant of the mental game of Kobe Bryant has led to another addition to justify his Mamba Mentality. Bryant did not only work hard to achieve the level of success he was known for, but he also had his ways.