SUMMARY
- Recently, former NBA player, JJ Redick told a story that further strengthened Bryant's reputation of being a psycho worker.
- Despite not winning 2009 NBA Finals, Redick was happy that he got to defend Bryant and this happens to be the highlight of his career as admitted by himself.
Kobe Bryant remains one of the most influential personalities in the history of the league. His storied career and fierce determination to win have always been the talk of the town. He was widely renowned as a ‘psycho worker’ who would do training for hours. Recently, former NBA player, JJ Redick told a story that further strengthened Bryant’s reputation of being a psycho worker.
During his recent appearance on the ‘Flagrant Podcast,’ Redick spoke about various topics from his opinion on LeBron James’ podcast to rapping in college. Amidst this, he revealed untold Bryant stories and reflected upon the time he attended the USA Basketball Camp during his senior year at Duke University. On his first day, Redick met coach Johnny Dawkins who seemed exhausted.
The Orlando Magic star revealed that “I’m like, ‘JD what the f**k is going on?’ He’s like, ‘Kobe, man, he had me in here at 6 AM.” He continued to talk about how the coach explained that Bryant was training for three hours and was working from the counter to the counter. Dawkins told Redick that Bryant had to make 10 shots in a row and so on he was exhausted.
After revealing his interaction with Dawkins, Redick said, “All those stories about Kobe being a psycho worker… they’re all true.” In addition to this, he remarked that this was so cool, and after hearing the story, fans can also agree with this statement. Bryant was undeniably one-of-a-kind, and to this day, countless people derive inspiration from him.
The highlight of JJ Redick’s career was getting to guard Kobe Bryant
In the same podcast, JJ Redick spoke about the 2009 NBA Finals. He was so close to winning an NBA Championship, however, with Kobe Bryant on the opposite team, he couldn’t get through. Despite this, Redick was happy that he got to defend the Lakers star and this happens to be the highlight of his career as admitted by himself.
While talking about this moment, Redick stated, “I’m going to be not generous but factual here, I think I got two stops against Kobe in the fourth quarter.” He continued to talk about how he knew they were going to win but just the fact that he battled made him feel good that he went on to play in Game 2. Interestingly, Redick still has pictures of him and Bryant which he can’t wait to show his grandkids.
Kobe Bryant once carefully watched JJ Redick play
Kobe Bryant and JJ Redick had numerous encounters during their careers. At the USA Basketball Camp, when Bryant was already an NBA superstar, and Redick was a senior at Duke, something unexpected happened. The Magic star revealed that after the first practice session came to an end, he was approached by none other than Bryant himself asking to practice together.
“Like 15 minutes into it, I realize he’s watching how I shoot. Watching how I catch the ball, watching how my footwork,” the Duke product said. He continued to talk about how Black Mamba was trying to pick something up and stated that he was always trying to learn. Bryant’s willingness to always try to become a better version of himself even if it meant learning from someone who is still in college is commendable.