By: Vivek Nair Image credit: NBA
Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was arguably one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star and had won five championships with the Lakers.
Kobe was known for his commitment to basketball and his work ethic. He used to work so hard that he had no time to sleep and thought it was a waste of time.
However, overtraining and a lack of sleep ended up affecting Bryant's gameplay in a negative way, after which he decided to change his habits.
During a particular match, Kobe found he couldn't execute the movements he had been practicing for so long and started feeling very tired.
In an interview, Bryant discusses how he had difficulties sleeping and how it influenced the way he used to play basketball.
"I've always had a hard time sleeping, you know," said Kobe. "... I was like, "Why am I playing like crap because I've been practicing these same moves over and over and over but yet I couldn't execute them properly?"
He continued, "I knew it wasn't because of my training because I had trained obsessively. Maybe the fact that you're sleeping two or three hours a night has something to do with the fact that you're playing like crap."
Kobe was a hard worker, and it is no surprise that he is regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time with a work ethic like his.
The Mystery Behind Kobe Bryant’s Decision to Change His Jersey Number From 8 to 24