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Former Teammate Explains How Kobe Bryant Was Great Off the Court Too

Published 10/18/2021, 7:32 PM EDT

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Kobe Bryant might be one of the best players the world is basketball has ever seen. Dominating the game for more than a decade, Bryant’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself.

With his incredible skills to score the ball and to lockup other team’s best players, the Mamba’s basketball skills were simply unmatched. But the thing that made Bryant stood out of the rest is his insane competitiveness and his determination to be deemed as the best.

Be it the instance where he shot free throws despite tearing his ACL or him playing with a literal broken finger, Kobe just like his idol Michael Jordan wanted to be the best and break multiple records over his incredible career.

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Former teammate reveals how Kobe Bryant was off the court

Often the most hard working player, be it on the court or off it, Kobe was one of the most intense players on the court. This intensity not only translated to opponents rather also pushed his teammates to improve their game.

But this intensity was not for everyone as there were instances of reports of Bryant being a harsh teammate emerged. Former teammate Tim Thomas though has a different perception on the Mamba. Speaking to NBA insider Scoop B Robinson, Thomas claimed that contrary to reports and popular belief, Kobe was indeed a great man and readily helped his teammates off of the court.

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While Bryant often would push his peers and would come across a difficult teammate initially, his motive was really to bring the beat out of others. Even ex-Laker and Spanish legend Pau Gasol had a similar path before ultimately becoming one of Kobe’s closest friends.

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His soft side was pretty much visible during his last seasons the league as well. Be it the connection with his daughter or the way he joked around with his fans and else, Bryant truly let go off the intense game mode.

Bryant certainly had made his mark on the court and had a massive impact off the court as well. It is unimaginable what Kobe could have achieved if not for his tragic passing.

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Written by:

Aditya Mohapatra

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Aditya Mohapatra is a sports enthusiast who primarily covers the NBA for EssentiallySports. Having graduated in Mass Communication, he has prior experience in writing for ABP News, and has been writing for EssentiallySports since November 2020. This die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan feels that LeBron James is the best thing to have ever happened to the NBA, and will hold a healthy debate with anyone suggesting otherwise.
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