Late Kobe Bryant’s Coach Reveals How Canelo Alvarez Mirrors NBA Legend’s Drive

Discipline, mental toughness, a goal-oriented mindset, and an unrelenting competitive drive are qualities that define great athletes across every sport. But according to Kobe Bryant’s former boxing coach, Trevor Zambrano, there’s something deeper that connects Bryant and boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez – the reigning undisputed super middleweight champion. 

Bryant first turned to boxing training to sharpen his basketball performance – using it to refine his footwork, boost agility, and build greater mental resilience. In a recent interview with ES News, Zambrano revealed how working with both men gave him a unique perspective on their shared mindset. 

What are the similarities between Kobe Bryant and Canelo Alvarez?

“Canelo has so many similarities with Kobe Bryant because of the ritual of the day, how they particularly want things to get done, the flow…,” Zambrano told ES News. “They both show up, and they both come into the room, they introduce themselves sort of in the same form. Very professional…” He emphasized that both men are always laser-focused, operating with the singular goal of getting better.

“Their time is very precious. When they’re training, their time is just about training… These guys are all business…,” Zambrano continued. Reflecting on his time in Canelo’s camp, he added, “You always know that you’re only there to help Canelo get ready. The same thing with Kobe, when we were training Kobe… It was a professional relationship…” The trainer underlined that “you’re not their friends, you’re there for business.”

Still, Zambrano made it clear that both Canelo and Bryant were “very respectful” and “nice” to him. When asked about Kobe’s boxing skills, he smiled as he recalled, “He was definitely orthodox… Kobe got better in the amount of time than anybody else that I’ve ever seen.” So, what explains their uncanny similarities? Zambrano offered his theory. “I think when you have a mind like his, you understand the ability to compartmentalize… I mean, it’s the same thing with Canelo…” 

He even pointed to Canelo’s passion for golf, where the Mexican superstar has won tournaments against fellow celebrities. “He can’t be the only celebrity that’s golfing, so whatever makes him good in the ring, whatever made Kobe good on that hardwood court, they both have that same thing going on,” Zambrano said during the interview. Clearly, it takes more than skill to achieve supremacy, something both Canelo Alvarez and Kobe Bryant had. 

And Zambrano saw it firsthand, but when he learned about Bryant’s death, he was devastated. 

Bryant’s death forced Trevor Zambrano into tears

Later during the same interview, the boxing trainer was asked about his reaction to Bryant’s death. Kobe Bryant died on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. When Zambrano learned about the deaths, he could not believe it. “No, it was so surreal… and it was just weird, man, because I knew the daughter too.”

Zambrano, a father to two daughters himself, could not imagine how difficult things would be for Bryant’s family. “I could never imagine that, and seeing how Kobe was with his daughters. He was very proud. He always pushed them,” he said. “They boxed as well. They would also do the strength and conditioning with us sometimes…”

“It for sure teared me up just because being a dad and knowing who Kobe was…,” he said. The trainer claimed that there are a lot of celebrities who are not so kind away from the cameras, but Bryant “was a great overall human.”

Five years after his passing, Kobe Bryant continues to be remembered as one of the legends of sport – much like Canelo Alvarez is in boxing. But do you agree with the trainer’s take on their similarities, or are these merely coincidences?