The Black Mamba to this day remains one of the most revered basketball players in NBA history. Securing 81 points in a single game, and five championships, only just scratch the surface of what Kobe Bryant has achieved during his NBA career. And anyone who has experienced his greatness always has one thing to talk about – Kobe’s unmatched work ethic. So, the same goes for former Suns Coach Earl Watson.

During an interview with Baron Davis for the ‘Point God’ podcast, coach Watson shed light on his experience of Kobe Bryant’s work ethic during his time at UCLA.

Earl Watson on Kobe Bryant’s Work Ethic

Both Earl Watson and Baron Davis spent their college years playing basketball for the UCLA Bruins. It was during these days that the two of them witnessed Kobe Bryant working out at the John Wooden Center at UCLA and reminisced those events during the interview.

“I remember walking to Class for 8 AM, we had to leave at like 7:15, 7:20 to get to class on time. And if you remember this dawg, we was passing Wooden Center around 7:45, and we would see Kobe going into the Wooden Center with his trainer. Now pickup games were at 3 so we got a class around 2:15. We’d be running back to change in our dorm rooms, Kobe would just be leaving around 2:30 coming to play at 3 and I was like s***! This dude like, talking about always finding people to set the bar, he’s set the bar dawg!” said Watson in the interview.

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“So we saw him in his second workout, maybe third workout of the day, and we just, you know, trying to figure out how to write a damn thesis for this five-page, 10-page paper and he’s up here getting 3 workouts in. So, he was always ahead of everyone as far as putting in the work,” he added.

NBA Career of Kobe Bryant

Kobe in the NBA was a force to be reckoned with during his time in the NBA. Over a span of 20 years with the Lakers, he averaged 25 points per game

Added to this, the ‘Mamba’ has five championships, a league MVP, and ranks fourth in the all-time scoring list. Furthermore, the man has the second most number of points scored by an individual in a single game.

He has proven himself to be a basketball savant and an inspiration to several players, the likes of whom include Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kobe is the prime example of how hard-work reaps solid benefits!

READ MORE: “He Was Our Michael Jordan”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls Kobe Bryant an Idol For a Whole Generation

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