“Dude Used to Wake up at Three”: Former NBA Player Reveals Insane Work Routine of Kobe Bryant

Published 11/13/2020, 7:04 AM EST

The eternal memory of Kobe Bryant lives on even though the Lakers legend is no more. The Mamba left such a lasting impact on everyone through his hunger to win and his dedication towards the game. A lot of retired players look back on their careers and wish they had put in the same effort as Kobe did. One such person is former Nets star Kendall Gill.

Kendall Gill enjoyed a 15-year stint in the NBA and played for various teams. However, he could never lay his hands on the prized Larry O’Brien trophy in his career. A lot of it has to do with collective factors, but Gill has certain regrets from his time as a professional.

The 52-year-old recently joined “Barbershop Conversations” on YouTube, where he put forth what he admired about Kobe Bryant, which in turn creates a sense of regret in his mind. “This is why I admire Kobe Bryant so much,” Gill began.

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“If you go back and you youtube the mind of Kobe Bryant, this dude used to wake up at three o’clock in the morning be at the gym at four to six, come back, rest, go back to the gym from 9-11. Come back, rest, go back to the gym from two to four. Come back, rest, go back to the gym from seven to nine.”

“That’s dedication man. That’s why he made it the way he made it. He was totally focused man,” he added.

Gill further added to his statements by mentioning: “I wish I could do it all over again and have that type of focus because I believe my career would be so so so much better if I had that type of dedication.”

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The insane pre-game routine of Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant always wanted to give his 100% on the basketball court. He worked extremely hard towards achieving it every game. For an athlete of his standard, rewards would only come at a greater level if there was some risk involved.

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas recently shed light on how Kobe used to warm-up for games. Well, it wasn’t a traditional warm-up where Kobe loosened his arms shot a few buckets. His warm-ups were almost like a competitive game in itself!

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“I used to watch Kobe before the game,” Arenas said. “How we went to shootarounds pregame was getting our shots up, with a little hand up. This man in real-time, full contact, and you better him how he gets hit in the game, before the game.”

This allowed Kobe Bryant to accurately prepare his mind and body for what was about to come. He got into the game-like intensity even before it started and that is where he had an edge over the others.

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All these factors collectively make him one of the greatest athletes to have graced the league. There will never be another Kobe Bryant!

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.

“Dude Used to Wake up at Three”: Former NBA Player Reveals Insane Work Routine of Kobe Bryant

The insane pre-game routine of Kobe Bryant

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