While Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward may not have intentionally created a lane violation in Kobe Bryant’s final game, he did share a bond with the Los Angeles Lakers luminary that had its roots in the summer that followed.
Soon after that 60-point night for the former Celtics nemesis, Hayward found himself in Newport Beach California for a wedding. Another guest mentioned Bryant lived nearby, and it put a bug in the Butler product’s brain.
Was there any chance that Hayward could find a way to get in touch with the now-retired star to see if Kobe might want to work out together?
“I just remember thinking to myself, ‘Man, it would be sweet if I could somehow get in a gym with him,'” remembered the Indiana native (via the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “But I had no idea how to get a hold of him.”
Then still with the Utah Jazz. Hayward reached out to assistant coach Quin Snyder — who had been a Los Angeles Lakers assistant in the 2011-12 season — for Bryant’s contact info, and sent a short text asking if he’d like to link up in California that summer.
New: Gordon Hayward was at a Newport Beach wedding in 2016 when he heard Kobe lived nearby. “I just remember thinking to myself, ‘Man, it would be sweet if I could somehow get in a gym with him.”
The story of how it happened and the bond that was formed: https://t.co/SVlkSFvx4A— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) February 11, 2020
To his surprise, Kobe agreed.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think he would say yes, but when I asked him, I wasn’t banking on him accepting and being willing to train me,” Hayward noted.
“I knew he was really busy and just figured he had other things he’d rather do,” he added, alluding to the many post-playing career endeavors Bryant had already begun to embark on.
However, part of that new reality for the former Laker was to take an interest in exactly what the former Bulldog was hoping Kobe would be open to — sharing his knowledge with the next generation of NBA stars.
Bryant welcomed Hayward, and the pair would spend three days together working out in a local school gym in Newport Beach.
Kobe’s approach to practice caught the future Celtic off guard when contrasted with the notoriously difficult shots the former Laker would take in games.
Gordon Hayward speaks out on Kobe's last game https://t.co/lVUcYlPJO9
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 28, 2020
“I was just struck by kind of the simplicity of all the stuff he did … It wasn’t anything crazy. it was a lot of work, but it was a lot of simple stuff. There were no crazy drills or dribbling or anything really complicated.”
“He was into the simple stuff, but he was into doing it over and over and over again,” he explained.
Perhaps it was a coincidence that the then-Jazz forward would get his first invitation to an All-Star game the season after, but the pair stayed in touch over the season, exchanging messages via text as Hayward’s All-Star season unfolded.
And when the Jazz drew the Los Angeles Clippers — Kobe’s longtime crosstown rival — in the playoffs, the lifelong Laker imparted his wisdom on how to get past them.
“It was like we were game-planning … We talked about how the Clippers defended things, how he thought I could attack and what I could’ve done to make the game a little easier,” explained the 10-year veteran.
“That was all very helpful, but more than anything, just talking to him gave me confidence,” said Hayward.
The injury that marred the start of the 6-foot-7 swingman’s debut with Boston drew the pair closer, as Bryant reached out to console Hayward while he began the slow recovery he is only now returning to form from.
The words gave the Butler product strength in one of his weakest moments, and made Kobe’s unexpected, tragic loss this winter all the tougher to bear.
Those shared workouts keep some of Bryant’s legacy alive in Hayward’s play even now, as it does with his teammate and fellow Kobe mentee Jayson Tatum, both devastated by the loss of their friend and mentor.
WATCH: Jayson Tatum relates what Kobe Bryant meant to him https://t.co/3D8QWEpDLV
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 28, 2020
“For [Kobe], I think it was a way to help out some of the younger generations,” Hayward offered.
“He didn’t talk about it a lot, but he was imparting some knowledge on people, and that helped people out. And I think he would see the success we had after he helped us, and that gave him a good feeling as well.”
Whether he realized it or not, that was true — Bryant said as much in his final post-game presser.
“The coolest thing is the messages that I’ve received from other players. They say, ‘Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you for the lessons, the mentality.’,” noted Kobe (courtesy of NBA.com).
“Those things are honestly those that mean the most to me — that respect from the peers. There’s nothing in the world that can top that.”
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