It may seem like a lifetime ago, but it’s been only a couple of months since the passing of Kobe Bryant. Even as the world reels from one calamity to the next, friends of the NBA legend, like comedian Kevin Hart, are still sharing their memories of Bryant and his unbeatable work ethic.
On Instagram, Hart told an incredible story about the time the two of them, both from the Philadelphia area, attended Speedy Morris’ LaSalle basketball camp as teenagers. Bryant, of course, was already a star and would soon be moving onto the NBA. Hart, as it’s been noted, was a 5-foot-4 teenager who’s basketball ambition probably exceeded his actual talent.
Still, as Hart tells it, he thought he was the No. 2 player at the camp, there to compete against one of the greatest.
“I’m at the same basketball camp as the number one basketball player in the nation,” Hart said. “Well that means I must be number two. I’ve got to be number two. Why else would I be here? It’s my time to shine and get recognized.”
That lasted for about three days, until head coach Morris revealed the devastating truth to the rest of the players.
“‘Look at Kobe Bryant,'” Hart recalls Morris telling the team. “‘He shows up here every day and he works. Kobe Bryant hasn’t put the basketball in his right hand since he’s been in camp. He’s here to only work on his left hand.'”
Bryant had been dominating the rest of the players at camp with his weaker hand.
“The opportunity that I thought was going to be the biggest of my life turned out to be a goddamned practice pad for Kobe Bryant,” Hart said. “We didn’t even know that he was practicing on us until the head coach made us all feel stupid for not working as hard as he was.”
There have been countless anecdotes since Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven other passengers died in a helicopter crash in California in late January, and each continue to surprise and delight. Anyway, listen to Hart share the story for yourself. It’s worth it.
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