John Collins partly playing through pain to be like his favorite player, Kobe Bryant

Before the start of the 2019 season, Bryant held a camp at his Mamba Sports Academy in Southern California for a select group of NBA players. John Collins was one of 18 players who received an invitation to work out with Bryant — something he’ll never forget. The Lakers great’s mindset still fuels him today. “That’s my favorite player, and I’ve always wanted to be great like him,” Collins said of Bryant. “Sometimes you have to play through pain to get to the glory, which is what he did. That’s where I’m at. I always want to do the best I can for my team.