Kobe Bryant explains when he first realized he was different from other NBA players

ESPN

In February, Kobe Bryant, who will play his final NBA game on Wednesday, was a guest on Bill Simmons’ “Grantland Basketball Hour” on ESPN to promote the release of his documentary, “Muse.”

During the episode, Bryant spent a lot of time discussing his philosophies on basketball and life and how he came to be such a fierce competitor.

One of the more fascinating moments came when co-host Jalen Rose asked Bryant when he first realized that nobody would out-work him.

Reuters

It’s often easy to dismiss greatness as being based on talent alone. But Kobe highlights a recurring theme among all-time great players that is often overlooked, an obsession for their sport that is unmatched, with Bryant referring to basketball as “the only thing.”

Bryant only started six games and averaged just 15.5 minutes per game as an 18-year-old rookie who had only been living in the United States for five years. But his obsessiveness for the game eventually paid off and now he is retiring as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.