Few superstars in the NBA today or in the past have had to deal with the kind of injuries Kobe Bryant has had to endure during his near 20-year career. Bryant is about as mentally and physically tough as any player in NBA history and apparently there’s a method to his ability to fight through the pain while staying motivated at the same time.
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Apparently, while dealing with some of his injuries over the years, Bryant asked a favor of legendary photographer and NBA royalty, Andy Berstein. According to Berstein, the five-time NBA champion asked him for pictures of NBA legends or “muses” in order to say motivated while rehabbing, via Maxwell Strachan of The Huffington Post:
Kobe asked Andrew for photos of NBA legends for motivation while out with injuries.
“He has a habit of asking for photos of his muses … of Magic and Jordan and Bird and guys [in which] he always admired something about their game, that he’s taken from each of those guys and applied to himself,” he said.
“I am kind of continually giving him pictures of those guys from back in the day,” he added. “I think it was more helpful to him while he was sort of recovering and rehabbing from his injuries to keep his motivation level going.”
Anyone who has followed Kobe’s career shouldn’t be surprised by Berstein’s comments. Bryant famously searches for motivation all the time and continues to do so while rehabbing from shoulder surgery to prepare for potentially his last season in the NBA.
Although the last three years have been marred by injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has bounced back every time with a need to finish his career on his own terms. Bryant intends to be back for his 20th season with the Lakers possibly wrapping up what has been a remarkable career as the face of the franchise for the last two decades.
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