With Kobe Bryant potentially having only two seasons left in the NBA, the five-time NBA champion has started to explore his options in terms of being successful in life after basketball.
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One shining example of success that Kobe has turned to recently has been author and columnist, Arianna Huffington. Kobe has been trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible in order to help his transition to the business side of things in two years time and has reached out to Huffington for advice.
On Sept. 26, an article was published in The New York Times by Philip Gaines with an interview he did with Bryant and Huffington at an Italian restaurant in Santa Ana. Kobe was asked numerous questions about his life and basketball career with perhaps the most interesting response being about how he perfected his fadeaway jumper.
Kobe admits struggling with the shot he’s become known for and found an interesting way to fix it:
Exactly. I’ll give you an example. When you watch me shoot my fadeaway jumper, you’ll notice my leg is always extended. I had problems making that shot in the past. It’s tough. So one day I’m watching the Discovery Channel and see a cheetah hunting. When the cheetah runs, its tail always gives it balance, even if it’s cutting a sharp angle. And that’s when I was like: My leg could be the tail, right?
An odd way to perfect a shot that has made him one of the most dominant scorers in NBA history, but it seems to be have worked. Kobe, much like Michael Jordan, began to lean on the fadeaway jumper later in his career. The shot can be near unblockable when used with the right footwork and few would argue that Kobe’s footwork is arguably the best in the business.
With Kobe turning 36 over the summer and the Lakers star coming off consecutive season-ending injuries, the veteran shooting guard could be playing more in the post next season. That being said, expect to see the future Hall of Famer playing with his back to the basket and using balance technique to continue being a dominant scorer in the twilight of his career.
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