Kobe Bryant’s competitiveness is the stuff of legend. That will to win extends far beyond the basketball court, as Bryant expects to prevail at everything.
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But sometimes, that just isn’t the case, such as a Thanksgiving 2013. Bryant set up an entire dinner for the Lakers, who were on the road at the time. There happened to be a ping-pong table in the room and Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell was dominating the field.
Trudell challenged Bryant and that is all it took for Bryant to step up. Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned for Kobe, via Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding:
Trudell keeps preying on Bryant’s weak backhand, however. Bryant keeps cursing and keeps losing. Someone has called next, but when the game ends, Bryant doesn’t budge.
Bryant would try his hand against Trudell a second time, but the result was the same. Even after Trudell had defeated him a second time, the war was not over:
Even as it ends, Trudell isn’t sure it’s quite over. There’s a look in Bryant’s eye that says: OK. But whether tomorrow or next year or the day that I die, I am going to beat you. Within the week, word reaches Trudell. Bryant has ordered an official Olympic Ping-Pong table to be delivered to his house.
There is no word on whether or not the two resumed their ping pong battle at a later date, but when they do Kobe is sure to be much improved from their first encounter.
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Kobe wants to be the best at everything he does, and when he loses at something, he does everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Mike Trudell better be practicing.
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