Former Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh reflected on an insane story about Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant during the 2008 Olympics.
“That morning, I headed down to breakfast early, which made me feel good about myself—because I figured most of my teammates were still sleeping,” Bosh wrote in his newsletter, The Last Chip. “And I was right. Basically no one else was down there…except for Kobe. Not only was he the first to breakfast, but he also had ice bags on his knees, which meant he’d already worked out.
“Mind you, this was less than two weeks after the Lakers lost in the Finals to the [Boston] Celtics. You couldn’t have blamed him for resting up and focusing on being healthy for the next season. But instead, the dude was pushing himself harder than any human being I had ever met—waking up at 4:00 a.m. to hit the gym. That meant all of us were gonna push ourselves, too.”
Bryant passed away in January in a horrific helicopter accident. However, when memories materialize like the one Bosh shared, Bryant’s legacy lives on.
The Lakers icon had one of the most assiduous workout mentalities in NBA history. It led him to major success throughout his basketball career.
Of course, Bryant and Bosh went on to earn gold medals at the 2008 Olympics. The guard averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game at the 2008 Olympics.
Over the the next couple of years, Bryant captured more basketball success. He won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 with the Lakers, raising his title count to five rings.
The 2008 NBA MVP surely inspired Bosh. The power forward played critical roles in helping the Heat win championships in 2012 and 2013.
Bosh concluded his career with averages of 19.2 points, 8.5 boards and 2.0 assists per contest.
