Media

Sue Bird Shares Amazing Story About Kobe Bryant Cutting Up Paul Pierce in Newspaper for ‘Motivation’

Published by
Robert Marvi

Kobe Bryant was one of the most intrinsically motivated athletes of all time, and fellow legend Sue Bird shared just one example of that on social media today, as she recalled a story involving Bryant and longtime rival Paul Pierce.

The 2007-08 NBA season was a wild one like no other for the Los Angeles Lakers. It started even before it officially began with Bryant adamantly demanding a trade, citing the team’s failure to rebuild around him.

It looked like it would be yet another season where the Purple and Gold would have to huff and puff just to have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

But against all odds, they got off to a great start thanks to the emergence of their young players, in particular Andrew Bynum.

Then, with the team sitting at 24-11, Bynum suffered a dislocated kneecap and bone bruise that would end his season.

Everyone took a deep breath and hoped for the best, and they got just that and much more, as Pau Gasol was acquired unexpectedly on Feb. 1.

It was full steam ahead for the Lakers after that – until the Boston Celtics cut them down in six games for the NBA championship.

That humiliating loss would motivate Bryant and the Lakers for two full years, until they finally got revenge in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against those same Celtics.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.

Published by
Robert Marvi

Recent Posts

Lakers insider says Jaxson Hayes will have suitors that will try to poach him in free agency

Los Angeles Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes hasn't suited up for the storied franchise since…

March 16, 2025

Antoine Walker says LeBron wasn’t actually ‘unguardable’ in pickup game with MJ: ‘That wasn’t the case’

Earlier this year, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recounted a story about playing in…

March 15, 2025

Dorian Finney-Smith says he noticed JJ Redick was ‘a little off’: ‘All the greats are a little bit off’

Before veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and began playing…

March 14, 2025

D-Wade says LeBron ‘put some extra heat’ on Bronny by saying he was better than some NBA players

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and ESPN star Stephen A. Smith have been in…

March 14, 2025

Skip Bayless destroys Luka’s impact without LeBron: ‘Most of his points felt like empty calories’

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic had some big numbers on Thursday against the Milwaukee…

March 14, 2025

Shaq says LeBron is trying to set records that will never be broken: ‘I know what he’s doing’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record recently. In the team's March 4 blowout…

March 13, 2025