On the Court With... Kobe Bryant by Matt Christopher
Authors: Matt Christopher
Tags: Biography
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games in the area were played. He wanted to be ready for training camp.
But during one game in early September, he took a tumble and cracked a small bone in his left wrist. Some members of the press
questioned his maturity for playing in an unorganized game.
Although the Lakers weren’t thrilled with his injury, West understood, saying, “This guy will play in a Little League tournament.
It doesn’t bother me. He loves to play basketball and is one of the most dedicated players I have ever seen.” He appreciated
Bryant’s unbridled passion for basketball.
Still, when training camp opened in October Bryantwas unable to play. All he could do was run and participate in drills that didn’t require him to handle the ball.
Kobe took camp seriously and worked hard to fit in. Veteran Lakers were curious about the young player.
He immediately impressed them with his work ethic, but his inability to participate in workouts left him far behind. He couldn’t
really learn the offense or determine where he fit in on the Laker team.
With O’Neal playing center, everything was changing and the team had to learn to play a whole new way. The veteran players
were more concerned with learning their roles than they were with how Bryant was adjusting.
He also didn’t quite know how to behave around the veteran club. After practice, many Lakers took full advantage of their
celebrity status in the city, going to clubs and hanging out together. Kobe was too young to get into most of the nightclubs
and didn’t care to spend his time in them, anyway. He kept to himself, stayed quiet, and tried to learn by watching.
Some members of the team thought he was aloof and didn’t quite know what to make of him. Bryant knew that until he had a chance
to play and demonstrate his skills, it would be hard to fit in. Besides, although he wasn’t intimidated being around theother players, he was cautious about succumbing to the NBA lifestyle. His priorities began and ended with basketball.
But that didn’t make him immune to the usual hazing and pranks veterans pull on rookies. At a team dinner they made Bryant
sing and teased him about his friendship with the pop singer and TV actress Brandy, whom he had taken to his senior prom.
They weren’t trying to be mean, but Bryant was sensitive to the teasing.
Near the end of training camp his wrist finally healed and he began to get some playing time. He demonstrated confidence in
his game, but also showed that he still had a lot to learn.
Bryant played the same way he had in high school. He thought nothing of going one-on-one against players of greater size and
more experience, or taking the important shot. His teammates immediately nicknamed him “Showboat.”
The name stung. Bryant considered himself a team player. But he was so confident that when he saw an opening, he tried to
exploit it. He just wasn’t accustomed to playing in a system where every other player was a legitimate option.
He had particular trouble on the defense. He oftenwent for the steal or went after rebounds he had no chance of getting. As a result, he sometimes left his own man wide open.
That wasn’t the way Laker coach Del Harris wanted things done. He wanted Bryant to stay within the offense, work the ball
inside to O’Neal, and play team defense. Although he knew Bryant would be a great player someday, Harris also knew that his
job depended upon his-ability to win now. He couldn’t afford to wait for Bryant and really wasn’t concerned with getting him
playing time. He was far more occupied with the task of getting his starters to learn to play with a force like O’Neal. The
club had undergone a complete changeover since the previous year and only five players remained from the 1995-96 team.
When the season started, Bryant only played during garbage time, when the Lakers were far ahead or far behind. Even then,
the instant he made a mistake, Harris pulled him from the game.
But during one game in early September, he took a tumble and cracked a small bone in his left wrist. Some members of the press
questioned his maturity for playing in an unorganized game.
Although the Lakers weren’t thrilled with his injury, West understood, saying, “This guy will play in a Little League tournament.
It doesn’t bother me. He loves to play basketball and is one of the most dedicated players I have ever seen.” He appreciated
Bryant’s unbridled passion for basketball.
Still, when training camp opened in October Bryantwas unable to play. All he could do was run and participate in drills that didn’t require him to handle the ball.
Kobe took camp seriously and worked hard to fit in. Veteran Lakers were curious about the young player.
He immediately impressed them with his work ethic, but his inability to participate in workouts left him far behind. He couldn’t
really learn the offense or determine where he fit in on the Laker team.
With O’Neal playing center, everything was changing and the team had to learn to play a whole new way. The veteran players
were more concerned with learning their roles than they were with how Bryant was adjusting.
He also didn’t quite know how to behave around the veteran club. After practice, many Lakers took full advantage of their
celebrity status in the city, going to clubs and hanging out together. Kobe was too young to get into most of the nightclubs
and didn’t care to spend his time in them, anyway. He kept to himself, stayed quiet, and tried to learn by watching.
Some members of the team thought he was aloof and didn’t quite know what to make of him. Bryant knew that until he had a chance
to play and demonstrate his skills, it would be hard to fit in. Besides, although he wasn’t intimidated being around theother players, he was cautious about succumbing to the NBA lifestyle. His priorities began and ended with basketball.
But that didn’t make him immune to the usual hazing and pranks veterans pull on rookies. At a team dinner they made Bryant
sing and teased him about his friendship with the pop singer and TV actress Brandy, whom he had taken to his senior prom.
They weren’t trying to be mean, but Bryant was sensitive to the teasing.
Near the end of training camp his wrist finally healed and he began to get some playing time. He demonstrated confidence in
his game, but also showed that he still had a lot to learn.
Bryant played the same way he had in high school. He thought nothing of going one-on-one against players of greater size and
more experience, or taking the important shot. His teammates immediately nicknamed him “Showboat.”
The name stung. Bryant considered himself a team player. But he was so confident that when he saw an opening, he tried to
exploit it. He just wasn’t accustomed to playing in a system where every other player was a legitimate option.
He had particular trouble on the defense. He oftenwent for the steal or went after rebounds he had no chance of getting. As a result, he sometimes left his own man wide open.
That wasn’t the way Laker coach Del Harris wanted things done. He wanted Bryant to stay within the offense, work the ball
inside to O’Neal, and play team defense. Although he knew Bryant would be a great player someday, Harris also knew that his
job depended upon his-ability to win now. He couldn’t afford to wait for Bryant and really wasn’t concerned with getting him
playing time. He was far more occupied with the task of getting his starters to learn to play with a force like O’Neal. The
club had undergone a complete changeover since the previous year and only five players remained from the 1995-96 team.
When the season started, Bryant only played during garbage time, when the Lakers were far ahead or far behind. Even then,
the instant he made a mistake, Harris pulled him from the game.
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