“Thought somebody kicked in the back of my leg”: Los Angeles Laker’s athletic trainer Gary Vitti reveals Kobe Bryant reacting to his Achilles injury
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Kobe Bryant and Gary Vitti
When the legendary NBA players are considered, Kobe Bryant emerges on the top spot. The former player not only dominated the league but his resembled to be the best of the game in his generation. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers have shared some inevitable moments. The impeccable player came over tough pains and injury moments to deliver some big wins. Once Kobe Bryant stayed on the court despite Achilles injury to shoot free throws. The Los Angeles Laker athletic trainer Gary Vitti revealed how Kobe Bryant took his Achilles injury.
Kobe Bryant bravely succumbed all injuries putting on heroic efforts for the team. The black mamba strove to achieve greatness down his incredible journey in the NBA. In achieving so he had many battle scars in form of injuries. He has faced some of the worst injuries throughout his career. However, Kobe Bryant has been edged over all of these barriers to achieve greatness. While playing against the Warriors Kobe Bryant succumbed one of the most horrifying Achilles tendon tear. However, the way he reacted to it was different.
Kobe Bryant responds to his torn Achilles
Coming on to a close encounter, the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of losing to the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant’s desperate push was the reason for his injury. The Laker’s athletic trainer Gary Vitti revealed, “The telltale sign of Achilles tendon rupture is, I thought somebody kicked in the back of my leg and then I looked back, there was nobody. If an athlete tells you that, you can pretty much go to the bank… .”
He added, “Now, this is the Kobe Bryant, this is the Mamba. This is the experience that an athletic trainer, other than the one that’s working with the Mamba doesn’t get. He says to me, ‘Yeah I kinda thought that, so I try to reach back there and try to pull it down’. I don’t know if any athletic trainer has ever had a response like that from any other athlete… I said, well it doesn’t really work that way, let’s go back and check it out.”Despite his injury he stepped up for the two free throws and converted both of them.
Gary Vitti also said, “We went into the training room, he was stoic. Kobe Bryant lost his mind, and that’s when all the emotions came out that his season is over, maybe in his mind, his career. Not too late, Vanessa and children came to my office… I went into the training room and said, ‘Kobe, Vanessa, and the girls are here.’ [Giffy] Like that, he turned off all of his emotion coz he doesn’t want his wife and his daughters to see him this way.” Kobe Bryant’s mental ability was beyond par from any other player. He believed just as a person will put his efforts to run, jump, and climb to save his family from fire, Kobe Bryant had a similar mind-set during the Warriors match. That was the sole reason Lakers were able to qualify for the playoffs before his retirement.
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Sumeet Singh
(384 Articles Published)