“Hit me harder!” Jamal Crawford reveals Kobe Bryant’s wild request for trainer to foul him in practice

The Mamba would not only train longer but harder.

“Hit me harder!” Jamal Crawford reveals Kobe Bryant’s wild request for trainer to foul him in practice

The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant was known for his relentless work ethic that made him an iconic sportsperson. Not only was he the greatest basketball player in the world, but he was considered one of the toughest competitors to go up against.

The Mamba Mentality is something young athletes use to stick to a disciplined routine. There have been many instances where Bryant outworked his opponents as well as his teammates.

YouTube video

Recently, Jamal Crawford, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year awardee shared an insightful story about the Mamba. Crawford has played five seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

FS Video

Out of the five seasons, Crawford shared the locker room with Bryant. Having played alongside Kobe, Crawford would definitely have some Mamba Mentality stories to share, as he did on the Dan Patrick Show.

I heard one story, one of his trainers told me. One time Kobe was working out and he wanted the trainer to foul him and the trainer is fouling him, he's like, 'No, no, hit me harder, hit me harder'. And where the guy was just basically draped all over him and Kobe was still making shots. So he practiced that way, so for him it was easy.
Said Crawford.

Bryant’s iconic fadeaway jump shot was considered one of the toughest shots to make. To this day, no player has mastered the same shot. It was only due to Kobe’s work ethic and his tough mentality that made him the greatest player ever.

While Bryant worked extremely hard, his trainer, who had a grasp of the Mamba’s fatigue level, struggled to keep Kobe Bryant off practice sometimes.

Kobe Bryant didn’t know when to stop

Tim Grover, who also trained Michael Jordan, started training Bryant in 2007. In contrast to MJ’s work ethic, Kobe never worked less.

This also meant that the Mamba would take short breaks and get back to the gym later. This was a problem at first, which Bryant had to understand. The Mamba was at a point where he had to work less to see more results.

There was a time during the USA basketball team practice in Las Vegas when Kobe decided to go cycling, covering a 40-mile distance. He planned to start at 4:30 in the morning. The Mamba mentality part of this story is that Bryant would take a break once the sun came up and continue later on when the sun was at its peak. 

Such stories can only have Bryant as the main character. His work ethic was never topped by any other player. The five-time NBA champ inspired generations ahead, as his words and the legacy left are still looked upon.

In case you missed it: