“That’s why most players didn’t want to play with him” - Vitti on Kobe

 
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Black20Ice
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:01 am    Post subject: “That’s why most players didn’t want to play with him” - Vitti on Kobe

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“ … If I was in a foxhole and I looked to my left and I saw him [Kobe] and I looked to my right and I saw you [Byron Scott], I knew I was going to be okay. Now if you guys look to your right, I don’t know how you felt about me but I knew that I was good. He [Kobe] knew he was that guy and that’s what he expected from everybody and as a result, most players didn’t want to play with him,” Vitti said in his latest appearance on “The Byron Scott podcast”.


Quote:
Ultimately, Kobe was also lucky to be paired up with teammates who understood how his mindset worked and eventually also followed his lead. At the end of the day, Bryant has 5 championships and maybe those who turned him down wished they had more — if only they were brave enough to have the desire to play with him.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/that-s-why-most-players-didn-t-want-to-play-with-him-kobe-bryant-s-long-time-trainer-gary-vitti-reveals-why-players-feared-teaming-up-with-the-black-mamba/ar-AA16rgM6?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=636ee484cb0c41159608298b06b3431c
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Halflife
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:46 am    Post subject:

Nice
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lar9149
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:18 am    Post subject:

I could imagine Kobe was hard to play with.

I remember a story after the Celtics loss in the finals game 5 of the championship year where he literally slammed the door in the locker room after the game and just had it out with the team. We all know the result of game 6 & 7.

Actually I think the reason Shaq wanted to be traded was because of Kobe?
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governator
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:49 am    Post subject:

Pretty sure we all got that gung ho super competitive hard working co-workers that the boss love but I'm not about to call them Kobe lol
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Four Decade Bandwagon
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:32 am    Post subject:

Kobe is a player from another era. Hard to compare with today.

Today’s players are more likely to call his competitive antics and expectations “ toxic” and want him to go to anger management or workplace sensitivity training for making them feel uncomfortable.

Gone are the days when rivals actually disliked each other or intensely competed like Jordan or Kobe. Now every game ends with a group hug and plans to meet at the nearest club or restaurant to discuss business opportunities.

Just a different culture and era.
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danzag
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:38 am    Post subject:

KOBE
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2019
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:43 am    Post subject:

I think guys WANTED to play with Kobe. Most just couldn't handle what came with nor shared the ambition enough to do so.
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Halflife
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:57 am    Post subject:

2019 wrote:
I think guys WANTED to play with Kobe. Most just couldn't handle what came with nor shared the ambition enough to do so.

probably. I think when guys get paid, life for most of them becomes about the path of least resistance.

Kobe was the antithesis of that.
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Snipes
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 3:50 pm    Post subject:

My fav athlete of all time but personally I wouldn't be able to play with him. I am wired much differently and Bean would annoy the (bleep) out of me. RIP to my legend and god.
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Lakersfan1211
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 3:59 pm    Post subject:

Snipes wrote:
My fav athlete of all time but personally I wouldn't be able to play with him. I am wired much differently and Bean would annoy the (bleep) out of me. RIP to my legend and god.
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Robblake
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:10 pm    Post subject:

Snipes wrote:
My fav athlete of all time but personally I wouldn't be able to play with him. I am wired much differently and Bean would annoy the (bleep) out of me. RIP to my legend and god.
a guy like that challenges your ego. Once you realize it’s nothing personable.. it’s possible. But it’s hard if you’re not wired a certain Way.
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Brawn13
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:49 pm    Post subject:

He had a strong personality…it would be hard to deal with especially nowadays when you’re not allowed to say anything anymore.

We need to go back to the 90s when society wasn’t so soft and dumb
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 10:40 pm    Post subject:

When "Excellence" is the **Only** Standard, the pressure is at the highest level for well-paid NBA players (average salary of $8.32M per year) to be accountable.

As Kendrick Perkins have often stated in NBA Today, today's NBA stars (since they are the keys to sponsorship dollars and ratings) increasingly place a continuous downward trend of playing games that they are able to play.

There is a difference between players that are injured and hurt

Athletes are bigger, faster, stronger, better trained, countless medical experts at their beck and call, private jets/chartered flights between games, back-to-back games are limited, back2Back to back2back games (with one day of rest between games) are almost eliminated, etc. - few athletes have the Black Mamba Mentality (that includes always expanding their games so that they can play if one part of their game is not available because of an injury, etc. - superstars are missing more and more games (i.e. load management)

Why?

Stan Van Grundy and KD asks the same questions
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Halflife
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 2:42 pm    Post subject:



Long winded as only Vitti can do but this is great. Never heard the PP angle. Who wouldn't want to play with this dude.
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slavavov
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2023 12:29 am    Post subject:

Four Decade Bandwagon wrote:
Kobe is a player from another era. Hard to compare with today.

Today’s players are more likely to call his competitive antics and expectations “ toxic” and want him to go to anger management or workplace sensitivity training for making them feel uncomfortable.

Gone are the days when rivals actually disliked each other or intensely competed like Jordan or Kobe. Now every game ends with a group hug and plans to meet at the nearest club or restaurant to discuss business opportunities.

Just a different culture and era.

People always say "another era" and think that people were so much tougher back in their day. I'm sure in the '90s people said that '80s NBA players were much tougher, more committed and more team-oriented.

The reality is that the qualities needed to play with Kobe are rare in any era. Only like 10-12% of people are self-motivated. That's what it takes. Many people feel like they've "made it" when they reach the NBA and get their first contract, and for them there's no reason to go all-out anymore.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:43 am    Post subject:

slavavov wrote:
Four Decade Bandwagon wrote:
Kobe is a player from another era. Hard to compare with today.

Today’s players are more likely to call his competitive antics and expectations “ toxic” and want him to go to anger management or workplace sensitivity training for making them feel uncomfortable.

Gone are the days when rivals actually disliked each other or intensely competed like Jordan or Kobe. Now every game ends with a group hug and plans to meet at the nearest club or restaurant to discuss business opportunities.

Just a different culture and era.
People always say "another era" and think that people were so much tougher back in their day. I'm sure in the '90s people said that '80s NBA players were much tougher, more committed and more team-oriented.

The reality is that the qualities needed to play with Kobe are rare in any era. Only like 10-12% of people are self-motivated. That's what it takes. Many people feel like they've "made it" when they reach the NBA and get their first contract, and for them there's no reason to go all-out anymore.
Earlier generation of NBA always had it harder. SVG/KD acknowledges that with better athletes, training, transportation, medical attention and scheduling - today’s NBA players are more injured - lol!

Many NBA teams/players accept complacency. Winning franchises and great players do not accept mediocrity in any aspect of their game in their quest of their top priority - Winning a Ring(s)

Playing with Kobe in LaLaLand of the Lakers is very hard because of his demand of excellence, glare/scrutiny/fame/history of being a Laker and the many temptations
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