The world remembers Kobe Bryant for inspiring multiple generations of athletes, fathers, business people, and anyone who tries their luck shooting a crumpled piece of paper at a trash can. It is almost a requirement to yell, “Kobe!” when doing anything that resembles a jump shot. Kobe was a generational talent, but also someone who had mastered his ruthless mentality, nicknamed his Mamba Mentality, and the art of true work ethic. He left this world too soon and will be missed dearly.

During an interview, Jay Williams, who played for the Chicago Bulls from 2002-2004, shared a personal story about witnessing Kobe Bryant’s work ethic.

“I always tried to outwork people. That’s just how I made my mark. The game was at 7 [p.m.], I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to come to the Staples Center, because we’re playing — this is when the Lakers had Kobe and Shaq — this is the championship Lakers. I’m going to get there at 3 [o’clock] and I’m going to make sure I make 400 made shots before I go back into the room, I sit in the sauna, I get ready for the game,” Williams said.

When he got to the gym, he was surprised to see that Kobe was already in a full sweat, working out, 4 hours before the game.

“Who do I see? I see Kobe Bryant, already working out. Once I step my foot across that line, I started working out. I worked out for a good hour, hour and a half. When I came off, after I was done, I sat down and of course I still heard the ball bouncing,” Williams said. “I was like, ‘This guy is still working out? He was working out, it looks like he was in a dead sweat when I got here, and he’s still going. It’s not like his moves are nonchalant or lazy — he’s doing game moves.”

Kobe was still working out after Williams was finished. After the game, Williams approached Kobe with some questions.

“‘Hey Kobe, why were you in the gym for so long?’ He’s like, ‘Because I saw you come in and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, that I’m willing to work harder than you.’”

Kobe put in his time and his practice.

What is practice? Where should you start?

1. Practice is starting, trying, and doing. It is taking repeated action to master a skill.
2. Starting comes from finding a purpose.
3. Finding a purpose comes from wanting to improve in your interests. This becomes commitment, and will lead to progress.

Understanding this 3-step summary of practice requires an open mind. Start with a positive thought. What do you enjoy doing? What do you want to accomplish? When I turned 4, I wanted to ride a bike. Practice started with holding the handle bars and sitting on the seat. My purpose was to find my balance and feel comfortable. Next I had to find balance and comfort while pedaling. Two in a row, three in a row, and so on. That was progress. Progress can come as failure, but learning lessons from failure is also progress. Falling off my bike from the left, meant I needed a little more to the right.

Fast forward to present day. I turned 27 and wanted to write. Practice started with one paragraph and eventually led to a growing collection of articles on my website. Practice is starting and never ending. Work on committing to sustainable practice.

Practice Takes Time

In his book, Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, Harvey Mackay said, “Time is free but it’s priceless. You can’t own it but you can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it. And once it’s lost, you can never get it back.”

I frequently think about how I use my time. In today’s world of overcommunication and constant showcasing, it is easy to get lost in questions and considerations. We must decide what to devote our time to, and learn to move on when necessary. This applies to practice.

Practice takes time but leads to progress. Progress makes us feel good. Progress eventually leads to results, either good or bad. Good results can create the excitement that keeps us coming back for more. Coming back for more takes more time, and the cycle continues.

I dreamed of making it to Major League Baseball growing up. For a lot of people that dream ends at the age of 12. For others, 18. I was lucky enough to make it to 23. I have my own “I almost made it” stories but no matter what, the journey always feels like it ends too soon. Athletes often have a competitive mindset. I say often because sometimes they don’t. Some people are so naturally gifted that they could play multiple sports professionally. It can be hard to stay competitive or disciplined when things like winning, performing well, and big paychecks come naturally.

It can also be difficult to transition from being an athlete to starting a career. I loved working hard at becoming the best baseball player I could be for roughly 20 years. When it ended, it was difficult to feel like I was starting from scratch. Sure, I had transferable skills but I didn’t have 20 years of higher education or writing experience. What’s most important is finding new passion and fire, and then keeping it. That takes practice. Practice takes time.

Competition can bring out the best in some, or in Jay Williams’ case, questions and disbelief. Compete with yourself first by finding discipline within your practice. Motivation always comes and goes but discipline will keep you consistent. Kobe found discipline through preparation for competition. It allowed him to practice hard and compete harder. Commit to your work, then assess, adjust, and repeat. You will be better than when you started.

Practice: It Matters

Practice lets you focus your mindset.

1. Mindset vs. mindless
2. Practice has overlap
3. How much practice is enough?

Professionals in any industry must utilize focus. A surgeon focuses mentally and physically when performing surgery, a basketball player focuses on the basket when shooting, a musician focuses on tempo and timing throughout a performance. Quality practice creates muscle memory. Muscle memory makes tasks and skills feel more natural. This is a threat to quality practice and mindset. Once I learned to ride my bike, I did not have to think about pedaling or balancing. Once NBA players reach their highest level they rarely miss in practice, just like pitchers rarely miss the strike zone in a bullpen, and professional musicians rarely miss a note during rehearsal.

Focus on how to make practice constant. What is the next level? How can you incorporate skill development into your daily routine? You decide how much practice you can sustain and you decide when you have practiced enough. If you end up with a mindset anywhere close to Kobe’s, I am sure you will find success.

Commit to your version of practice, progress, and competition.

Read more:

• The Weekly Optimist Newsletter: Favorite Day
• The Weekly Optimist Newsletter: Learning
• The Weekly Optimist Newsletter: Fishing
• The Weekly Optimist Newsletter: Live Where You Love
• The Weekly Optimist Newsletter: Memorial Day, 2024

Footnotes:

Jay Williams’ Story

Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, by Harvey Mackay