Resurfaced Footage of Kobe Bryant’s Insane Competitiveness Goes Viral

Resurfaced footage of Kobe Bryant has gone viral online as it seemingly provides an insight into how intense the LA Lakers superstar’s competitive spirit truly was when he was near the peak of his powers in the NBA.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant joined the Lakers in 1996 after being traded by the Charlotte Hornets. He was long considered a stud when playing at high school, and, within years, had become a critical part of the Lakers line-up.

Success swiftly followed, and Bryant formed an extraordinary partnership with Shaquille O’Neal and they both helped the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2000, 2001, and 2002 for an incredible ‘three-peat’. The footage below is from the following season.

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Clip shows Bryant’s insane competitiveness

In the clip, Bryant can be seen talking to sports commentator and analyst Jim Gray after the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. He is noticeably distraught.

“Kobe this is a difficult moment for you,” said Gray at the start of the clip, as Bryant towers over him at 6-foot-6. “How disappointed are you?”

Responding, Bryant said:

“I just hate losing. It’s a tough loss.”

“We have to get ready for the off-season — next season starts now. We have a million and one excuses that we could go to, but the fact of the matter is we’re not going to make it. They played better than we did in this series. We had opportunities to win it. It didn’t go for us. We have to re-group. Next season starts now.”

Fans commenting appeared to say similar things when reacting to the clip. “In tears crying after [he’s] been eliminated when he just three-peated,” one poster remarked. “[They] don’t make them like him anymore.”

Another poster said that, for a 25-year-old, it was a remarkable response in that moment. “Almost feel bad for him, he was so laser-focused and obsessed.”

A third poster said: “I’m sure he cried later. You can just feel the pain in his voice. But the determination to want to come back harder [is fire].”

Bryant wouldn’t win another championship with the Lakers for another six years, but he won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 to become a five-time champion.