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Rick Fox on how he earned Kobe Bryant's respect
Rick Fox on how he earned Kobe Bryant's respect
Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant wasn't just a fierce competitor on the court -- he was also fierce off the court when it came to basketball.
As an intense, alpha-dog type of leader, he could be rough on his teammates. During his career, many thought it meant he was simply abrasive and destructive, but as time went on and the NBA championships continued to pile up, people realized that, in the long run, his style of leadership worked.
Forward Rick Fox played seven seasons and won three championships in a row in the early 2000s with Bryant and the Lakers. During an appearance on the "Giant Ideas" podcast, he said that there was one definite way to earn the respect of the "Black Mamba."
"Kobe, you need to fight," Fox said. "Kobe doesn't respect you unless you challenge him, like all the way up to fighting. Physically fighting. And he and I had our share of fights in practice. Physical fights. But that was his basketball love language. If you didn't back down to him, then he respected you. And a lot of people didn't actually get that because he was Kobe Bryant.
"So if you won't fight me, and I'm the biggest, baddest animal, as they would feel they are in the jungle — then how do I know you got my back? How do I know you're going to cover my back?"
Over the years, Bryant learned how to even out his fiery style of leadership and how to get his teammates to believe in themselves. As a result, many of his former teammates have grown to have fond memories of playing with him.
After all, it's hard not to have fond memories when someone like Bryant is bringing the best out of a player to the point of helping him win the NBA's grand prize.
