Kobe Bryant Strived to Win at Every thing, however Even His Mamba Mentality Couldn’t Get Him on a Common Actuality TV Collection: ‘Don’t Dance’
All through his profession with the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA legend Kobe Bryant not often backed down from a problem; he strived to be the very best he may and wished to win in any respect prices.
Nevertheless, Bryant refused to tackle one particular problem after his legendary profession. The 18-time All-Star mentioned he was an enormous fan of the truth TV present Dancing With the Stars however had a fast reply when requested if he would ever be on it.
Kobe Bryant stored busy after his legendary NBA profession with the Lakers
After successful 5 NBA championships with the Lakers and changing into one of many best basketball gamers of all time, Kobe Bryant continued to remain busy in retirement.
Along with teaching his daughter Gianna’s basketball workforce, the late hoops star received an Oscar for greatest animated brief after writing and narrating his mission Expensive Basketball. He additionally created a number of New York Occasions best-selling books, together with his basketball-meets-Harry Potter collection, The Wizenard Collection.
“I believe it’s (the stage of life he was in) simply having enjoyable,” Bryant mentioned in 2019 on Good Morning America. “You discover one thing that you simply like to do, and also you go after it. And I used to be very lucky to have basketball, however much more lucky to seek out storytelling after.”
Kobe had a selected cause for not desirous to go on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
There have been numerous tales of Bryant’s sturdy need to win at all the pieces. His aggressive drive, often known as his Mamba Mentality, performed a big function in him successful his 5 titles after which persevering with to seek out success in his post-career endeavors.
Nevertheless, regardless of saying he was a fan of the favored actuality TV collection Dancing With The Stars, Bryant had a fast reply when somebody requested him about being on it.
“No,” Bryant mentioned with fun on an episode of Good Morning America in 2019. “My knees can be like, ‘Dude, what are you doing? We simply went via 20 years of beating me up, don’t dance.’”
So, we sadly by no means obtained to see how Bryant may have fared as a dancer, however had he completed it, the two-time Finals MVP would have adopted within the footsteps (or dancing footwear?) of some iconic athletes.
Many different athletes have competed on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
Regardless of Bryant’s unwillingness to go onto the present, quite a few athletes have competed on Dancing with the Stars, and a few have been profitable.
Whereas individuals like Kobe’s former teammate Lamar Odom and boxer Evander Holyfield couldn’t fairly discover their rhythm, some sports activities stars truly went on and received the entire thing.
Right here’s an inventory of athletes who’ve received as of 2020 (per Entertainment Tonight).
- Season 3: Emmitt Smith (Corridor of Fame NFL working again)
- Season 4: Apollo Anton Ohno (Olympic gold-medal-winning pace skater)
- Season 5: Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500-winning race automobile driver)
- Season 6: Kristi Yamaguchi (Olympic gold-medal-winning determine skater)
- Season 8: Shawn Johnson (Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast)
- Season 12: Hines Ward (former Professional Bowl huge receiver)
- Season 14: Donald Driver (former Inexperienced Bay Packer huge receiver)
- Season 18: Meryl Davis (Olympic gold-medal-winning ice dancer)
- Season 23: Laurie Hernandez (Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast)
- Season 24: Rashad Jennings (former NFL working again)
- Season 26: Adam Rippon (former Olympic determine skater)
That’s a formidable record, particularly contemplating those like Emmitt Smith and Shawn Johnson, who have been the very best at what they did athletically and proved to be virtually pretty much as good at dancing. There, nonetheless, aren’t any NBA stars on it, so perhaps somebody will finally channel Kobe’s Mamba Mentality and produce dwelling the Mirror Ball Trophy for hoops legends all over the place.
Bryant didn’t want it anyway; he already had too many trophies in his case.
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