Watch: Kobe Bryant made his debut 26 years ago today, had one of only 11 scoreless game in his NBA career
Throughout his NBA career, the late Kobe Bryant inspired many to pursue greatness in everything. But before his glory and success, Bryant had to experience the downs during his rookie debut.
In a video posted on Twitter, we see a young Kobe Bryant with a veteran, more experienced Byron Scott. Before he started collecting championships, the Black Mamba had a hard time in his first game in the NBA.
Although Bryant was one of the best scorers in the history of the league, he registered zero points during his debut for the LA Lakers versus the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3, 1996.
Despite that, Scott saw something special in Bryant's early years in the league. In the video, he showered the five-time NBA champion with compliments:
"This kid right here, mark my words. ... He's gon' be unbelievable. I'm not saying that 'cause he here, I see him every day in practice.
18-year-old Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut 26 years ago today.
It was the first of 11 scoreless games during his rookie season. He finished his career with a 60-point performance & 33,643 career points (4th most in NBA history) 💜💛🐍 https://t.co/OJl3QexfzL
"I see how this kid works, after practice how he's still in the gym before practice. ... He's just a tremendous talent."
Bryant only played six minutes during his NBA debut. After that, he started to work harder to sharpen his skills. As a player coming out of high school, he wasn't given much time on the court. But that didn't stop him from being the best version of himself at the time.
The 18-time All-Star finished his rookie season averaging 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot the ball well during his first year. In 71 games, he made 41.7% of his shots from the field and 37.5% of his 3-pointers. It was good enough for the NBA to name him as part of the All-Rookie Second Team.
It was enough motivation for the young guard at the time. In his second year, he made his presence known and was able to be named an All-Star.
The work ethic of Kobe Bryant is what separated him from the others
Current and former NBA players have shared their adoration for the great Kobe Bryant. To them, he was an example of someone who passionately loves what he does, and why he does it.
When people look Bryant up on the internet, they see tons of content about Bryant's dedication to perfecting his craft. His obsession with being excellent gave him the opportunity to be a winner. According to Kobe Bryant himself, he never had a good rest while playing in the NBA because he'd spend most of his time in the gym, working out.
A few years ago, Business Insider posted a video of Bryant's workout session on YouTube. The video included how much free time he had left while working out. Surprisingly, it wasn't enough. Bryant also didn't stop practicing until he reached 400 shots.
Due to his elite work ethic, he has become an inspiration for a lot of players in the NBA today. Devin Booker, DeMar DeRozan and Jayson Tatum are all trying their best to follow in the former MVP's footsteps. But, surely, there will be no other player in the NBA like Kobe Bryant.