“It’s one of many things I admired about him”: Max Homa shares hilarious post about Kobe Bryant’s dedication and doing the opposite
Max Homa is one of the best golfers in the world and that requires some incredible dedication. It demands lots of practice and very little down time. Even in the off-season, which just began for Homa and the rest of those participating in the Ryder Cup, it requires hard work.
The late, great Kobe Bryant had that mentality. His "Mamba Mentality" meant practicing at all hours, getting better when no one else was and no one else could see him.
Homa awoke at 4 am on the first day of his off-season. Much like Bryant, he was up much earlier than his competitors. This mindset is one that Homa admired, so what did he do? He decided to spend two hours on his phone.
Homa posted on X (formerly known as Twitter):
"First day of the off-season at home and I woke up at 4am. I’ve read so many stories like this about Kobe and his dedication when no one was watching and he had every excuse to take a break. It’s one of many things I admired about him. I scrolled on my phone for 2 hours."
Not everyone is Bryant, clearly. His motivation and dedication to his craft was unrivaled. Most athletes aren't like that, and Homa certainly isn't. He doesn't have any qualms about it, either.
He recently dominated the Ryder Cup. When Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka and others faded, Homa was incredible in his first action.
He earned 3.5 points, 1.5 more than the next closest competitor. He also nailed an improbable shot after a penalty to keep the Americans' slim chances of coming back alive. They couldn't come back, but Homa was really the only reason they were in it.
Bryant may have taken that team loss and used it as fuel to the fire the next morning at 4 am. Instead, Homa decided to relax on his phone even when he couldn't sleep. They just don't come like the former Los Angeles Lakers legend anymore.
Max Homa carried Team USA
All around, it was a disappointing performance for Team USA at the Ryder Cup. Zach Johnson's squad could not get anything going and were pretty roundly beaten when the day was done. Coming into the final day, nothing short of a miracle was required.
Max Homa was the exception. Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler were benched. Rickie Fowler didn't earn a single point all weekend. Homa was excellent and he gave them a fighting chance.
With the odds against him, he took a drop and then chipped closer. When he nailed the clutch putt to keep his team alive, he reacted with his caddie, who had advised him to do exactly what he did.
Homa said:
"Did you see my legs shaking?"
The pressure was on for the American, the lone golfer who actually came into form during the weekend. He was cool, calm and collected even if it didn't end up with a victory for the country.