Lives Cut Short Losing this one would mean leaving their shot at the championship on the floor in Salt Lake City Utah Several of Bryant’s more experienced teammates had been taken out of the game in one way or another Veteran shooting guard Byron Scott missed the game with a sprained right wrist Forward Robert Horry was ejected during the third quarter after a scuffle with Utah’s Jeff Hornacek And star Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal had just fouled out with less than two minutes left in the game The Lakers were counting on 18-year-old Bryant He was their last hope to win the game and keep the series alive So far the game had been close This was despite the best efforts of Jazz stars Karl Malone and John Stockton who together racked up 56 points by the time of the final buzzer With the score tied 89 89 the game headed into overtime Bryant scrambled to take every 8 Working and Waiting for His Turn Most NBA rookies spend lots of time sitting on the bench Although Bryant showed great potential he too had to wait for his chance at floor time More often than not Lakers coach Del Harris chose established guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel over Bryant When Bryant did make it into a game he often had only a few minutes to prove his value to the team At the time Bryant hated being a benchwarmer But he later said it inspired him to work as hard as he could during practices so he could get more opportunities to get in the game
Kobe Bryant available shot including four three-pointers in a row which could have sealed the win the Lakers so desperately needed But each shot was an air ball meaning it sailed through the air without making contact with the rim or even the backboard Bryant didn’t just miss he fell flat The Jazz pulled together to rack up the last few points they needed for their 98 93 win Just like that the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs An Important Lesson Learned Bryant’s devastation over his failure to come through for his team was written all over his face as he left the court But something else was clear too His teammate Scott who had watched the game from the sidelines described the look on Bryant’s face to the Los Angeles Daily News years later He said that the look promised This will never happen again 1 After a crushing loss many athletes go home to think about what they did wrong carefully dissecting every mistake Some may commiserate with teammates first wallowing in self-pity Others might head straight to bed to put the disappointment behind them Bryant did none of these things Instead as soon as the team returned to Los Angeles California that night 9
Lives Cut Short Byron Scott eventually became the Lakers head coach and worked with Bryant he went to the last place anyone might have expected a basketball court He convinced nearby Palisade High School to allow him to use its gymnasium He stayed there until the sun came up the next morning practicing his 10
No Fear The media quickly began poking fun at Bryant for his four air balls in the 1997 semifinals game The next day even the Los Angeles Times ran the headline Lakers Get Aired Out 2 Soon however the conversation shifted People began to see that Bryant’s willingness to keep taking shots despite airballing several was an admirable trait Former Lakers guard Jerry West was the team’s general manager during Bryant’s rookie season West said in an interview about that game with the Los Angeles Daily News that Bryant never gave up even after he faced failure He was fearless I think that’s one of the things that spurred him to greatness said West 3 Kobe Bryant jump shot The impromptu practice session was not an isolated incident meant to blow off steam It was Bryant’s way to make sure that he never repeated the mistakes he made in that fateful game He kept working on his jump shot every single day until the next NBA season began While others may have succumbed to negativity and self-doubt after a big disappointment Bryant made hard work and perseverance the driving forces that would make him the player he wanted to be Years later he recalled that semifinals loss as a turning point in his career Although it was miserable to go through Bryant said that he looked back upon that game with fond memories because it helped shape him as a player Becoming the Black Mamba As many athletes both amateur and professional know every sport is partly a mental 11
