Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was still averaging 38.6 minutes per game in his 17th year in the league. Even at the tail end of his career, Kobe was still putting everything on the line for the chance to win his sixth Larry O’Brien trophy. He may have lost a chunk of his athleticism due to age and injuries, but his basketball IQ was well intact.
Doug Collins, who at that time was head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, saw how Bryant tweaked his game to maximize his talent at that part of his career. He noticed how intentional and calculated Kobe’s moves were. Everything the Black Mamba did had a clear purpose.
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“As guys get older, for the guys who are really the savants, the game comes easier. They don’t waste energy. When you’re younger sometimes, you chase your tail; and you get older and the game slows down,” Collins said in 2013, via the Los Angeles Times.
“He knows where he wants the ball, how he wants to get it, how he’s going to get it and what he’s going to do to you once he gets it.”
Kobe and MJ had different mindsets
Bryant’s approach reminded Collins of his old player, Michael Jordan. Collins coached Jordan in his early years with the Chicago Bulls, then later with the Washington Wizards. MJ, in both stages of his career, did everything he could to play every game in the regular season. Kobe and Jordan only took a rest if they couldn’t play at all.
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“He and Michael both, a badge of courage for them would be playing 82 games, not winning the NBA scoring title,” Collins said.
“When you play all 82 games, all that other stuff’s going to happen. He wants to answer the bell every night for his team and that’s what great players do.”
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Kobe’s tricks of the trade
Interestingly, it was through Jordan that Bryant learned how to conserve his energy and avoid load management. NBA regular seasons are long and tough. Superstars need to be present for their team at all times. Kobe learned a trick from his idol on how to preserve his body during a string of games.
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“One of the things I learned from MJ when it comes to doing second nights of back-to-backs or when it’s the fourth game in five nights, you can alter your game a little bit,” Bryant once said on ESPN’s First Take.
“I might be on the perimeter in the first two games, now I’ll slide down to the post. I’m gonna play a little closer to the basket. I’ll play off the ball a little bit more, right? So there are ways where you can kind of alter your game where you can get rest within the game but still be efficient,” he stated.
Bryant and Jordan’s approach enabled them to have long and productive NBA careers. Only a handful of ballers make it to 10 seasons. Kobe and Mike played 20 and 15 seasons, respectively — all of which were at a high level. They snagged NBA Championships and individual accolades left and right.
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Most of all, they delighted NBA fans with their devotion to the sport by giving it their all every single night.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
