Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic Essay

Good work ethic is described as making others believe in your commitment to work and not giving them a doubt that you are of value to the company. This is a description that perfectly fits Kobe Bryant. Kobe was only 17 years old when he entered the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was admired for his brilliance by NBA analysts. This paper covers his skill, achievements, and his famous sexual assault charges brought against him.

To understand Kobe’s work ethic, it is good to know some general details about him. Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978(1978-08-23). He is a National Basketball Association (NBA) player. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant became the cornerstone of Lakers in the 2003-2004 season after Shaq left the LA Lakers. He is ranked as the only second player to have scored the highest points in the club’s history, and this is attributed to his desire to be the best.

Kobe’s work ethic has been admired by many sportsmen, amongst them golfer Tiger woods. Woods says that Kobe guides his team steadily through matches. He calls Kobe’s preparation second to none because he spends time studying the defense mechanisms of opposing teams and their offenses, making his work ethic phenomenal (Slater, 2009, para 3-4). Kobe is one player who works no matter what the circumstances are. He works even when he has an injury or is faced with any other adversity. At the age of 22, many saw him as “Air apparent” to the legendary Michael Jordan. However, Kobe did not like this association of being second to Jordan. He wanted to be the greatest basketball player in history (Kaye, 2002, p. 6). When he first became a world champion in the summer of 2004, would make 2000 shots a day. This intense practice sharpened his skill to the perfect release. Phil Jackson describes it as “not thinking, and just doing.”

Kobe has been described as someone who likes his privacy. Lakers reports have compared him to Shaq who they say craves attention and has never become an adult. However, Bryant had never been a child. Their approach to basketball has also been compared with Shaq described as a person who loved punishing their opponents while Kobe loved outfoxing them. Kobe’s aspiration comes from the white shark. He describes the shark as a stealthy focused animal that cannot be stopped (Kaye, 2002, p. 16).

Medina (2010, para. 5) has noted Kobe’s love for working. Medina says that when the Lakers have a day off for Super Bowl Sunday, Kobe will feel really bad. Despite his busy work schedule, Kobe makes time for charity (The Inside, 2009, para. 3). On February 13 this year he hosted a charity at Eric Crown’s home in Paradise Valley. Eric is a philanthropist. The fundraising was aimed at raising funds for non-profit organizations helping underprivileged children.

Kobe’s media attention as a result of his work was diverted in 2003 when he was accused of sexual assault by Katelyn Faber. Faber was an employee at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera hotel in Eagle, Colorado. Bryant denied the allegations and termed it as a sexual encounter. These allegations stained his reputation and lead McDonald and Nutella to terminate their contract with them. His jerseys (which were among the highest in sales) experienced a decline in sales. In 2004, Faber’s case against Kobe was dropped because she refused to testify. She filed a lawsuit against Bryant which they settled with undisclosed terms.

In conclusion, Kobe Bryant is one of the most brilliant basketball players. His career was filled with one achievement after another. He demonstrates great skill and hard work. He is a role model who shows that with determination one can achieve their dream. Just like other people, life has its hard times in his case a sexual assault charge but he got through this tough time and is still admired by many.

Reference List

Kaye, E. (2002). Kobe, Shaq, and the Making of a Lakers Dynasty. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kobe Bryant to host local charity event. (2009). The insider Business Journal. Web.

Medina, M. (2010, February 7). Kobe Bryant says he can’t measure up to Peyton Manning’s work ethic. Los Angeles times. Web.

Slater, J. (2009).Tiger admires Kobe work ethic, Jordan’s skill. Inquirer sports. Web.

Sportige.com. Kobe Bryant. Web.