(Ep041) How Kobe Bryant Played on a Sprained Ankle to Help the Lakers Win the 2000 NBA Title (with Gary Vitti)
In the late 90s and early 2000s, the LA Lakers looked like the heir apparent to Michael Jordan’s throne, with Shaq dominating in the post and Kobe Bryant coming into his own as the league’s emerging superstar. And when Jordan’s coach Phil Jackson took over, the final piece of the championship puzzle seemed to be in place. But in game 2 of the 2000 Finals, the Laker’s title run was jeopardized when Kobe went down with a severe ankle sprain.
Somehow, Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti and his team got Bryant back on the floor for a pivotal game 4. In this episode, Gary shares:
How winning through pain helped Kobe replace “can’t” and “won’t” in his vocabulary with the “can” and “will” of the Mamba mentality
Why heading to Indianapolis helped Kobe return to play sooner than if the series had stayed in LA
When an argument over a thumb injury led to Gary bumping Kobe’s head
How he used the example of Isaiah Thomas’s injury in the 1988 NBA Finals to inspire Kobe
What Kobe did in game 4 after Shaq fouled out to set the Lakers up to win their first title since Magic retired
To hear more of Gary’s stories about Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, and Pat Riley, listen to our previous Basketball Strong episode with him, and read his book 32 Years of Titles and Tears from the Best Seat in the House.
