Video: Byron Scott recalls Kobe Bryant’s work ethic, legacy

When it came to Kobe Bryant, former Lakers teammate and coach Byron Scott immediately noticed the teenager’s work ethic.

Yet Scott, who won three championships with the Lakers, discovered that Bryant was unique in his approach to the game. An approach that led to a career that will be celebrated Saturday with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“He was always bringing up questions that had to make me think. … I was like, wait a minute, let me think about this for a second,� Scott said. “It wasn’t your everyday or normal questions that you normally expect from somebody that age. ... He wanted to ask you certain things that he felt that could help him in the future. It wasn’t, ‘How was it like playing against Michael Jordan.’ Those are easy questions.�

“He had difficult questions. ‘When you used to play against Isiah Thomas, why did you always try to guard him straight up instead of force him one way or another?’ I was like, ‘What? What are you watching, what you been looking at?’ But that was Kobe.�

In the video above, Scott discusses how Bryant’s work ethic and heart separated him from other superstars like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, players that Scott felt were probably more athletic and talented but couldn’t match Bryant’s passion for the game.

“This kid was on a different planet.�

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Kobe Bryant Hall of Fame Induction

May 11, 2021