Nobody questions Kobe Bryant’s condition. Shot selection? Yes. Willingness to pass? Yes. But his commitment to his craft and his body are never in doubt.
So if Kobe drops 16 pounds, you know it was a choice. And he did that not only for the Olympics but the season he sees ahead, he told the London Guardian.
Beyond experimental therapy, Bryant reveals how else his appearance has changed, losing 16 pounds to prepare his older body for the rigours of the Olympics followed by another run at his sixth NBA title. “With summer basketball leading directly into the season – and I’m expecting to play until next June – I have to take some load off my knees. I’ve got to shave some of this weight.”
Kobe can take all the trips to Germany for exotic treatments he wants, it can only slow the march of time. Kobe knows that, knows he is asking a lot of his body, and knows that a lighter weight lessens the load his knees have to bear.
It’s something a mature, experienced player does. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook don’t need to do this, their bodies are too young to notice. Kobe is different. And he recognizes that.
I really recommend you read the entire story from the Guardian if you are a Kobe fan, it’s well done.
