Former NBA star Isaiah Thomas spoke to The Players Tribune about his relationship with Kobe Bryant . He noted that his scoring improved drastically under Kobe's mentorship. Thomas added that Kobe and he would speak on the phone and watch game tapes together to understand where he can improve.
"Every night, I knew I was getting 30 [points]. I knew it because I just figured it out. I figured the game out inside and out. I watched film every day. I prepared on some Kobe sh*t. Like I really did."
"And he was able to mentor me and really mold me all year. I used to call Kobe at night. (I'd ask) 'What do I do when they're defending me like this?'. We used to watch film, he used to really take his time and watch film with me."
"My skills were always there, but my mental just took it to a different level. And that's how I was able to have that success."
Isaiah Thomas was sensational during his first few years in the NBA. After developing into a solid scorer, despite being one of the smallest players in NBA history, Thomas became a reliable player for the Kings. By the 2013-14 NBA season, Thomas was averaging 20.3 points per game.
However, with his minutes going down with the Kings, he eventually found himself with the Celtics after a trade. Thomas found himself in the starting lineup eventually and even earned his way to being a multiple-time All-Star with the Celtics, where he would average 29.8 points per game in the 2016-17 NBA season.
Thomas' career took a turn for the worse when he was traded to the Cavaliers, where he struggled playing alongside LeBron James. Since then, he has bounced around the league playing for different teams. In the last few years, he has been in and out of the league, signing short-term deals, doing so most recently with the Phoenix Suns.
Kobe Bryant Mentored Several Players In The NBA
Isaiah Thomas is far from the only player who has spoken about being mentored by Kobe Bryant. Players like Kyrie Irving and Devin Booker have talked on numerous occasions about how Bryant took them under his wing and helped them become better players in the NBA.
Even if they were not mentored by him, several players in the NBA today grew up idolizing Kobe, and find any chance they can to show their respect to him. Recently, Paul George, who signed for the 76ers, the team of Kobe's hometown of Philadelphia, chose to wear the number eight to pay tribute to him .
Jayson Tatum, who is very well known for his admiration of Kobe, chose to wear his number 10 jersey with Team USA and spoke about what an honor it was for him to pay tribute to his childhood idol.
Bryant left a lasting impact on the sport of basketball, and it is always great to see players and teams show their respect for him in unique and creative ways. While Bryant sadly is no longer with us, his memory will endure forever.
Related: Dwight Howard Admits It Was Tough Playing With Kobe Bryant: "I Didn't Want To Go To The Lakers..."
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