WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.279 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. This is where 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:05.219 we take, you know, a huge pile of sources, all 00:00:05.219 --> 00:00:07.320 the research, the biographies, and we just distill 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:09.679 it all down for you. All the essentials. All 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:12.019 the essentials, the surprising facts, the philosophy 00:00:12.019 --> 00:00:15.099 behind it. And today, we're not just diving into 00:00:15.099 --> 00:00:19.140 basketball history. We are plunging into a whole 00:00:19.140 --> 00:00:22.820 cultural phenomenon, a 20 -year career that really 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:25.019 just transcended sport. It's defined by five 00:00:25.019 --> 00:00:28.260 championships, this relentless drive, and one... 00:00:29.570 --> 00:00:33.030 Single, unforgettable name, Kobe. It's a huge 00:00:33.030 --> 00:00:36.469 topic. We have amassed, I mean, just extensive 00:00:36.469 --> 00:00:39.689 material detailing the comprehensive, often controversial, 00:00:39.869 --> 00:00:41.590 and ultimately, you know, unparalleled career 00:00:41.590 --> 00:00:45.170 of Kobe Bean Bryant. And his entire run, 20 seasons, 00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:47.329 all with one team. All in the purple and gold 00:00:47.329 --> 00:00:50.000 of the Los Angeles Lakers. So our mission today 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.340 is, well, it's pretty complex. We have to extract 00:00:52.340 --> 00:00:54.700 the crucial insights, the turning points, and 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:56.880 really get to the true meaning behind the legend 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:59.600 of the Black Mamba. And that key ethos, the Mamba 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.719 mentality. Exactly. The Mamba mentality. Yeah. 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:04.599 That mentality is really the guiding star for 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:07.799 this whole deep dive. So, OK, let's lay out the 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:09.799 roadmap for everyone. Let's do it. We're starting 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:12.680 far from the NBA hardwood. We're going to look 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:15.780 at his unique global roots that really shaped 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:18.840 his game and then the sheer audacity. of that 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:21.879 prep to pro leap. Which was so rare at the time. 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:25.159 So rare. Then we'll get into the dynamic, high 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.079 -tension championship years with Shaq, the scoring 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:31.219 explosion that followed, and then the demanding 00:01:31.219 --> 00:01:33.299 late career injuries. And you can't forget what 00:01:33.299 --> 00:01:36.319 came after. His incredible renaissance off the 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.680 court, capped by... Of all things, an Academy 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.079 Award. Right. It just proved that the mama mentality 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:45.439 was, I mean, it was entirely transferable. It's 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:49.000 a roadmap of just relentless, singular ambition. 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.299 And we're going to make sure you walk away understanding 00:01:51.299 --> 00:01:53.900 not just what he did, but how he did it and why 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:56.280 that drive became such an archetype. Okay, so 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:58.760 to really unpack the foundation of Kobe Bryant's, 00:01:58.780 --> 00:02:01.079 let's call it, hyper -focused competitive nature, 00:02:01.299 --> 00:02:03.260 we actually have to look across the Atlantic. 00:02:03.459 --> 00:02:05.780 Right. It doesn't start in Philly. Not really. 00:02:05.939 --> 00:02:08.099 Well, he was born there, Philadelphia, 1978. 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:11.020 And, you know, his connection to the game was 00:02:11.020 --> 00:02:14.219 immediate. His dad, Joe Jellybean Bryant, played 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:16.879 eight seasons in the NDA. So it's in his blood. 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:19.139 It's in his blood. But the thing that makes him 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:21.900 different, that differentiating factor, it happened 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:25.259 really early on. Absolutely. The pivotal chapter 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:28.699 begins when Kobe was just six years old. When 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:31.900 his father's NBA career ended, he took his family 00:02:31.900 --> 00:02:34.650 and his career overseas to Italy. And they were 00:02:34.650 --> 00:02:37.150 there for a long time. Seven years. And this 00:02:37.150 --> 00:02:39.009 wasn't a static experience either. They moved 00:02:39.009 --> 00:02:41.509 several times, lived in towns like Rieti, Reggio 00:02:41.509 --> 00:02:44.349 Calabria, Pistoia, and then settled for a good 00:02:44.349 --> 00:02:46.909 while in Reggio Emilia. And he always spoke about 00:02:46.909 --> 00:02:49.469 that place with so much love. He did. He later 00:02:49.469 --> 00:02:51.770 described it as a defining place, a place where 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:53.490 he formed some of his best childhood memories. 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:56.979 It was home. That is just a profound cultural 00:02:56.979 --> 00:03:00.599 immersion at an incredibly formative age. And 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:02.500 you see in the source material how it fundamentally 00:03:02.500 --> 00:03:05.300 shaped his worldview, not just as a person, but 00:03:05.300 --> 00:03:07.960 as an athlete. Precisely. He became completely 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.240 fluent in Italian, which is amazing in itself. 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.020 But more than that, he just absorbed European 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:16.879 culture. And his first athletic love, this is 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:18.840 the key, it wasn't basketball. It was soccer. 00:03:19.139 --> 00:03:21.979 It was soccer. He was a diehard fan of the Italian 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:25.400 powerhouse AC Milan. And that global perspective 00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:28.060 meant that when he finally came back to the U 00:03:28.060 --> 00:03:30.379 .S., he had a different approach to the game, 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:33.340 different training habits, and a level of seriousness 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:35.780 that just set him apart from his peers. And there's 00:03:35.780 --> 00:03:38.379 this one fascinating detail in the sources about 00:03:38.379 --> 00:03:40.300 how he actually kept up with American basketball 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:42.060 while he was over there. Oh, this is a great 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:44.120 story. It speaks volumes about his early dedication. 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:47.120 It really does. Yeah. So in Italy back then. 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:50.210 You know, getting live NBA games was almost impossible. 00:03:50.469 --> 00:03:52.830 So his grandfather played this massive role. 00:03:53.030 --> 00:03:56.590 He would religiously mail him VHS tapes of NBA 00:03:56.590 --> 00:03:59.009 games. Just sending tapes across the ocean. Exactly. 00:03:59.009 --> 00:04:02.370 And Kobe would just he'd meticulously study these 00:04:02.370 --> 00:04:05.050 grainy videos. He dissect the moves of players 00:04:05.050 --> 00:04:08.590 like Jordan Magic, Larry Bird. It was this uniquely 00:04:08.590 --> 00:04:11.849 global, but also paradoxically isolated, self 00:04:11.849 --> 00:04:14.469 -taught athletic education. Right. No American 00:04:14.469 --> 00:04:17.319 AAU circuit for him. None of that. Just intense 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:19.819 film study. So when he finally returns to Philadelphia 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:22.800 at age 13, he enrolls at Lower Marion High School 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:25.980 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. And the impact of those 00:04:25.980 --> 00:04:28.920 years of isolated study was, well, it was immediate 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.120 and spectacular. The transformation was incredible. 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:33.740 Look, when Kobe was a freshman, the Lower Marion 00:04:33.740 --> 00:04:36.459 Aces, their team, they finished with a dismal 00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:40.100 420 record. Awful. Awful. Over the next three 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:42.829 years. With him leading the charge, the team 00:04:42.829 --> 00:04:47.170 put together a stunning 77 -13 record. By his 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:49.470 senior year, he had essentially dragged that 00:04:49.470 --> 00:04:51.689 team to a state championship. And the individual 00:04:51.689 --> 00:04:54.750 awards just pile up instantly. In 96, he was 00:04:54.750 --> 00:04:57.170 a statistical monster. He wins both the Naismith 00:04:57.170 --> 00:04:58.949 Prep Player of the Year and the Gatorade National 00:04:58.949 --> 00:05:01.160 Player of the Year. But the truly astounding 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:03.399 stat, the one that cements his local dominance, 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.120 is his career scoring record for southeastern 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:10.319 Pennsylvania, 2 ,883 points. And who did he pass? 00:05:10.519 --> 00:05:13.160 He surpassed records held by absolute Philadelphia 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.019 legends, including Will Chamberlain and Lionel 00:05:16.019 --> 00:05:18.170 Simmons. That just showed he was playing at a 00:05:18.170 --> 00:05:20.329 professional level. Even when he was in high 00:05:20.329 --> 00:05:22.850 school, he'd often fill all five positions on 00:05:22.850 --> 00:05:25.290 the court for the Aces. That level of high school 00:05:25.290 --> 00:05:28.209 immortality topping wilt in the Philly area, 00:05:28.350 --> 00:05:29.889 that should have led straight to college, right? 00:05:30.029 --> 00:05:32.990 I mean, the sources say Duke, Michigan, UNC, 00:05:33.310 --> 00:05:36.660 Villanova. They were all in on him. Deeply interested. 00:05:36.860 --> 00:05:39.459 Yeah. And he had a 1080 SAT score, so he was 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:41.560 guaranteed admission anywhere he wanted to go. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.959 But he chose a path that at that time was incredibly 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:48.259 rare and, you know, highly scrutinized. The prep 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:51.220 to pro jump. A decision only Kevin Garnett had 00:05:51.220 --> 00:05:53.860 recently validated. It was a massive risk. High 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:56.439 risk, high reward. The NBA just hadn't seen many 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:58.600 high school players transition directly. And 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:00.639 there were huge crotions about his maturity, 00:06:00.939 --> 00:06:02.939 his readiness for the physical grind. But the 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:05.120 pros saw something different. Well, the pros 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.680 knew the talent assessment was definitive. Before 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.740 the 96 draft, Jerry West, the Lakers GM, he set 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:13.060 up this specific workout where Bryant competed 00:06:13.060 --> 00:06:15.199 against former Lakers players. And the verdict. 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:18.720 West's quote was that Kobe... marched over these 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.720 people. It was instant validation. He was ready. 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.139 And what came next was one of the most calculated 00:06:24.139 --> 00:06:27.800 and pivotal draft day maneuvers in really all 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:31.060 of league history. He selected 13th overall by 00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:32.860 the Charlotte Hornets, but that was basically 00:06:32.860 --> 00:06:35.300 just a formality. It was pure cap space choreography. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:38.399 The Lakers had already worked out a deal with 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:40.860 the Hornets a day before the draft even happened. 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:43.540 So what was the trade? The trade itself involves 00:06:43.540 --> 00:06:46.480 sending their starting center, Lotte Divac, to 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.079 Charlotte. Now, this wasn't just a simple player 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:52.480 swap. DVAC was a critical piece of the Lakers 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:54.519 team at the time. So why trade him? They traded 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:57.540 him purely to clear salary cap space. About $3 00:06:57.540 --> 00:07:00.639 million, which was absolutely essential to sign 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:03.480 the massive free agent that Jerry West was targeting. 00:07:03.899 --> 00:07:06.100 Shaquille O 'Neal. So if you trace the sequence, 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:08.819 Kobe wasn't just added to what became a dynasty. 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.459 His selection and that trade, they were the necessary 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:14.980 preconditions that let the Lakers even get O 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:17.600 'Neal. He was the trigger. Even as a 17 -year 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:19.879 -old rookie, he was the first domino to fall. 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:22.839 Just a stroke of strategic genius by West. It 00:07:22.839 --> 00:07:25.560 was. He knew he needed Kobe to free up the money 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:28.300 for Shaq. And here's that great piece of trivia 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.329 you mentioned before. Because he was only 17 00:07:31.329 --> 00:07:33.430 when he was drafted, he wouldn't turn 18 until 00:07:33.430 --> 00:07:36.110 August. His parents had to co -sign his first 00:07:36.110 --> 00:07:40.110 contract. Wow. A three -year, $3 .5 million deal? 00:07:40.410 --> 00:07:42.790 Co -signed by mom and dad. Yeah. So his entry 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:45.170 into the league is just marked by all these unconventional 00:07:45.170 --> 00:07:47.970 things, phenomenal high school performance, a 00:07:47.970 --> 00:07:51.290 unique European grounding, and this complex draft 00:07:51.290 --> 00:07:53.470 day maneuver designed to lay the foundation for 00:07:53.470 --> 00:07:57.100 an era of dominance. What a start. So Kobe debuts 00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:00.139 in the NBA at 18 years, 72 days old. He was the 00:08:00.139 --> 00:08:01.920 second youngest player ever to play in a game 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:03.519 at that time. And then he becomes the youngest 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:05.879 starter a few months later. But he wasn't. you 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:07.699 know, the star right out of the gate. No, his 00:08:07.699 --> 00:08:09.759 role was initially limited. He was coming off 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:11.660 the bench behind established veterans like Eddie 00:08:11.660 --> 00:08:14.699 Jones and Nick Van Exel. He definitely had to 00:08:14.699 --> 00:08:16.379 earn his minutes. But he transitioned pretty 00:08:16.379 --> 00:08:19.319 quickly from being a reserve to being a spectacle, 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.160 using that athleticism to really establish his 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:24.699 brand. Absolutely. In his rookie year, he wins 00:08:24.699 --> 00:08:27.040 the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. He's the youngest 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.560 champion ever at 18. And that just instantly 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:31.519 projects him onto the national stage. Right. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.539 He's a high flyer, an entertainer. It gave him 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:37.039 recognition even while his overall game, and 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.720 especially his shot selection, was still seen 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:42.700 as pretty raw. But the defining moment of his 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:45.460 rookie year. It wasn't a dunk. It wasn't a win. 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:48.480 It was a devastating loss and a series of really 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:52.240 dramatic misses. The infamous air ball game. 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.519 This is critical. If you want to understand the 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:56.879 genesis of the Mamba mentality, you have to look 00:08:56.879 --> 00:08:59.220 here. So break it down for us. It's game five. 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:02.200 of the 97 Western Conference semifinals against 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.799 the Utah Jazz. The Lakers are down in the series. 00:09:04.940 --> 00:09:07.139 They're shorthanded due to injuries and ejections. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.600 And Kobe, who's only 18, is thrust into the lead 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:12.679 role in crunch time. So the ball is in his hands. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.139 It is. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter 00:09:15.139 --> 00:09:17.539 and then in overtime, he shoots four air balls, 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:20.320 shots that miss the rim entirely. Four of them? 00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:22.600 Four, including a potential game winner in the 00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:24.100 fourth and three tying attempts in overtime. 00:09:24.379 --> 00:09:27.539 The Lakers are eliminated. That is just crushing 00:09:27.539 --> 00:09:30.440 for any player, let alone a teenager, on the 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:33.259 biggest stage. I mean, many rookies would be 00:09:33.259 --> 00:09:35.980 mentally scarred by that kind of failure. They 00:09:35.980 --> 00:09:39.399 would. But what's so fascinating here is the 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.159 immediate, almost protective perspective from 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:45.779 his veteran teammates and coaches. Right. And 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:47.840 the sources really highlight O 'Neal's quote. 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:51.320 It's the definitive quote. He famously commented 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:54.480 that Kobe was the only guy who had the guts at 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:57.259 the time to take shops like that. He saw it not 00:09:57.259 --> 00:10:00.259 as recklessness, but as supreme confidence, a 00:10:00.259 --> 00:10:02.519 willingness to accept responsibility. So that 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:05.139 willingness to immediately bounce back from that 00:10:05.139 --> 00:10:07.279 kind of failure, to step up again the next night, 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:09.399 that's it. That's the seed. That's the kernel 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:11.659 of the Mamba mentality, years before the nickname 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:14.419 even existed. And the bounce back was swift. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:17.299 By his second season, the NBA had seen enough. 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:19.399 He became an all -star starter. The youngest 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:21.720 starter in history to do so. His ascent was just 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:23.700 relentless. But the major turning point, the 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.639 start of the dynasty, really came with the arrival 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:28.340 of Coach Phil Jackson in 1999. And the triangle 00:10:28.340 --> 00:10:30.860 offense. And the very demanding, very specific 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.399 structure of the triangle offense. Let's focus 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:36.019 on that dynamic because the sources suggest the 00:10:36.019 --> 00:10:38.120 relationship between Jackson, Kobe, and Shaq 00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:41.419 was defined by tension from day one. But they 00:10:41.419 --> 00:10:44.840 won three straight titles together. How did this 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.500 highly individualistic Kobe survive and even 00:10:47.500 --> 00:10:50.759 thrive in Jackson's team -first system? Well, 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:53.019 it was a continuous battle of wills. The triangle 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:55.879 offense requires constant movement, ball sharing, 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:59.080 and often delaying your own individual desire 00:10:59.080 --> 00:11:01.120 for a shot until the system creates a better 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.559 one. And Kobe was not about delaying his shot. 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.299 Not at all. He was naturally aggressive. He often 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:09.200 chafed against that structure. But the system 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.899 also provided clear roles. Shaq was the dominant 00:11:11.899 --> 00:11:14.620 anchor in the post, forcing double teams. And 00:11:14.620 --> 00:11:17.500 Kobe was the principal beneficiary. He used the 00:11:17.500 --> 00:11:19.539 space created for his isolation scoring when 00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:22.039 the clock wound down. So their success, those 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:24.320 three consecutive championships from 2000 to 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.240 2002, it wasn't because of perfect harmony. Not 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:29.980 even close. It was because Jackson managed to 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:32.340 channel their disparate clashing brilliance. 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.320 Let's talk specifics from those championship 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:38.879 runs. The 1999 -2000 season, in particular, was 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:41.600 stacked with drama and really defined by Kobe's 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.799 clutch moments, even as the second star. Absolutely. 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:48.820 Even though O 'Neal won MVP that year, Kobe provided 00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:51.519 the crucial closing performances. Think about 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.299 Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:56.620 against Portland. What a big comeback. Huge comeback. 00:11:56.899 --> 00:11:59.500 The Lakers are down 15 points in the fourth quarter. 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:02.299 Kobe steps up, scores eight points, grabs four 00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:04.940 rebounds, and then delivers that iconic series 00:12:04.940 --> 00:12:07.659 -clinching alley -oop pass to O 'Neal with less 00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:09.519 than a minute left. That showed his evolution, 00:12:09.659 --> 00:12:12.240 right? From just a pure scorer to a true playmaker 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.120 when the pressure was at its absolute highest. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:16.779 And the sources detail even more drama in the 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:19.820 2000 finals against the Pacers, which cemented 00:12:19.820 --> 00:12:22.039 his willingness to play through extreme pain. 00:12:22.220 --> 00:12:25.879 The ankle injury. Yes. In Game 2, Kobe injures 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:27.919 his ankle after landing on Jalen Rose's foot, 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:30.159 which Rose later admitted he placed there intentionally. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.980 Kobe misses Game 3. But he returns for Game 4, 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:35.899 and that's the moment that just elevates his 00:12:35.899 --> 00:12:38.700 reputation. O 'Neal fouls out in overtime, and 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:41.480 Kobe completely takes over. Scores 22 points 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:43.299 in the second half in overtime, including the 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:46.120 winning jumper. He was hobbling, but he refused 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.860 to yield the moment. So by 2002, he's clearly 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:51.159 operating at an elite individual level, kind 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:53.559 of independent of O 'Neal's shadow. The stats 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:56.759 back that up. In 2002, he's averaging over 25 00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:00.039 points a game. He gets his first All -NBA first 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:03.539 team selection. And his profile is so high that 00:13:03.539 --> 00:13:05.659 he hosts his first All -Star game in his hometown 00:13:05.659 --> 00:13:08.059 of Philadelphia. And this is where the villainy 00:13:08.059 --> 00:13:10.980 comes in. It does. He was booed loudly by the 00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:12.779 Philly fans the entire game. Because of some 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:14.679 trash talk from the year before. From the previous 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:17.480 year's finals, yeah. He got to do it with a 76ers 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:20.179 heckler, and he just embraced the antagonism 00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:22.299 immediately. He won the All -Star MVP that night, 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:24.460 taking home the trophy in a hostile environment 00:13:24.460 --> 00:13:27.639 he personally created. Then the 2002 finals, 00:13:27.820 --> 00:13:30.259 a sweep of the New Jersey Nets, that solidifies 00:13:30.259 --> 00:13:33.679 the dynasty. And that victory made Kobe the youngest 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:36.419 player at age 23 to win three championships. 00:13:37.409 --> 00:13:39.950 His clutch shot making in the fourth quarters 00:13:39.950 --> 00:13:42.590 during those playoffs, it firmly cemented his 00:13:42.590 --> 00:13:45.730 reputation as a definitive high stakes clutch 00:13:45.730 --> 00:13:48.950 player. But the sources are clear on this. Even 00:13:48.950 --> 00:13:51.909 at the absolute peak of their success, the internal 00:13:51.909 --> 00:13:54.590 tension between Bryant and O 'Neal was already 00:13:54.590 --> 00:13:57.169 becoming unsustainable. The dynasty was built 00:13:57.169 --> 00:14:00.149 on shared brilliance, but also on simmering internal 00:14:00.149 --> 00:14:02.889 warfare. OK, so the next phase of Kobe's career 00:14:02.889 --> 00:14:05.769 is marked by him shedding that role of secondary 00:14:05.769 --> 00:14:09.090 star and really transitioning into the league's 00:14:09.090 --> 00:14:12.190 most dominant individual scoring force. An unprecedented 00:14:12.190 --> 00:14:14.509 focus on volume and efficiency. Yeah. And it 00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:16.750 started well before O 'Neal's ultimate departure. 00:14:17.029 --> 00:14:19.049 Right. The preparation for this really came in 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:21.389 the 2002 -03 season. He averaged 30 points per 00:14:21.389 --> 00:14:23.549 game. He's reaching career highs in rebounds, 00:14:23.570 --> 00:14:30.279 assists, steals. And he had two just mind -boggling 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:33.379 scoring bursts that season that really previewed 00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:37.899 what was coming. First, in January 2003, he sets 00:14:37.899 --> 00:14:40.559 an NBA record by making 12 three -pointers in 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.159 a single game. Then a month later, he goes on 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:46.740 this incredible run. He posts 40 or more points 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:50.399 in nine consecutive games, averaging 40 .6 points 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.450 for the entire month of February. That is just 00:14:53.450 --> 00:14:56.590 sustained, relentless offensive output that only 00:14:56.590 --> 00:14:58.490 guys like Jordan and Wills had ever touched. 00:14:58.629 --> 00:15:01.730 Exactly. The following season, 2003 -04, was 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:04.950 just chaotic. The Lakers tried to create a super 00:15:04.950 --> 00:15:07.470 team by acquiring Carl Malone and Gary Payton. 00:15:07.610 --> 00:15:09.730 But the season was fraught with immense external 00:15:09.730 --> 00:15:12.080 distraction. particularly his off -court legal 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.120 difficulties. The sources confirmed that the 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:16.700 2003 -04 season was maybe the most turbulent 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:19.139 of his career. For sure. The sexual assault case 00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:21.220 required numerous court appearances in Colorado, 00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:23.559 which often forced him to miss games or fly cross 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:25.980 -country on game days, playing completely exhausted. 00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:28.240 But despite all that turbulence of team drama, 00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:31.120 the travel Kobe still provided the classic theatrics 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.299 at the end of the regular season. Oh yeah. The 00:15:33.299 --> 00:15:35.220 Lakers were playing Portland in the final game, 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:37.460 needing a win to secure the Pacific Division 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:41.149 title. Down late, Kobe hits two massive bugger 00:15:41.149 --> 00:15:43.490 -beating three -pointers. One to force overtime, 00:15:43.710 --> 00:15:45.909 and then one to win it. Another in double overtime 00:15:45.909 --> 00:15:50.690 to snatch the victory. 105 -104. Just pure, unadulterated, 00:15:50.710 --> 00:15:53.649 high -stakes Kobe theatrics, no matter the chaos 00:15:53.649 --> 00:15:56.470 around him. But that super team ultimately failed. 00:15:56.610 --> 00:15:59.110 They lost in that stunning upset to the Pistons 00:15:59.110 --> 00:16:01.669 in the 2004 finals, which just triggered the 00:16:01.669 --> 00:16:03.870 collapse of the whole thing. That loss was the 00:16:03.870 --> 00:16:07.100 end of an era. O 'Neal was traded to Miami. Phil 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:08.919 Jackson's contract wasn't renewed, especially 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:11.480 after he called Kobe uncoachable in his book. 00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:14.360 Right, the last season. And amidst all that wreckage, 00:16:14.460 --> 00:16:17.519 Kobe chose his legacy. He turned down a huge 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:19.820 contract from the rival Clippers to re -sign 00:16:19.820 --> 00:16:23.840 with the Lakers. A seven -year, $136 .4 million 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:27.179 deal, officially becoming the undisputed sole 00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:29.539 cornerstone of the franchise. And before we get 00:16:29.539 --> 00:16:31.460 into the records he broke next, we have to address 00:16:31.460 --> 00:16:33.700 the immense impact of that controversy during 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:36.250 this era. The sources note the severe damage 00:16:36.250 --> 00:16:38.990 to his reputation. It was a brutal period. The 00:16:38.990 --> 00:16:41.309 criminal charges stemmed from that 2003 incident 00:16:41.309 --> 00:16:43.789 in Colorado. Bryant admitted to an adulterous 00:16:43.789 --> 00:16:46.309 sexual encounter but maintained it was consensual. 00:16:46.330 --> 00:16:48.149 And the criminal charges were dropped. They were 00:16:48.149 --> 00:16:51.210 dropped in 2004 after the accuser refused to 00:16:51.210 --> 00:16:54.889 testify. Importantly, Bryant issued a public 00:16:54.889 --> 00:16:57.629 apology, recognizing that while he believed the 00:16:57.629 --> 00:17:00.210 encounter was consensual, he understood she did 00:17:00.210 --> 00:17:02.580 not share that view. That led to the private 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:04.880 civil settlement. But the public fallout was 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:07.460 huge. Immediate. He lost major endorsements like 00:17:07.460 --> 00:17:09.920 McDonald's and Nutella, and public sentiment 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.099 was profoundly negative. The next season, 2004 00:17:13.099 --> 00:17:15.819 -05, was a low point on the court as well. The 00:17:15.819 --> 00:17:17.799 Lakers missed the playoffs entirely. They did. 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:20.940 But then Phil Jackson returned in 2005, and the 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:23.400 scoring volume Kobe unleashed was unlike anything 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:26.339 we had seen in decades. This is the era of true 00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:28.940 scoring insanity. He just decided to overwhelm 00:17:28.940 --> 00:17:30.839 opponents single -handedly. It was a conscious 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:33.900 decision. Let's look at December 20, 2005, against 00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:36.660 the Dallas Mavericks. Kobe scores 62 points in 00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:38.779 just three quarters. But here's the unique part. 00:17:39.069 --> 00:17:41.289 He outscored their entire team. He had personally 00:17:41.289 --> 00:17:43.890 outscored the entire Dallas Mavericks team through 00:17:43.890 --> 00:17:47.029 three quarters, 62 -61. He sat out the entire 00:17:47.029 --> 00:17:49.390 fourth quarter. That feat had only been achieved 00:17:49.390 --> 00:17:51.430 by one player since the shot clock was introduced. 00:17:51.829 --> 00:17:54.390 He individually vanquished the opponent. And 00:17:54.390 --> 00:17:57.819 then came the 81 -point game. January 22, 2006, 00:17:58.099 --> 00:18:00.579 against the Toronto Raptors. This performance 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:03.000 is the statistical centerpiece of his individual 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.579 career. It's a monumental achievement. Second 00:18:05.579 --> 00:18:08.279 highest scoring total in NBA history. Only behind 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:11.559 Wilt's mythical 100 -point game. But the context 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:14.099 is critical. Right. Wilt's game was a different 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:16.299 era, a different style. Completely different. 00:18:16.380 --> 00:18:18.920 High -paced blowout, way more possessions, lots 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:21.720 of inside shots, fed by teammates. Kobe's 81 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.640 came in a game where the Lakers were trailing 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.339 by 14 at halftime. He had to generate his own 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:28.859 shots, mostly from the perimeter, often double 00:18:28.859 --> 00:18:30.920 and triple teamed. And he accounted for, what, 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:33.299 two -thirds of his team's points? An astonishing 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:37.019 66 % of his team's total points in a tight, competitive 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:40.259 game. An individual effort of unparalleled volume 00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:42.799 combined with extraordinary self -created difficulty. 00:18:43.390 --> 00:18:45.670 And that scoring dominance translated into hardware. 00:18:45.869 --> 00:18:48.130 He wins the scoring title in 2006, averaging 00:18:48.130 --> 00:18:51.250 a stunning 35 .4 points per game. And then he 00:18:51.250 --> 00:18:54.950 won it again in 2007. During that 2006 -07 season, 00:18:55.210 --> 00:18:57.490 he was just in a league of his own, scored 50 00:18:57.490 --> 00:19:00.230 -plus points 10 times. He also became the second 00:19:00.230 --> 00:19:02.940 player. again only behind wilt to string together 00:19:02.940 --> 00:19:05.640 four consecutive 50 -point games this period 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:08.640 wasn't just about scoring it was about the symbolism 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:11.319 of separation from that earlier part of his career 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.680 which leads us to the jersey change from 8 to 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:17.779 24. it sounds minor but it felt monumental at 00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:20.380 the time it was a conscious rebranding he wore 00:19:20.380 --> 00:19:23.660 24 in high school the switch for the 2006 -07 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.799 season was symbolic of a fresh start moving past 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.460 the shack era leaving the early controversies 00:19:29.460 --> 00:19:32.509 behind embracing a new phase of leadership. And 00:19:32.509 --> 00:19:34.730 he later explained it represented the 24 hours 00:19:34.730 --> 00:19:37.089 in a day. Yeah, that relentless commitment required 00:19:37.089 --> 00:19:39.690 for the Mamba mentality. It was a visual declaration 00:19:39.690 --> 00:19:42.289 that the young volatile star was gone, replaced 00:19:42.289 --> 00:19:45.170 by the matured franchise leader. So this next 00:19:45.170 --> 00:19:47.430 era represents his transformation from an individual 00:19:47.430 --> 00:19:50.069 scoring force into the undisputed leader of a 00:19:50.069 --> 00:19:52.529 championship caliber team. But first, the team 00:19:52.529 --> 00:19:54.710 had to survive a massive internal crisis driven 00:19:54.710 --> 00:19:56.930 entirely by Bryant. Right, the trade drama. I 00:19:56.930 --> 00:19:59.230 remember this in 2007. It really felt like he 00:19:59.230 --> 00:20:01.950 genuinely wanted out of Los Angeles, which would 00:20:01.950 --> 00:20:04.829 have just shattered the franchise. He did. He 00:20:04.829 --> 00:20:07.589 publicly requested a trade, expressing intense 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:10.930 frustration over an alleged Lakers insider who 00:20:10.930 --> 00:20:12.730 claimed he was responsible for Shaq's departure. 00:20:13.490 --> 00:20:16.069 He felt the organization hadn't backed him up. 00:20:16.109 --> 00:20:18.329 And then there was that infamous amateur video. 00:20:18.609 --> 00:20:21.569 But that just reignited everything. He's venting 00:20:21.569 --> 00:20:23.950 about keeping Andrew Bynum over trading for Jason 00:20:23.950 --> 00:20:26.369 Kidd, saying they needed to move the young center 00:20:26.369 --> 00:20:28.609 for a veteran star. But the front office held 00:20:28.609 --> 00:20:31.170 firm. They refused to trade him. And while the 00:20:31.170 --> 00:20:33.650 team was volatile, Kobe's personal commitment 00:20:33.650 --> 00:20:36.670 never wavered. which led to an incredible physical 00:20:36.670 --> 00:20:39.430 sacrifice. And that sacrifice is a cornerstone 00:20:39.430 --> 00:20:43.230 of the Mamba mentality. In the 2007 -08 season, 00:20:43.309 --> 00:20:46.150 he played all 82 games despite a complete tear 00:20:46.150 --> 00:20:48.490 of the ligament in his pinky finger. On his shooting 00:20:48.490 --> 00:20:50.710 hand. On his shooting hand. For a shooter, a 00:20:50.710 --> 00:20:53.289 complete tear is devastating. He delayed surgery 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:55.890 until after the season and after the 2008 Beijing 00:20:55.890 --> 00:20:59.769 Olympics. That decision speaks volumes. Team 00:20:59.769 --> 00:21:02.619 commitment over personal health. And the crucial 00:21:02.619 --> 00:21:05.380 piece of the puzzle, the move that finally enabled 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:08.279 the team's resurgence, was the acquisition of 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:11.619 Pau Gasol. Gasol's arrival in February 2008 was 00:21:11.619 --> 00:21:14.460 the definitive turning point. He was the ideal, 00:21:14.619 --> 00:21:17.819 skilled, high -post complement to Kobe's perimeter 00:21:17.819 --> 00:21:21.380 attack. The perfect one -two punch for Jackson's 00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:24.150 triangle. And with Gasol, he finally wins his 00:21:24.150 --> 00:21:27.130 MVP. He leads Lakers to the West's best record 00:21:27.130 --> 00:21:31.630 and wins the 2008 NBA MVP award. It was the culmination 00:21:31.630 --> 00:21:33.869 of his transformation into a leader. That MVP 00:21:33.869 --> 00:21:36.589 carried extra weight given everything he'd navigated 00:21:36.589 --> 00:21:38.690 to get there. It did. And his dedication carried 00:21:38.690 --> 00:21:41.329 over to the national stage. The 2008 Beijing 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:44.250 Olympics, his first summer games, leading the 00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:46.569 redeemed team. They were desperate to restore 00:21:46.569 --> 00:21:48.730 U .S. dominance. And in the final game against 00:21:48.730 --> 00:21:51.130 a very strong Spanish team featuring his teammate 00:21:51.130 --> 00:21:54.829 Gasol, Kobe scored 20 points, including 13 crucial 00:21:54.829 --> 00:21:56.750 points in the fourth quarter to clinch the gold. 00:21:56.890 --> 00:21:58.410 He delivered in the highest stakes international 00:21:58.410 --> 00:22:01.049 moment. He did. Back in the NBA, they returned 00:22:01.049 --> 00:22:03.450 to the finals in 2008, but lost to the rival 00:22:03.450 --> 00:22:06.049 Boston Celtics. So the goal immediately shifted 00:22:06.049 --> 00:22:08.670 to getting that fifth ring. And the 2008 -09 00:22:08.670 --> 00:22:11.069 season was just focused aggression. Right. They 00:22:11.069 --> 00:22:15.140 started 17 -2, finished 65 -17. Kobe set a Madison 00:22:15.140 --> 00:22:17.539 Square Garden scoring record with 61 points. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.440 He finished runner -up in MVP voting, but led 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:23.000 the Lakers past the Orlando Magic in the 2009 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:25.500 finals. Winning his fourth championship and, 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:28.480 critically, his first NBA Finals MVP trophy. 00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:32.000 That was monumentally important. It was irrefutable 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:34.440 proof he could be the primary engine of a championship 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:37.319 team without Shaquille O 'Neal. And that finals 00:22:37.319 --> 00:22:39.619 performance was statistically dominant. He was 00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:42.859 the first player since Jerry West in 69 to average 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:45.519 at least 32 points and seven assists in a final 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:47.960 series. And the first since Jordan to average 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:50.759 35 and five for a title winning team in the finals. 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:53.440 Then the 2009 -10 season was marked by another 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.599 injury he refused to acknowledge and a streak 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:58.180 of just legendary clutch shots. Yeah, he suffered 00:22:58.180 --> 00:23:00.119 an avulsion fracture in his right index finger, 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:02.740 which significantly impacted his shooting. Yet 00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:04.619 he continued to delay surgery, played through 00:23:04.619 --> 00:23:07.160 the pain and accumulate. six game -winning shots 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:09.579 that season. Including that iconic one -legged 00:23:09.579 --> 00:23:12.220 buzzer beater over Dwyane Wade in Miami. Right. 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.220 Classic. During this season, he also surpassed 00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:17.579 Jerry West to become the Lakers' all -time leading 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:20.210 scorer. And the culmination of this second championship 00:23:20.210 --> 00:23:23.190 era was the highly anticipated seven game rematch 00:23:23.190 --> 00:23:25.609 against the Boston Celtics in the 2010 finals. 00:23:25.829 --> 00:23:28.289 This was the ultimate grudge match. And Kobe 00:23:28.289 --> 00:23:30.430 played poorly by his standards in game seven, 00:23:30.470 --> 00:23:33.509 shooting six for 24. But here's the complexity. 00:23:33.730 --> 00:23:36.869 He refused to stop attacking. He found other 00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:39.269 ways to win. He led the team's comeback from 00:23:39.269 --> 00:23:43.210 a 13 point deficit by driving relentlessly. drawing 00:23:43.210 --> 00:23:46.390 fouls, hitting free throws and grabbing 15 rebounds. 00:23:46.450 --> 00:23:48.529 He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to 00:23:48.529 --> 00:23:50.589 carry the team to victory. earning his fifth 00:23:50.589 --> 00:23:53.450 title and second consecutive Finals MVP. And 00:23:53.450 --> 00:23:55.289 he famously said that because of the rivalry 00:23:55.289 --> 00:23:58.230 and the Game 7 intensity, this was his most satisfying 00:23:58.230 --> 00:24:00.950 championship. So with five rings secured, the 00:24:00.950 --> 00:24:03.069 narrative shifted immediately. The only remaining 00:24:03.069 --> 00:24:05.069 goal was matching Jordan's six championships. 00:24:05.369 --> 00:24:07.329 And he kept stacking up milestones, youngest 00:24:07.329 --> 00:24:11.109 to 26 ,000 and 27 ,000 points. He tied the record 00:24:11.109 --> 00:24:14.089 for most All -Star MVP awards with four. He did. 00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:17.119 However, the early part of this period also saw 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:19.579 a regrettable off -court moment that became a 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:24.900 public flashpoint. In 2011, Kobe was fined $100 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:28.559 ,000 by the NBA for directing a gay slur at a 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.869 referee in frustration. The league acted swiftly. 00:24:32.109 --> 00:24:34.269 And he responded quickly. He offered a prompt, 00:24:34.430 --> 00:24:37.109 public apology, acknowledged how serious it was, 00:24:37.210 --> 00:24:39.750 and appeared in a Lakers PFA denouncing hate 00:24:39.750 --> 00:24:42.470 speech. It really showed the scrutiny that followed 00:24:42.470 --> 00:24:45.529 every single action. His final deep playoff run 00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:49.109 ended in 2012, eliminated by OKC. And the 2012 00:24:49.109 --> 00:24:52.269 -13 season started with huge, arguably unrealistic 00:24:52.269 --> 00:24:54.809 expectations after they acquired Dwight Howard 00:24:54.809 --> 00:24:56.990 and Steve Nash. Right. And that season, Kobe 00:24:56.990 --> 00:24:59.029 reached another massive milestone. He became 00:24:59.029 --> 00:25:00.630 the youngest player. in league history to score 00:25:00.630 --> 00:25:03.569 30 ,000 career points. But the team struggled. 00:25:03.809 --> 00:25:06.009 And in a move of sheer desperation to make the 00:25:06.009 --> 00:25:08.849 playoffs, Kobe started pushing himself to unbelievable 00:25:08.849 --> 00:25:11.450 physical limits. This is where we hit the painful 00:25:11.450 --> 00:25:14.049 reality of time in extreme minutes. The Mamba 00:25:14.049 --> 00:25:16.549 mentality overriding physical limitation. He 00:25:16.549 --> 00:25:19.009 was playing almost 48 minutes a night. The Lakers 00:25:19.009 --> 00:25:21.430 were fighting for the final playoff spot. And 00:25:21.430 --> 00:25:23.309 the sources highlight that he had played seven 00:25:23.309 --> 00:25:25.190 consecutive quarters leading up to the end of 00:25:25.190 --> 00:25:27.750 the season. The GM had reportedly talked to him 00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:30.089 about his minutes, but Kobe insisted on carrying 00:25:30.089 --> 00:25:32.529 the team. And then came the moment the entire 00:25:32.529 --> 00:25:37.309 league held its breath, April 12, 2013. The Achilles 00:25:37.309 --> 00:25:40.329 tear against the Warriors. The injury itself 00:25:40.329 --> 00:25:43.859 perfectly encapsulates his refusal to quit. It 00:25:43.859 --> 00:25:46.359 was a clear, immediate injury, but he refused 00:25:46.359 --> 00:25:48.519 to go to the bench until he had hobbled back 00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:51.039 onto the court and sunk two clutch free throws 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:53.980 to tie the game. Only then did he walk off. The 00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:56.619 New York Times called that final effort, leading 00:25:56.619 --> 00:25:58.900 the team into contention, perhaps some of the 00:25:58.900 --> 00:26:02.019 finest work of his career. The sheer will was 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:04.539 just undeniable. And that sacrifice was recognized 00:26:04.539 --> 00:26:07.309 immediately. Despite the injury, the Lakers showed 00:26:07.309 --> 00:26:11.250 immense faith. Yes. In November 2013, still recovering, 00:26:11.470 --> 00:26:14.450 he signed a two -year, $48 .5 million extension. 00:26:14.910 --> 00:26:17.049 He remained the league's highest -paid player, 00:26:17.210 --> 00:26:19.589 cementing the trust the Lakers had in him. But 00:26:19.589 --> 00:26:22.029 unfortunately, that Achilles injury was the gateway 00:26:22.029 --> 00:26:25.049 to a catastrophic injury cascade. He never really 00:26:25.049 --> 00:26:28.329 regained his peak form after that. No. Just six 00:26:28.329 --> 00:26:30.690 games into his return, he suffers a fracture 00:26:30.690 --> 00:26:32.960 in his left knee. sidelined for the rest of the 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:35.900 season. Then the following year, a rotator cuff 00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:38.240 tear in his shooting shoulder. Season -ending 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:41.259 surgery again. The body was finally failing the 00:26:41.259 --> 00:26:44.079 Mamba mentality's demands. It was a clear, painful 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:47.960 signal. His final chapter, the 2015 -16 season, 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:51.799 became this league -wide farewell tour. His 20th 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:54.359 season with the Lakers, a league record for one 00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:56.960 franchise. He officially announced his retirement 00:26:56.960 --> 00:27:00.019 on November 29, 2015, through that poem, Dear 00:27:00.019 --> 00:27:02.609 Basketball. Acknowledging his body knew it's 00:27:02.609 --> 00:27:04.710 time to say goodbye. And what's so poignant is 00:27:04.710 --> 00:27:07.289 the immediate dramatic shift in public perception 00:27:07.289 --> 00:27:10.009 during that final tour. He went from the fierce 00:27:10.009 --> 00:27:13.170 villain who loved being booed to receiving genuine 00:27:13.170 --> 00:27:15.869 warm ovations across the league, even in hostile 00:27:15.869 --> 00:27:18.109 arenas like Boston and Salt Lake City. He was 00:27:18.109 --> 00:27:20.109 astonished by it himself. He admitted he was. 00:27:20.170 --> 00:27:22.809 It was this massive, spontaneous wave of universal 00:27:22.809 --> 00:27:25.569 respect for his career. And the culmination of 00:27:25.569 --> 00:27:28.470 this tour was his final game on April 13th, 2016. 00:27:28.869 --> 00:27:31.509 That final performance. It needs a reflective 00:27:31.509 --> 00:27:34.089 pause because it was pure, unadulterated Hollywood 00:27:34.089 --> 00:27:38.230 Mamba. A 60 -point outing on 50 shots, the most 00:27:38.230 --> 00:27:41.170 shots taken in a game in 30 years. The Lakers 00:27:41.170 --> 00:27:44.309 were down late. Kobe takes control, personally 00:27:44.309 --> 00:27:47.170 outscoring the Utah Jazz 23 -21 in the fourth 00:27:47.170 --> 00:27:50.170 quarter to secure the comeback win. He set the 00:27:50.170 --> 00:27:53.210 record for most points in a final game and became 00:27:53.210 --> 00:27:55.549 the oldest player to score 60. And his final 00:27:55.549 --> 00:27:58.730 words on the court captured it perfectly. Mamba 00:27:58.730 --> 00:28:02.519 out. A defiant, triumphant exit that summed up 00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:05.480 his entire career. So if we look purely at his 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:07.599 approach to the game, it's clear he didn't invent 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:10.200 his style out of thin air. He was a master student, 00:28:10.420 --> 00:28:12.559 meticulously modeling his technique after his 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:15.319 heroes. Oh, he overtly modeled his game after 00:28:15.319 --> 00:28:18.119 Michael Jordan, studying every angle of that 00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:20.680 iconic fallaway jump shot. But he wasn't just 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.660 copying. He was assimilating and adapting tools 00:28:22.660 --> 00:28:24.930 from everywhere. Sports Illustrated highlighted 00:28:24.930 --> 00:28:27.769 his signature jab, step, and pause move. Right, 00:28:27.829 --> 00:28:29.970 a micro movement specifically designed to make 00:28:29.970 --> 00:28:32.349 the defender relax for a split second before 00:28:32.349 --> 00:28:34.730 he exploded past them. And his dedication went 00:28:34.730 --> 00:28:36.730 far beyond the perimeter. He famously sought 00:28:36.730 --> 00:28:39.150 out specific expert tutoring to keep his skill 00:28:39.150 --> 00:28:41.589 set well -rounded. Yes, and this is a critical 00:28:41.589 --> 00:28:44.170 insight into the Mamba mentality, even as an 00:28:44.170 --> 00:28:46.509 elite all -star. He took individual coaching 00:28:46.509 --> 00:28:49.430 sessions from Hakeem Olujuwon to learn post moves. 00:28:49.690 --> 00:28:51.970 The dream shake. The footwork, the drop steps, 00:28:52.089 --> 00:28:54.549 the up and unders. It showed that even late in 00:28:54.549 --> 00:28:56.829 his prime, he was relentlessly trying to evolve. 00:28:57.170 --> 00:28:59.910 The drive for continuous improvement was non 00:28:59.910 --> 00:29:03.269 -negotiable. And this intense dedication translated 00:29:03.269 --> 00:29:06.690 directly to his identity as a competitor, cementing 00:29:06.690 --> 00:29:09.990 his legacy as a premier closer. He just thrived 00:29:09.990 --> 00:29:11.930 on pressure. And general managers across the 00:29:11.930 --> 00:29:14.960 league validated this. In annual surveys, GM 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:17.539 selected him for 10 consecutive seasons as the 00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:20.220 player they wanted taking the clutch shot. He 00:29:20.220 --> 00:29:22.940 actively reveled in that pressure, in being the 00:29:22.940 --> 00:29:25.519 villain who silenced hostile crowds. But we have 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:27.640 to look impartially at the flip side of that, 00:29:27.779 --> 00:29:30.559 the consistent long -standing criticism of his 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:33.220 shot selection, his reputation as a high -volume 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:35.220 shooter who sometimes shot his team out of games. 00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:39.099 And the hard data supports that criticism. When 00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:41.410 he retired, He had missed more field goal attempts 00:29:41.410 --> 00:29:44.329 than any other player in NBA history. Phil Jackson 00:29:44.329 --> 00:29:47.509 often said he tends to force the action, suggesting 00:29:47.509 --> 00:29:50.289 a devotion to aggression over efficiency. So 00:29:50.289 --> 00:29:52.650 this is the philosophical crux. The criticism 00:29:52.650 --> 00:29:55.329 is based on efficiency, but his mindset rejected 00:29:55.329 --> 00:29:58.589 reluctance entirely. And Kobe provided the explicit, 00:29:58.789 --> 00:30:01.609 almost brutal answer himself. This is the true 00:30:01.609 --> 00:30:04.950 core of the mentality. I would go 0 for 30 before 00:30:04.950 --> 00:30:07.369 I would go 0 for 9. 0 for 9 means you beat yourself, 00:30:07.509 --> 00:30:09.720 you psyched yourself out of the game. Wow. His 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:12.839 philosophy viewed hesitation or self -doubt as 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:15.660 a failure worse than missing 20 shots. It's a 00:30:15.660 --> 00:30:18.359 mentality built on volume and confidence, not 00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:21.259 caution. So let's synthesize that term. The mamba 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:23.720 mentality. It's the work ethic, the high pain 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:26.400 threshold, that singular focus. How did that 00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:28.680 ethos impact his leadership style, especially 00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:30.960 comparing the young star to the veteran? Early 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:33.519 in his career, he was widely seen as a difficult, 00:30:33.660 --> 00:30:36.299 demanding superstar, often summarized by the 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:39.259 mantra, give me the damn ball. He held his teammates 00:30:39.259 --> 00:30:41.220 to impossible standards, which created friction. 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:44.240 But Phil Jackson noted a significant change later 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:48.099 on. A profound change. Later in his career, Kobe 00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:50.240 recognized the need for connection. He began 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.799 to embrace the team and his teammates. Jackson 00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:55.640 felt the difference was that the players became 00:30:55.640 --> 00:30:58.599 his partners, not his personal spear carriers. 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:02.059 The Mamba mentality evolved from individual dominance 00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:05.180 to dedicated mentorship. What's truly fascinating 00:31:05.180 --> 00:31:08.000 about Kobe's story is that his drive didn't end 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:11.019 with that final 60 -point game. He immediately 00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:13.779 shifted that immense focus into completely different 00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:16.480 fields, achieving a level of success off the 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:19.140 court most athletes can only dream of. The major 00:31:19.140 --> 00:31:21.960 aha moment for the wider public was his immediate 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:24.480 success in media and film, starting with his 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:27.380 poetic retirement announcement, Dear Basketball. 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:29.980 That poem was adapted into an animated short 00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:32.779 film. And in 2018, Cody Bryant won the Academy 00:31:32.779 --> 00:31:35.119 Award for Best Animated Short Film. It's just 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:37.380 an incredible achievement. It cemented a unique 00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:39.980 historical double. First African -American and 00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:42.039 first former professional athlete to win an Oscar 00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:44.579 in any category. He added a cinematic trophy 00:31:44.579 --> 00:31:47.380 to his Olympic gold medals. An instant high -level 00:31:47.380 --> 00:31:50.099 success in an entirely new field. But even that 00:31:50.099 --> 00:31:52.279 success was later met with friction from the 00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:55.839 institution itself. Yes. Despite the Oscar win, 00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:58.359 he was later denied membership into the Academy 00:31:58.359 --> 00:32:01.500 of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences. The report 00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:03.619 suggests this was due to his past legal case 00:32:03.619 --> 00:32:06.519 and the Academy's new, stricter standards of 00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:09.000 conduct implemented during the Me Too movement. 00:32:09.390 --> 00:32:11.490 It shows that the controversial elements of his 00:32:11.490 --> 00:32:14.349 past continued to follow him. They did. And what 00:32:14.349 --> 00:32:17.069 other projects did he launch to support his post 00:32:17.069 --> 00:32:20.130 -basketball ambitions? He didn't just win an 00:32:20.130 --> 00:32:23.049 Oscar and walk away. No. He established Granity 00:32:23.049 --> 00:32:25.410 Studios, a production company for storytelling 00:32:25.410 --> 00:32:28.690 across films, TV, and youth novels, aiming to 00:32:28.690 --> 00:32:30.750 teach life lessons through sport and fantasy. 00:32:31.180 --> 00:32:34.680 He created and hosted the analysis series Detail 00:32:34.680 --> 00:32:37.559 for ESPN. Which is brilliant. A perfect distillation 00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:40.440 of the mamba mentality applied to analysis. Exactly. 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:42.960 He also authored several young adult novels and 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:44.859 was reportedly working on a children's book with 00:32:44.859 --> 00:32:47.079 Paulo Acorio before his death. He really became 00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:49.500 a renaissance man in media. And his business 00:32:49.500 --> 00:32:52.299 acumen was equally impressive. He retired with 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:54.720 unprecedented financial stats for a team sport 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:58.220 athlete. According to Ferbs, his $680 million 00:32:58.220 --> 00:33:01.380 in career earnings was, at the time, the most 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:03.680 ever by a team athlete during their playing career. 00:33:03.900 --> 00:33:06.940 But his true business success came from a foundational 00:33:06.940 --> 00:33:09.839 strategic investment. The Body Armor investment. 00:33:10.259 --> 00:33:12.740 This shows his eye for long -term growth. In 00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:15.839 2014, he acquired a 10 % stake in the Body Armor 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:19.279 Superdrink Company for $6 million. He was a hands 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:21.900 -on partner, creatively involved, applying his 00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:24.279 competitive intensity to growing the brand. And 00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:27.200 that investment proved to be monumental. When 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.839 Coca -Cola purchased a stake in Byte Armor, the 00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:32.319 valuation of his initial investment rose dramatically, 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:35.059 eventually netting his estate approximately $200 00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:38.420 million. A huge return, proving that commitment, 00:33:38.660 --> 00:33:41.440 analysis, and strategic positioning worked just 00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:43.299 as well on the balance sheet as on the court. 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:45.660 He also co -founded the venture capital firm 00:33:45.660 --> 00:33:48.700 Bryant Steibel. He was truly focused on establishing 00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:51.240 a second career of excellence. And beyond his 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:53.599 public image and financial success, the sources 00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:55.980 also offer important details about his personal 00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:58.180 life and his deep commitment to philanthropy. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:01.099 We find that his Catholic faith was a significant 00:34:01.099 --> 00:34:04.099 influence. Bryant was a practicing Catholic and 00:34:04.099 --> 00:34:06.759 openly credited his faith, specifically a priest, 00:34:06.940 --> 00:34:09.079 with helping him navigate the difficult times 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:11.920 following his sexual assault accusation. It provided 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:14.920 a foundation. And there's that small yet profoundly 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:17.679 moving detail that he and his daughter Gianna 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:20.059 had gone to church just hours before the helicopter 00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:23.079 crash. A powerful detail. And his philanthropic 00:34:23.079 --> 00:34:25.559 reach was extensive. He was the ambassador for 00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:27.840 After School All -Stars, established the Kobe 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:30.380 Bryant China Fund, and the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant 00:34:30.380 --> 00:34:32.929 Family Foundation. which focused on youth and 00:34:32.929 --> 00:34:34.949 assisting the homeless. He felt strongly about 00:34:34.949 --> 00:34:38.090 that cause. He did. And over his lifetime, he 00:34:38.090 --> 00:34:40.789 also granted over 200 requests for the Make -A 00:34:40.789 --> 00:34:43.730 -Wish Foundation. When you summarize his playing 00:34:43.730 --> 00:34:46.309 career, the depth of his statistical dominance 00:34:46.309 --> 00:34:48.590 and his sustained excellence is just remarkable. 00:34:48.909 --> 00:34:51.510 He retired as the fourth all -time leading scorer 00:34:51.510 --> 00:34:53.780 in league history. And he didn't just score. 00:34:53.940 --> 00:34:56.900 He was a complete two -way force. He's one of 00:34:56.900 --> 00:34:59.260 only four players ever with at least 25 ,000 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:01.820 points, 6 ,000 rebounds, and 6 ,000 assists. 00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:04.739 That versatility speaks to his commitment to 00:35:04.739 --> 00:35:07.760 the entire game. And his sustained elite performance 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.880 is reflected in his honors. 18 -time All -Star, 00:35:11.019 --> 00:35:13.820 selected as a starter a record 18 straight times, 00:35:14.019 --> 00:35:17.460 15 times on the All -NBA team, and nine times 00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:19.760 on the All -Defensive First team, which ties 00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:22.150 him with Jordan, Garnett, and Peyton. for the 00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:24.429 most ever that intersection of offensive mastery 00:35:24.429 --> 00:35:26.610 and defensive commitment is why he's considered 00:35:26.610 --> 00:35:28.750 one of the most complete players of his generation 00:35:28.750 --> 00:35:31.630 and of course there's that unique ultimate Laker 00:35:31.630 --> 00:35:34.190 tribute. He is the only player in NBA history 00:35:34.190 --> 00:35:36.849 to have two numbers eight and 24 retired by the 00:35:36.849 --> 00:35:39.929 same franchise. A visual symbol of the two distinct 00:35:39.929 --> 00:35:42.690 legendary halves of his career. Number eight, 00:35:42.809 --> 00:35:45.050 the youthful, high -flying three -peat champion. 00:35:45.329 --> 00:35:48.909 Number 24, the methodical MVP, two -time finals 00:35:48.909 --> 00:35:51.670 MVP leader. It's perfect. We have to address 00:35:51.670 --> 00:35:53.929 the tragic accident that prematurely ended this 00:35:53.929 --> 00:35:56.289 extraordinary life in his burgeoning second career. 00:35:56.489 --> 00:36:00.409 On January 26, 2020, at 41 years old, Kobe Bryant, 00:36:00.570 --> 00:36:02.449 his 13 -year -old daughter Gianna, and seven 00:36:02.449 --> 00:36:05.130 others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. 00:36:05.289 --> 00:36:08.050 The NTSB investigation later determined the probable 00:36:08.050 --> 00:36:10.570 cause was pilot disorientation in thick clouds. 00:36:10.809 --> 00:36:12.929 And the global reaction was just swift and overwhelming. 00:36:13.550 --> 00:36:16.030 The NBA immediately postponed the Lakers -Clippers 00:36:16.030 --> 00:36:18.510 game. Teams across the league honored him with 00:36:18.510 --> 00:36:20.929 intentional 24 -second shot clock violations 00:36:20.929 --> 00:36:24.309 or 8 -second backcourt violations. And the NBA 00:36:24.309 --> 00:36:27.610 renamed the All -Star Game MVP award in his honor. 00:36:27.869 --> 00:36:29.869 Permanently linking the award for individual 00:36:29.869 --> 00:36:32.449 excellence to his name. The emotional connection 00:36:32.449 --> 00:36:35.269 was immediately evident throughout the 2020 NBA 00:36:35.269 --> 00:36:38.010 playoff run that followed. The Lakers wore the 00:36:38.010 --> 00:36:40.789 black Mamba jerseys, which Kobe himself had designed. 00:36:41.389 --> 00:36:43.610 throughout the playoffs. Those jerseys became 00:36:43.610 --> 00:36:46.550 a powerful symbol. The championship victory that 00:36:46.550 --> 00:36:48.730 year was widely dedicated by the team to his 00:36:48.730 --> 00:36:51.050 legacy and his daughter. And his posthumous honors 00:36:51.050 --> 00:36:53.650 continue to roll in, formally solidifying his 00:36:53.650 --> 00:36:55.929 place in history. He was posthumously inducted 00:36:55.929 --> 00:36:58.550 into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, named 00:36:58.550 --> 00:37:01.329 to the NBA's 75th anniversary team. And most 00:37:01.329 --> 00:37:03.570 recently, the Lakers unveiled a permanent statue 00:37:03.570 --> 00:37:06.510 outside Crypto .com Arena honoring both Kobe 00:37:06.510 --> 00:37:09.449 and Gianna. And there's a specific final detail 00:37:09.449 --> 00:37:11.750 about that statue that connects us directly back 00:37:11.750 --> 00:37:15.150 to his scoring legacy. Yes. The inspiration for 00:37:15.150 --> 00:37:17.510 the statue, which depicts him pointing a finger 00:37:17.510 --> 00:37:19.969 toward the sky, is based on an image captured 00:37:19.969 --> 00:37:23.230 right after his 81 -point game. This specific 00:37:23.230 --> 00:37:25.809 pose was reportedly requested by Bryant himself 00:37:25.809 --> 00:37:28.989 before his death. It's a powerful choice, cementing 00:37:28.989 --> 00:37:31.429 his legacy with a moment of individual genius, 00:37:31.690 --> 00:37:33.989 yet with his attention pointed upward beyond 00:37:33.989 --> 00:37:36.590 the achievement itself. Hashtag, hashtag, outro. 00:37:37.550 --> 00:37:40.510 So what does this monumental deep dive into the 00:37:40.510 --> 00:37:43.349 Mamba legacy really reveal? We've seen the duality. 00:37:43.849 --> 00:37:46.110 The ruthless competitive fire that led to five 00:37:46.110 --> 00:37:48.789 titles, unprecedented scoring and profound self 00:37:48.789 --> 00:37:51.010 -sacrifice alongside the controversies and the 00:37:51.010 --> 00:37:53.630 evolution of his leadership. Yet he achieved 00:37:53.630 --> 00:37:55.570 a cultural significance outside of basketball 00:37:55.570 --> 00:37:57.869 that few athletes ever reach, winning an Oscar, 00:37:58.030 --> 00:38:00.690 becoming a force in business. He lived a life, 00:38:00.730 --> 00:38:02.550 though tragically short, defined by an almost 00:38:02.550 --> 00:38:04.809 maniacal global pursuit of perfection. And if 00:38:04.809 --> 00:38:07.269 we connect this to the bigger picture, Bryant 00:38:07.269 --> 00:38:09.730 proved unequivocally that the Mamba mentality, 00:38:10.110 --> 00:38:12.530 that singular focus, that relentless work ethic. 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:16.019 was profoundly transferable. He didn't just retire 00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:18.579 and fade away. He instantly applied those same 00:38:18.579 --> 00:38:21.139 principles to achieve excellence in media, film, 00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:24.300 and shrewd business ventures. He shifted his 00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:27.480 intensity, not his core drive. So this raises 00:38:27.480 --> 00:38:29.059 an important question for you, the listener. 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:32.000 What facet of your own life, professional or 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:34.360 personal, could benefit most from applying that 00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:37.329 level of focused, intense commitment? Is there 00:38:37.329 --> 00:38:38.909 a challenge you've been approaching tentatively 00:38:38.909 --> 00:38:41.530 that demands an I would go 0 for 30 before 0 00:38:41.530 --> 00:38:43.550 for 9 level of aggression and resilience? Were 00:38:43.550 --> 00:38:45.530 you playing it too safe? And finally, let's return 00:38:45.530 --> 00:38:48.469 to that final visual. The significance of Kobe's 00:38:48.469 --> 00:38:50.550 request to have his statue, based on his 81 -point 00:38:50.550 --> 00:38:52.829 game, captured mid -pose, pointing toward the 00:38:52.829 --> 00:38:55.409 sky. That moment, the highest peak individual 00:38:55.409 --> 00:38:57.730 achievement in modern game, points not toward 00:38:57.730 --> 00:39:00.510 the basket, but up. What message does that lasting 00:39:00.510 --> 00:39:02.650 visual legacy pointing past the personal achievement, 00:39:02.949 --> 00:39:05.309 toward something greater send to future generations 00:39:05.309 --> 00:39:08.190 of athletes, artists, and everyone who witnesses 00:39:08.190 --> 00:39:10.869 it? It's a reminder that singular focus can lead 00:39:10.869 --> 00:39:11.630 to universal impact.