LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant was in such devastation after his Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, that he wanted to remember the pain of losing until he got redemption.
So for the two years up until he got his revenge against the Celtics in 2010, Bryant found an interesting way to bring back the bitter taste of defeat.
“I remember when we lost, they played that Journey song (“Don’t Stop Believin'”) and the whole arena started singing that song and I hated that damn song for two years,” Bryant recalled. “But I listened to the song every single day because it reminded me of that feeling.
“Same thing with the Dropkick Murphys. I would listen to the Dropkick Murphys all the time just because I wanted to remember that feeling.”
So there you have it. Celtics fans can now blame the Boston-based rock band for motivating Kobe.
In all seriousness, though, it’s pretty clear that exacting revenge against his rivals was very important.
“Let me put it this way,” Bryant said. “If I had lost that championship, I’d be miserable. I would be. I’d be sitting here right now absolutely miserable.”
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
