In addition to being one of the NBA’s all-time great players, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest mentors the league has ever seen.
Among the slew of players Bryant spread his knowledge to was Jayson Tatum, who routinely refers to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend as one of his idols. In a recent appearance on the “Beyond The Press” podcast, the Boston Celtics star explained the lasting impact Bryant had on him.
“One of the many things I took from him that always stuck with me, he kinda just asked me one day, ‘How much does it mean to you?'” Tatum said, as transcribed by Sportscasting.com. “And that kinda puts things in perspective. You know, how much does being great or being a champion or whatever. How much does it mean?
“What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to do, sacrifice? All those type of things. I think that’s kind of the model he lived by.”
As far as his career goals, Tatum offered a sentiment that Bryant surely would be proud of.
“Everyone wants to win,” Tatum said. “I want to be a champion. I want to be an MVP and want to be one of the greatest to ever play — Hall of Fame. That’s something I’m actively working on.”
