For Kobe Bryant, is all about preparation when he steps up on the court and starts practicing before each game. The NBA player for Los Angeles Lakers has traced a routine that begins hours before the actual game starts. Bryant claims that it’s the calm before the storm, as he can get the place all to himself, and gets to practice alone and in peace.

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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant vents frustration during a game against the Toronto Raptors in March. Credit: LA Times

As Kobe has been previously described as a lone wolf, he prefers to practice a few hours before the game starts by getting to the stadium three or four hours earlier to get in touch with the court. The famed player for the LA Lakers claims he begins by shooting the ball, and the loneliness allows him to hear the ball bounce, the net sound as the ball goes through and that helps him set his mind to win.

Bryant, who’s only two games away before he ends his NBA career with 20 seasons, says that getting to the stadium early is what assures him confidence on the court when he starts playing. And his teammates, who always wondered how Kobe appeared to be on fire the moment he stepped his foot on the court, now know he had already prepared for that.

Earl Watson, former NBA player and currently the head coach for the Phoenix Suns, claims that when the game starts, Kobe never misses the shot. Watson adds that Kobe is really unique as well as he has figured out how to set the table for a good game, and he does. Everything Kobe does, he does it with purpose, said Watson in an interview with ESPN.

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It’s a smart move from Bryant to apply this routine in order to ensure a better performance when it comes the time to actually play against the rival team. Even when his routine doesn’t require much physical exercise, Kobe Bryant’s habit is more methodical than anything else.

Kobe’s routine for success

Kobe wants to set his mind to the game, and familiarize himself with the court when it’s quiet and he can listen to himself thinking. Otherwise impossible to do when the game actually starts and fans are crammed in the stands.

“It’s very peaceful,” said Los Angeles Lakers famed player Kobe Bryant. “It’s very quiet, and you get a chance to be in your space and in your element and hear the ball bounce, hear the sound of the net or the rim.”

According to a report from ESPN, Bryant starts its routine shooting beneath the rim to warm up his arms a little bit. Kobe claims that this exercise not only helps him gain rhythm with the ball but also sets his mind to feel the ball going through the net.

After he’s done with that, Bryant goes to every spot on the court and starts shooting from each baseline. There’s no special recipe for Bryant’s routine, he will just do it until he feels he’s ready for the game, said J.J. Outlaw, the Laker’s video coordinator-player development coach.

Source: ESPN