Lakers’ Kobe Bryant works out alone in gym after Miami Heat loss to settle down his nerves
Much like the Miami Heat was not expecting a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers after losing five straight, the Lakers were just as shocked if not more. The two-times NBA defending champions entered the game as conquerors of eight straight games and left
the American Airlines Arena being robbed of it.
At 10:45 pm when the gym lights were almost turned off, a 6 feet 6 inches tall figure emerged from the gym door. The players of the rest of the team had left but Kobe Bryant would not go. Would not leave Miami like this… A loss to Miami, took its toll over
Kobe Bryant’s nerves and the Black Mamba decided to discard his anger at the gym floor after the game. He stayed their practicing for the future battles between him and LeBron James’ squad.
The basketball hit the floor, passed the rim, hit the floor again, Bryant caught it, the ball passed the rim again and the cycle continued until Bryant made sure that he had made up for the potential shots that he missed during the final quarter of the loss
to Miami. His T-shirt was all full of sweat as the gym clock ticked midnight but Kobe wouldn’t leave the gymnasium. No, at least not like this…
A replay of the 94-88 loss to Miami Heat played in his mind again and again and he wouldn’t shrug that off because he needed to see more of that to concentrate. The more he concentrated, the better it would be. So he replayed the scene back in his mind when
Dwayne Wade made a steal over him and made a clean layup right in front of him. His head spins when he thinks of the vital 3-pointer that he had missed in the final minute of the game. There he goes from the 3-pointer line. Not once, twice or thrice but hundreds
of times. He practiced till he was satisfied and had drained all his energy over Miami’s gym floor. Three Miami ball boys passed him the ball and Kobe hit every shot perfectly, making sure not to miss another one on the same floor.
He started the workout late at 10:45 pm when Miami must have left to celebrate the big win. No one ever overpowers the Black Mamba and even if someone thought so, the player had to make things clear. The Christmas loss was not yet forgotten and Miami got
the Lakers once again.
What could have gone wrong? What could have gone wrong… He concentrates, and there goes another shot!
The final quarter of the Miami Lakers game was the most exhilarating one as Bryant was being chased around the court by Wade. Bryant acknowledged Heat’s display of offensive streak in the final round and said, “He (Wade) fouled the h**l out of me.”
The whole practice was spectacular. Never had anyone seen a player from any other team except Miami hitting the gym floor with that velocity after the game was over but Bryant. But this is Kobe Bryant, and who can stop him?
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