- The first time I tried to commit suicide, I tried
to cut my wrist.
I was tatooing my wrist, that say believe, 'cause
my mother has always talked about, either, if you
don't believe in yourself, then who's going
to believe in you?
- Mm.
- And I think that was one of the benefits of
being an athlete that was always overlooked, in my opinion.
It forced me to work harder.
You know, like, I always try to outwork people, right?
That's just how I made my mark.
So the game was at seven.
I was like, you know what, I'm gonna come to
the Staples Center, 'cause this is when the Lakers
had Kobe and Shaq.
Okay, this is like the championship Lakers.
I was like, you know, I'm gonna get there at three o'clock,
and I wanna make sure I make 400 made shots
before I go back into the room, and then I sit in the sauna,
I get ready for the game.
Who do I see?
I see Kobe Bryant, already working out.
So, once I set my foot across that line, I started
working out, and so I worked out for a good hour,
hour and a half.
And when I came off, after I was done, I sat down
and of course, I still heard the ball bouncing.
I look down like, this guy is still working out?
He was working out for like...
It looks like he was in dead sweat when I got here.
- Right. - And he's still going.
And, it's not like his moves are nonchalant, lazy.
He's doing like game moves.
You know?
And I sit there and I unlace my shoes.
I'm like, I wanna see how long this goes.
I sit out there and watch.
Another 25 minutes and he got done.
I said, okay, I think I've seen enough.
Go play, you know?
Come back, get in the sauna, get ready for the game.
That game, he drops 40 on us.
Okay?
And after the game is over I'm like, I have to ask this guy,
I have to understand like, why, why he works like that.
- Right. - So after the game is done
I'm like, hey, Kobe, like, why were you in the gym
for so long?
He's like, 'cause I saw you come in.
(laughs)
And I wanted you to know that it doesn't matter
how hard you work, that I'm willing to work
harder than you.
- Wow. - You just,
you inspired me to do better.
- Right. - And it was
the first time I started to see this level
of competitiveness where I say, I need to start doing more.
- Right. - Wow.
But you never get better if you're not willing
to put in the time.
And basketball is very similar to the game of life.
There's gonna be ups and downs.
It's not always going to be easy.
There are going to be challenges.
There's still going to be curve balls thrown at me.
But if you put in the work, and you constantly
put in the work, that's the only way you're going to grow.
(uplifting music)