Larry Bird or Kobe? Who had the more legendary work ethic

[AngelEyes]

Kobe and Bird both have legendary work ethics. Both guys would also constantly play through injuries, ranging in severity. Kobe has had all types of nagging little injuries throughout his career but always played through them. Kobe is also one of those players who would try to add something to his game every off season. Bird is renowned as one of the hardest working players ever, constantly trying to improve. He also played while he was basically crippled near the end of his career. Who's work ethic/toughness is more legendary Bird's or Kobe's?

[jstern]

They are both very tough, always willing to play through injuries. Over extending. The only thing is that part of that for Kobe, in my opinion is that he's trying to fit that image of a Michael Jordan, a Larry Bird. That just always the way I saw his personality when he entered the league. But whatever works, whatever the reason, the pushing through is real. It sounds like a put down, would Kobe push as hard if he had never seen the Jordan's and Bird's being known and celebrated for doing that. It is an emulation? But whatever the reason, the result is real.

[stalkerforlife]

Both top 5 players of all time.

[ClipperRevival]

Some guys might've matched Kobe's work ethic and WILLINGNESS to play through injuries but I don't think anyone exceeded him. He's in the same class as MJ, Jerry Rice (follow up on him for his legendary dedication and work ethic) and Bird.

[JT123]

Larry, and it's not even close. Kobe's work ethic is only for the cameras/media attention.
Considering baldbe never even shot 47% in a season how hard could he really have worked? :lol :lol

[Laker19]

Not too familiar with Birds work ethic but laker trainer gary vitti recently called kobe hands down the toughest player he's been around. Then theres countless stories we all know and this phil jackson quote which says a lot

"No one can approach that. I don

[ClipperRevival]

They are both very tough, always willing to play through injuries. Over extending. The only thing is that part of that for Kobe, in my opinion is that he's trying to fit that image of a Michael Jordan, a Larry Bird. That just always the way I saw his personality when he entered the league. But whatever works, whatever the reason, the pushing through is real. It sounds like a put down, would Kobe push as hard if he had never seen the Jordan's and Bird's being known and celebrated for doing that. It is an emulation? But whatever the reason, the result is real.

Doesn't matter if MJ or Bird came first, you can't fake work ethic when you're all by yourself in the gym for hours almost every day in the offseason working on your game. The guy was maniacal in his drive to be great. Living in LA almost all my life, I saw it all. Yes, he was a ball hog at times but one thing you can't ever question was his work ethic and willingness to play through injuries. Outside factors can only push you so much, you have to have it inside you.

[jstern]

Here is what runs in my head, and how the two work ethics differ. I imagine that focus facial expression Bird would put, the Jordan flue game, Jordan banging his head hard against the floor, and literally not reacting with pain until the whistle was blown. That focus and concentration is so real. It's so legendary.

The you have alpha male Kobe, who is emulating everything about these guy's personality because he wants to be the GOAT. Being the GOAT, his goal interning the league. Very alpha dreams, but those dreams are more materialistic in a sense. It doesn't come from that intense focus that a Bird and Jordan had. Where they're not worrying about how they want to collect accolades in their career, the only thing that matters is winning in the current game.

So with Kobe for example, I remember and important playoff game, where he missed a clutch shot, but since that Bird abnormal focus that made him push through pain is not natural for Kobe's body chemistry, he started immediately complaining to the ref, completely leaving his man.

In my opinion what Kobe has is that living fantasy mentality, where he's trying to be that model of a Jordan and Bird. It's not the same as the body chemistry of a Bird, but non the less, it makes him believe and push to act like them.


Doesn't matter if MJ or Bird came first, you can't fake work ethic when you're all by yourself in the gym for hours almost every day in the offseason working on your game. The guy was maniacal in his drive to be great. Living in LA almost all my life, I saw it all. Yes, he was a ball hog at times but one thing you can't ever question was his work ethic and willingness to play through injuries. Outside factors can only push you so much, you have to have it inside you.
Like I said, the work ethic is very real, the body chemistry behind them is what differ. But in the end, they both differ, but they are both very real. Probably more real for Kobe, because he has to push harder because he doesn't have that natural focused body chemistry that I talked about from my observations.

[WayOfWade]

Don't know much about Bird's ethic, which is weird considering the fact that I read "When the game was ours." However during my time watching the NBA, Kobe has always been painted as the hardest working player, although the craziest work ethics I've actually seen are Steph Curry's and Ray Allen's

[Rocketswin2013]

no one knows

[ClipperRevival]

Here is what runs in my head, and how the two work ethics differ. I imagine that focus facial expression Bird would put, the Jordan flue game, Jordan banging his head hard against the floor, and literally not reacting with pain until the whistle was blown. That focus and concentration is so real. It's so legendary.

The you have alpha male Kobe, who is emulating everything about these guy's personality because he wants to be the GOAT. Being the GOAT, his goal interning the league. Very alpha dreams, but those dreams are more materialistic in a sense. It doesn't come from that intense focus that a Bird and Jordan had. Where they're not worrying about how they want to collect accolades in their career, the only thing that matters is winning in the current game.

So with Kobe for example, I remember and important playoff game, where he missed a clutch shot, but since that Bird abnormal focus that made him push through pain is not natural for Kobe's body chemistry, he started immediately complaining to the ref, completely leaving his man.

In my opinion what Kobe has is that living fantasy mentality, where he's trying to be that model of a Jordan and Bird. It's not the same as the body chemistry of a Bird, but non the less, it makes him believe and push to act like them.


Like I said, the work ethic is very real, the body chemistry behind them is what differ. But in the end, they both differ, but they are both very real. Probably more real for Kobe, because he has to push harder because he doesn't have that natural focused body chemistry that I talked about from my observations.

But the desire to be great, no matter what the driving factor, is real. I don't even like Kobe that much. Me being a bball purist think that the game should be played a certain way and Kobe went away from that many times and that rubbed me the wrong way. But no matter what drove him to work hard, it was real. You can't fake that. No one can make you spend hours in the gym by yourself in the offseason. A lot of guys just relax for months. You have to want it.

And Kobe shooting 2 FTs when he tore his Achillies and walking off the court is legendary stuff. The only other guy I can recall who tore an Achillies and walked off the court was Isiah Thomas. Everyone else immediately fell to the floor in agony. That tells you something about the character of a man. Again, i don't like Kobe too much but the guy was a straight killer in the same mold as MJ/Bird.

[jstern]

But the desire to be great, no matter what the driving factor, is real. I don't even like Kobe that much. Me being a bball purist think that the game should be played a certain way and Kobe went away from that many times and that rubbed me the wrong way. But no matter what drove him to work hard, it was real. You can't fake that. No one can make you spend hours in the gym by yourself in the offseason. A lot of guys just relax for months. You have to want it.

And Kobe shooting 2 FTs when he tore his Achillies and walking off the court is legendary stuff. The only other guy I can recall who tore an Achillies and walked off the court was Isiah Thomas. Everyone else immediately fell to the floor in agony. That tells you something about the character of a man. Again, i don't like Kobe too much but the guy was a straight killer in the same mold as MJ/Bird.

Like I said, what I described abut Kobe's personality from the way I see him makes his work ethic very, very real.

Lets take a random person. Bill Gates. Back before he started Microsoft, he could sit down for 12 hours straight and work on his software. His desire, but more importantly his body chemistry allowed him sit there for 12 hours, and he's doing it more for fun than anything else. Then lest say Kobe Bryant wants to be the next Bill Gates. He studies these computer legends to see what it takes to be like them, and he wants to be better than them. He doesn't have the body chemistry that the GOAT Bill Gate has, so he's going to have to work harder than the GOAT Bill Gate, because he doesn't have that same body chemistry, and unlike Gates, it's not more about the fun he's having at the moment sitting there for 12 hours, it's more about the status that he wants to reach years and years later in life.

In that scenario Kobe has the more work ethic, and it's very real, because he's pushing himself harder than Gates. He's going to grind more. But at the same time, his work ethic is a bit more contrived, and less natural. Which again, does not make it less real, since it's still making him push harder.

The same with pushing through pain. He's pushing through it and that's a painful reality. But again, it's because he knows that he has to, in order to be the GOAT, while with a Bird, and a Jordan, it's more to do with their natural, rare body chemistry that gives them a certain focus.

[Kvnzhangyay]

Both top 5 players of all time.

Neither are, according to the majority of the population, which is what matters.

Our opinions do not matter compared to the populations'

[SugarHill]

Neither are, according to the majority of the population, which is what matters.

Our opinions do not matter compared to the populations'
I'd wager that the majority of the population consider Kobe a top 5 player. Most casual basketball fans rate Kobe extremely high. It is what it is.

[Kvnzhangyay]

I'd wager that the majority of the population consider Kobe a top 5 player. Most casual basketball fans rate Kobe extremely high. It is what it is.

Really? In my experience most casual fans don't rate Kobe as highly because they think he's just a worse version of Jordan

In addition, a LOT LOT LOT of people I've met both on the street and around the city are lebron stans. Like such big stans that it's annoying

[Round Mound]

Bird

[feyki]

Tough question .

I select slightly Kobe , with his older days .

[zbott]

I'd wager that the majority of the population consider Kobe a top 5 player. Most casual basketball fans rate Kobe extremely high. It is what it is.

Both top 10 .....

[mr4speed]

Kobe and Bird both have legendary work ethics. Both guys would also constantly play through injuries, ranging in severity. Kobe has had all types of nagging little injuries throughout his career but always played through them. Kobe is also one of those players who would try to add something to his game every off season. Bird is renowned as one of the hardest working players ever, constantly trying to improve. He also played while he was basically crippled near the end of his career. Who's work ethic/toughness is more legendary Bird's or Kobe's?
Both had a great work ethic, but I would choose Bird for toughness. From Peter May's book "The Big Three" pg 232 when Bird got an eye injury in a collision with Dell Curry- the Celtic trainer said of Bird "he had double vision, was seeing 2 rims and still making shots. But he wouldn't tell me. Then he went into the shower to blow his nose and his eye dropped out of the socket. It wasn't a major fracture but it had to heal...he didn't want to wear the goggles". Then on pg 266-267 during the playoffs vs Indiana - the famous head hitting the floor series - Bird was ordered to New England Baptist hospital to spend the night in traction. What was he doing on a basketball court? Bird said later "a lot of games I played where I couldn't feel my feet. I knew it was stupid but I had to do it. I knew I didn't have many years left and had to try and push through it. You're laying on the floor for 8 days at a time. And not even moving. Eating all your meals on the floor like a dog. But I'm glad I did it, because I wanted to play basketball" That is just crazy!!

[HOoopCityJones]

Kobe just from 20 years of bypassing his Basketball mortality injury after injury, but Bird a Beast.

Playing with practically a broken back is unheard of man.

[IllegalD]

Really? In my experience most casual fans don't rate Kobe as highly because they think he's just a worse version of Jordan

In addition, a LOT LOT LOT of people I've met both on the street and around the city are lebron stans. Like such big stans that it's annoying

That's why you don't ask homeless people about basketball

[Stringer Bell]

There's no way to know who worked harder on their game.

We do know that Bird probably had to play with more pain during the last 2-3 seasons of his career because of his bad his back was.

All athletes play through pain but it was pretty well known that Bird's back was in awful shape. He looked like he was in slow motion at the end of his career and still putting up very productive numbers.