Long-time Los Angeles Lakers fans will always remember how hard Kobe Bryant worked behind the scenes to play every game he possibly he could.
Bryant suffered multiple injuries toward the end of his career, with the most devastating one being the torn Achilles he suffered in the 2012-13 season. The Lakers icon had been playing heavy minute to carry the team into the playoffs, but it felt like the extra burden played a part in him hurting himself.
After undergoing surgery, Bryant was able to return to the court though he looked far from the player he used to be. Unfortunately, another sports legend suffered the same injury as New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
In an appearance on the The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers revealed he thought of Bryant when he was sitting in the locker room shortly after his injury occurred:
“Well first of all I knew that Kobe had done his Achilles, so I looked into right away, I mean literally right away on the table Monday night I thought about Kob’. I had seen ‘Muse’ but I’d forgotten that he’d gotten surgery the next day. I have a friendship going back many years with Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Neal worked on my collarbone back in ’17, so I’d already texted him from the locker room and then was just wondering how quickly we could get this done.
“I didn’t realize Kobe had gotten, like I said, the next day. He did it, he called I think Neal that night and they were in the next day.”
Like Bryant, Rodgers decided not to waste any time and underwent surgery to repair his Achilles with the hope of returning to the field sometime in 2024. Older players are more susceptible to injuries, but with modern medicine many have been able to come back sooner and play at near the level they used to be at.
As soon as Rodgers got hurt, players like LeBron James wished him well in recovery. Hopefully Rodgers is able to return like Bryant because the game of football is better when he is available.
Lamar Odom says Kobe Bryant was easy to learn from
Although Bryant had a reputation for being a difficult teammate, he also cared about the players in the locker room. He also served as an excellent teacher as Lamar Odom talked about how easy it was to learn from him.
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