How Kobe Bryant Got Off the Madison Square Garden Locker Room Floor to Play the Knicks

During his six seasons with the Lakers, Tim DiFrancesco (TD) saw first-hand how Kobe Bryant pushed through pain and injury to give his all to the game he loved. In one memorable moment, Mamba cemented his Madison Square Garden legacy by overcoming severe low-back tightness to somehow take the hallowed floor and put on another classic performance against the New York Knicks. 

In this episode, TD shares: 

• What Kobe did before each game to get his aging body game ready
• Why he was on the floor of the visitors’ locker room in agony
• Which exercises TD and the Lakers staff did with Kobe to bring relief
• How the Mamba Mentality enabled Kobe to tough it out when most people would quit
• Why Kobe was determined to honor the MSG fans and give every game his all

For a deeper insider’s view of Kobe’s greatness, check out our previous conversation with longtime Lakers trainer Gary Vitti and TD’s 8 Things that Coaching Kobe Bryant Taught Me episode.