look I always try to outwork people
right that's just how I made my mark so
the game was at 7:00 I was like you know
what I'm gonna come to the Staples
Center because we're playing something
the Lakers had Kobe and Shaq okay this
is this is like the championship Lakers
so you know I'm gonna get there at 3
o'clock I want to make sure I make 400
made shots before I go back into the
room and then I sit in a sauna and I get
ready for the game so you know get in
the car
get to the gym get there and as I'm
walking onto the court who do I see you
see Kobe Bryant already work now I know
okay it's kind of cool is Kobe stop Kobe
you know and uh you know so I'll put my
sneakers on and you ever get lost in
what you do where you end up it's been
an hour and a half like that I'm just
I'm here I'm in it 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 look down
like these guys know he was working out
like it looks like he was in a dead
sweat when I got here and he's still
going and it's not like his moves are
nonchalant lazy he's doing like game
moves you know I sit there and I unleash
my shoes am I gonna see how long this
goes very much 25 minutes and he got
done it's ok I think I've seen enough go
play you know come back get in a sauna
get ready for the game that game he
drops 40 on us ok and after the game is
over I'm like I have to ask this guy guy
I have to understand like why why he
works like that
so after games I'm like hey khob like
why why are you in a gym for so long
he's like cuz I saw you come in ha ha
and I don't want you to know
that it doesn't matter how hard you work
that I'm willing to work harder than you
Wow
and he's I guess don't hold there's
there's nothing wrong with that like I'm
not saying I dislike you as a person you
just you inspire me to be better and it
was the first time I started to see this
level of competitiveness who I said I
need to start doing more Wow
I was tattoo on my wrist we're actually
the first time I try to commit suicide I
try to cut my wrist that says believe
because my mother's always talked about
either if you don't believe in yourself
and who's going to be leaving you hmm
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 and force me to put my head
down now there's some disadvantages to
that too you can get lost in the work
process and not be present to some of
the things that are happening in your
life but I think that mentality and
being around people that inspire me not
by their words but moreso by their
actions I hear a lot of people talk
every single day and I was one of these
guys Tom when I when I was playing you
know 21 years old you have no idea who
the hell you are you're trying to learn
on the process and you try to do things
the right way but I think for everybody
you get into this preachy thing about
look at me and look about what I do and
I started not to listen to what people
said but started to watch how people
acted and how they interacted with other
people and that helped me set the bar
for where I wanted to be we've talked a
lot about that notion of like setting
the bar and that the board or people
that hold you to a higher standard is
that like a core belief for you like
that you're only gonna succeed like at
whatever level you put the bar I don't
know if I have a bar anymore I think I
just I always want to get better I think
I'm a little bit relentless in that in
that capacity which can be draining for
some people or for people like
romantically people like is that we mean
or I think both you know this is
actually the relationship that I'm in
now is probably one of the most
challenging relationships that I've ever
been in because she forces me to address
issue
I mean we all have issues right to some
degree and there are issues I have
relationship wise too but when somebody
forces you to a dress and you allow
yourself to be vulnerable and you try to
communicate the worst parts about who
you are that overall that that sheds you
but for me it was a process of learning
about life in general and about hey who
I was 15 years ago maybe I wasn't trying
to be the best version of me but it's
amazing how many people you talk to
don't actually think for a second about
trying to become better you're so busy
in the minutia and the the clutter that
you're running through your life with
your head down and it was the first man
to sit and evaluate in that process
within itself is rewarding peaceful to
my soul and my spirit but still still
drives me because I still know I have
such a long way to go and I have to
continue the process it never stops
this is what it's all about you know and
I used to say all the time why me why me
why me and also in that conversation
changed it yeah like why not me like why
not me and I think the more you can
start looking at facing adversity by
saying why not me you approach things
with a completely different out
mentality than a person who feels like
they're going to be a victim you start
becoming the hunter again and the more
you can stay with that hunter mentality
it will pay dividends down the con dude
I love that that isn't thank you for
that one I will remit thank you are you
kidding me