Hey, it’s Raj from 3CB Performance.
NBA legend and newly crowned hall of famer Kobe Bryant - may he rest in peace - often
used a devastating first-step to blow-by defenders.
In this video, I’ll break down the key components of that first step from setup to execution
and biomechanics.
Underlying everything else is that when Kobe set up to attack he did it with a certain
calm and composure that made it seem like he was never in a rush.
He would size up the defender’s positioning and arm and feet reactions and how the team
was playing him, in particular any help defense.
Based on those factors, Kobe was immediately calculating where he wanted to go
how he could get there,
and how to create an opening.
The one player who currently reminds me of Kobe in this regard is LA Clippers’ wing Kawhi Leonard.
Never rushed.
When Kobe was asked about what strategy he employs on his drive, his answer was
"I know what spot I want to get to but I can’t let the defender or defense know”.
In other words, harnessing deception to keep the defender guessing and eventually creating
a hesitation or off-balance moment - for even a split second - to open up the avenue Kobe wanted.
Kobe did this by controlling space with the threat of his jumper which forced the defender
to play up and decrease their own margin for error,
left and right jab steps with the ability
to drive or shoot off either hand out of multiple foot positions or gathers,
and shoulder and body feints.
Kobe was truly a master of deception with very limited “tells” in his movement tree.
To use some cross-sport analogies, the consistency of movement reminds me of pitcher Cole Hamels
in his heyday with the Philadelphia Phillies who had a devastating fastball/change-up combination
in part due to nearly identical pitch mechanics apart from his grip on the ball and the other
example that comes to mind is current Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald whose release
off the line of scrimmage and run up to the top of his break is incredibly consistent
and doesn’t give away any information about his intended route.
Once Kobe saw the opening, he was able to react extremely quickly and spring into action.
He would perceive - process - react.
I refer to this triple coupling as “mental speed”.
This ability is why it didn’t matter if the defender on Kobe was stronger, lengthier,
quicker, more athletic, etc.
Kobe was able to make up the margins and then some with his mental speed.
The best example of that right today is Warriors guard Steph Curry.
He consistently makes “better athletes” look foolish because he’s able to read and
anticipate the game 2-3 steps ahead.
If you analyze nearly every truly great player in any sport, you’ll see that they combine
physical attributes and skill with mental attributes and that’s why I always emphasize
- to anyone who’ll listen - the mental underpinnings of athletic performance.
A key foundation of Kobe’s movement and first step was balance.
He typically started his attack with his body stacked and feet at shoulder width apart which
created a stable platform to work from.
Kobe’s movements from shoulders to trunk to core to arms and ball position to footwork
were incredibly coordinated.
When Kobe found an opening, all these groups worked synergistically to create extremely
fluid movement patterns.
Watch how he dropped his torso and hips as he led with the ball - lowering his center
of gravity and mass to further improve balance and change of direction ability - and loaded
his lower body.
The precision is unprecedented.
Kobe often used a swing-through to facilitate a significant weight shift onto his lead leg
while pushing off the forefoot (front of the foot) of the trail leg.
His left ankle is in dorsiflexion with his heel off the ground which tension the achilles
tendon like a stretched out spring which then recoils (termed “elastic recoil) when he
pushes off to create a strong ankle plantar-flexion acceleration force.
Additionally, the heavy weight shift, in addition to overcoming initial inertia, loads the right
leg - with Kobe’s ankle in dorsiflexion, right knee flexed and hip flexed, all of which
tension key muscles to facilitate an elastic recoil effect when he pushes off with the
right leg.
Both step 1 and step 2 are powerful acceleration steps and Kobe has timed his move perfectly.
(remember, mental speed).
Night, night.
The last component to Kobe’s first step was understanding angles.
Once his shoulders were level with the defender’s drive side leg, he would dip his inside shoulder
to gain inside leverage and cut-off the recovery angle.
At this point, the result was either the defender bumping into Kobe for a foul or an open avenue.
All in all, Kobe’s first step began with his composure and ability to read the defender
and defense, use deception to create an opening, instantly recognize and attack it (mental
speed), and then utilize elite full body synergy and coordination along with key physical mechanics
to blow-by the defender and cut-off any angle for recovery.
That’s a wrap for this video.
Thanks for watching.
My goal is to provide you with in-depth, evidence based, narrative free analysis and you can
always find me on IG and Twitter @3CBPerformance.
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3CB out.