I never got to meet Kobe Bryant, but I treasure this story from my friend Alan Stein Jr., who recounts his 4 a.m. training session with Kobe.
Back in 2007, Nike flew Alan to Los Angeles to work the first-ever Kobe Bryant Skills Academy—a three-day camp bringing together the best high school and college players in the country. Kobe was at the peak of his game, the undisputed best player in basketball at the time.
Alan, a lifelong basketball coach and trainer, had heard the stories about Kobe’s legendary work ethic and wanted to see it for himself. So he asked if he could watch one of Kobe’s private workouts. Kobe smiled and said, “Sure, man. No problem. I’m going tomorrow at four.”
Alan assumed he meant 4 p.m., since the first camp workout wasn’t until the next afternoon. But when he asked for clarification, Kobe grinned and said, “Yeah—that’s 4 a.m.”
“I Figured If I Was Gonna Be There Anyway…”
Determined not to be late, Alan set his alarm for 3 a.m. and planned to beat Kobe to the gym. When he arrived at 3:30, the lights were already on. He could hear the thud of a basketball and the squeak of sneakers echoing inside. Kobe was already drenched in sweat, halfway through his warmup—thirty minutes before his workout with his trainer was even scheduled to start.
Alan sat quietly on the sideline, watching the best player in the world go through an intense session that lasted nearly two hours. But what surprised him most wasn’t the effort—it was the simplicity. Kobe wasn’t doing anything flashy. He was running through basic footwork, simple offensive moves, and foundational drills that Alan had taught to middle schoolers. The difference was that Kobe did every single one of them with total focus, precision, and purpose.
Later that day, Alan couldn’t resist asking, “Kobe, you’re the best player in the world. Why are you doing such basic drills?” Kobe smiled and said something that would stay with him forever: “Why do you think I’m the best player in the world? Because I never get bored with the basics.”
Never Get Bored With the Basics
That line says everything about what made Kobe great. His success wasn’t built on flash—it was built on fundamentals. While others were chasing highlight plays, Kobe was mastering footwork, timing, and rhythm. If team practice started at 7 a.m., he was there at 4 a.m. While other players were practicing deep threes, Kobe was drilling 6-footers in the paint. He understood something most people never do: mastery isn’t about what’s new—it’s about what’s true.
We live in a world that celebrates shortcuts, hacks, and overnight success. But Kobe’s story is a reminder that the path to greatness never changes. The basics work—they always have, and they always will. The hard part isn’t learning them. It’s staying committed to them long after everyone else has moved on.
The Power of Discipline
Kobe’s 4 a.m. workouts show us that excellence isn’t about doing extraordinary things—it’s about doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. So to every young athlete, and to anyone chasing improvement in any area of life: don’t skip steps, don’t chase the flash, and never get bored with the basics.
Ian Goldberg is the CEO of Signature Media and the Editor of the largest and fastest growing sports parenting newsletter. He’s been recognized as an industry expert by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, the US Olympic Committee’s Truesport, and the Aspen Institute's Project Play. Ian is also a suburban NJ sports dad of two teenage daughters and has over 2,000 hours of volunteer time coaching them (which he calls the most fun form of R&D for his newsletter content). Ian and his team provide players, coaches, parents and program directors with the articles and content they need to have a great sports season. Ian has spent most of his career in digital product development and marketing and got his start at the White House where he worked for the economic advisors to two US Presidents.
