When Nate Thompson began the grueling rehabilitation from a torn Achilles’ tendon last summer, a documentary film about Kobe Bryant got his attention.
The Lakers star overcame the same injury, and Thompson could identify on some level with the “Black Mamba.”
“It was impressive,” Thompson said. “A lot of the rehab he did, I did, too. He’s a Hall-of-Fame athlete. It’s the mentality that I think everyone underestimates how hard Kobe Bryant worked off the court too. I respect him as an athlete because of all that he accomplished and how hard he worked.