Kobe Bryant to Isaiah Thomas: ‘Be a lion’

As part of his farewell tour, Kobe Bryant is dispensing wisdom to those who would seek it. Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas sought out the legendary Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard before their game this week, and the advice he received was as legendary as the man who gave it.

Seeking to simply offer greeting to Bryant, Thomas was gifted with a 20-minute one-on-one session the youngster will never forget.

“But he came and sat down and talked, just me and him, for like 20 minutes,” Thomas said Friday, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “It was probably the best talk I’ve ever had….

“He told me this story about how a lion seeks food, whatever he’s gonna kill and eat,” Thomas said. “And you know how many bugs are on the lion’s eyes and gnats on his body? He’s so locked in on that zebra that he doesn’t get distracted by anything else. He said if you get distracted by little things, then you’re not as locked in as you think you are. He said for me to be a lion, and that’s gonna stick with me the rest of my life.”

Fierce.

The man who was dubbed “Black Mamba” views basketball as a battle for survival, based on this quote.

No wonder he’s been so great for so many years.

After their chat, Thomas had a wonderful game against Bryant’s Lakers, pouring in 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting. However, he was outdone by the King of the Jungle himself, as Bryant scored 15 points and totaled 11 rebounds, crushing the Celtics with a three-point dagger late in the fourth quarter to seal the 112-104 win for the Lakers.