The outfielder talks about the former Lakers great and the impact Bryant had on athletes.
Trayce Thompson carved himself a path in the MLB despite the fact that his dad and two brothers all played basketball. His father, Mychal Thompson, created a successful NBA career playing for numerous teams including the Los Angeles Lakers from 1987 to 1991.
Along with his dad being a two-time NBA champion, the outfielder is also related to other star basketball talent including Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and Mychel Thompson, who played some time across different G League teams.
With so much basketball surrounding the family, Trayce was bound to have interactions with several top players around the league.
Trayce recently joined AM570 LA Sports Radio and revealed an important lesson he learned from the late, great Kobe Bryant.
“Just getting there early and seeing him always working. And it wasn’t just in front of people — he would do stuff when nobody was there, do stuff when nobody was looking, and that’s stuff that really resonated with me. Nobody has to see you work. You don’t have to validate what you’re doing to anybody. As long as you know and you can look in the mirror and know that you’re prepared and you did everything you could and gave it your all, it’s easy to sleep at night. And I feel like Kobe was the poster child for that.”
Bryant was an undeniable beast in basketball, but his level of commitment can be emulated by players across any sport. Years later, Trayce is still moved by Kobe’s dedication to the game. Mamba mentality continues to live on.
