Los Angeles Lakers fans probably never thought they would see the day when Kobe Bryant is helping the Boston Celtics with their quest for an NBA title, but here we are.
Bryant, who has developed a reputation for mentoring younger players since his retirement, recently reached out to Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas.
Having lost his sister in a car accident, Thomas was playing with a heavy heart. Meanwhile on the court, the Celtics had fallen behind 2-0 in their first round series with the Chicago Bulls.
Per the Boston Herald:
It came at a tough time on the floor, with the Celtics having dropped their first two games at home in the first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. Thomas had been jammed in the paint and blitzed outside. Bryant focused on the problem.
“How they were playing defense,” Thomas said yesterday, before deflecting further inquiry into the particulars. “I’m not going to give you any (details). I’m not going to tell you his secrets. He wouldn’t want me to do that. Mentally, he’s on a different level than anybody I’ve ever met. We were on the phone for 30 minutes.
“I emailed him my film and he watched every second of it. He was telling me what times to go to and what to look at, just certain plays and things I didn’t look at when I watched film. Like I said, mentally you could tell he’s one of the greatest ever.”
Since receiving Bryant's advice, Thomas has led the Celtics to six straight playoff wins -- rattling off a historic 53-point performance in the process.
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