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Chris Bosh Shares Epic Kobe Bryant Story From 2008 Redeem Team

Team USA’s 2008 Olympics Team the ‘Redeem Team’ was one of the best basketball teams assembled in the history of the sport. 

During his incredible Hall of Fame speech (seriously, watch the whole thing if you have the time, it’s amazing), Chris Bosh shared an epic Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality story from that time, and revealed what he learned from it.

“It was 2008, the Redeem Team was formed and we were in Vegas for the start of training camp and we’re getting ready for the Olympics in Beijing. I wanted to establish myself as a young leader on the team by waking up bright and early.

Day 1; so the goal was to be the first one at breakfast. I set my alarm, I make sure I’m up by sunrise, I get out of bed, put on my gear and I head downstairs… But when I get there, Kobe’s already there… with ice packs on his knees, drenched in sweat. It took me a minute to figure it out, but this guy wasn’t only awake before me, he had already worked out. He had just played in the Finals days earlier. Meanwhile, I had been off for months and I was still exhausted. What he had done that morning was incomprehensible to me. That dedication he had only days after falling short of an NBA championship. That taught me I’ve never forgotten: legends aren’t defined by their successes, they’re defined by how they bounce back from their failures.”