Bird, who had to retire early, admitted Bryant’s resilience to keep playing through injuries made him admire him even more.

Kobe Bryant didn’t have the best finishing seasons in the NBA. Constant injuries disturbed him—a torn Achilles, fractured kneecap, ruptured rotator cuff, and a host of other wounds. The wear and tear of nearly two decades in the league caught up with him, yet KB refused to go down quietly.

But what he did was keep playing. “The Black Mamba” gave blood and sweat to the game even when his body was failing him. Unlike many superstars who would have slowed down or taken extended breaks, Kobe embraced the pain and continued to compete at the highest level.

Bryant’s mentality

By 1992, Larry Bird’s body had given up on him. Unlike Bryant, Bird, at 35 years old, didn’t have the option to push through anymore. His injuries forced him into retirement earlier than he wanted. Even with the pain, Larry finished his career as one of the greatest players ever, but he always admired those who could keep playing through the kind of injuries that ended his own career.

“Kobe is one of the toughest human beings I’ve ever seen,” Bird said. “Because I know what he’s been through, and he’s played a hell of a lot more minutes. And he’s finally figured out, ‘I’m going to get hurt, I’m just going to play through it.’ That’s the mentality of a great player.”

Bryant’s Achilles tear in 2013 was a defining moment. Playing against the Golden State Warriors, instead of collapsing in pain or leaving immediately, he walked to the free-throw line and drained both shots before limping off the court. That’s how much basketball meant to KB. That injury alone could have ended his career, but he rehabbed relentlessly, determined to return. Even after suffering additional injuries in his final years, Kobe never allowed himself to be reduced to a mere spectator.

Bryant had spent years battling pain. From a torn rotator cuff in 2015 that forced him to shoot left-handed to nagging knee issues that limited his mobility, Bean refused to sit out. The 2012-13 season was particularly brutal. Playing heavy minutes for a struggling Lakers squad, Kobe pushed himself beyond physical limits—until his body finally gave out, leading to that devastating Achilles injury.

That was the “Mamba Mentality.” As long as he could still walk, he would play. But there was only so much even Kobe could endure. By the time he suffered his ACL injury, his body had given all it could. Bryant still managed to come back and play until 2016, when he finally called it quits.

Bird’s injury woes

Larry didn’t get the chance to push through injuries for long. His body forced him into an earlier-than-expected retirement. The Boston icon’s troubles began in the late ’80s when he started experiencing chronic back pain. Bird played through excruciating pain during the legendary 1992 “Dream Team” Olympics run — sometimes lying flat on the floor during breaks just to get relief.

The chronic back issues of “The Hick from French Lick” made every game an uphill battle. Despite the medical efforts, his body kept deteriorating, and Bird reached a point where his body wouldn’t let him continue.

Ultimately, he retired at just 35 years old. Had his body held up, Larry would have probably played many more seasons like his peers. Bird, the last player to win three consecutive MVP awards, had to walk away before he wanted to, while Bryant kept going even when his body begged him to stop. But in the eyes of the Celtics legend, both shared an elite mentality — the willingness to sacrifice everything for the game.