7. From #8 to #24: What Kobe Can Teach Us About Change

We all reach points in our lives where we want a change in our lives. That might be something dramatic and high stakes like a career change, health transformation, personal development  or something less impactful, but at the time just as important, like trying out a new taste in fashion or buying an expensive car.

Kobe Bryant had an exceptional career and is without a doubt an all-time great. While not everything about him is good aspirational, there is one aspect of him that I admire as much as any other. What many don’t know about Kobe is that he went through an enormous transformation during his career and personal life.

In 1996 the now world renowned, late Bryant was selected by the basketball team the Los Angeles Lakers. He had worn the numbers 24 and 33 throughout his youth but they were unavailable, so he wore the number 8. He was known as an explosive player, frequently driving to the basket and dunking the ball. He won 3 NBA championships and a regular in the All Star game in the first 10 years of his career. This alone would have been enough to secure him a place in the NBA Hall of Fame.

However, the next five years of his career he failed to match that output, winning no further championships, being branded ‘uncoachable’ by his former coach and facing controversy in his personal life.

In the 2005-06 season, by this point B a 10 year veteran, his former coach returned and the transformation began. Kobe scored a career high 81 points in a single game, showing the rewards for him gradually evolving his game to create more shots outside the 3-point line. He decided that the following season he would change his number from 8 to 24.

He became an even more complete player, at one point scoring 50+ points in three consecutive matches. He knew the importance of fruitful relationships, allegedly orchestrating the arrival and return of some key Lakers staff and departure of others. Ultimately, he went on to secure two further NBA championships and played for a total of 20 years in the NBA.

While he never managed to reach or surpass Michael Jordan’s 6 NBA championships, Kobe will go down in history as one of the greatest basketball players of all time with two Hall of Fame worthy careers as the number 8 and number 24 of the Los Angeles Lakers

There are many lessons we can learn from Kobe when it comes to evolving as a person.

Move on from your past

A large part of Bryant changing his number was his number 8 being linked to an accusation against him and then being immortalised in a popular song at the time. He recognised the need to move on from elements of his past he was undoubtedly not proud of and embrace growing as a person. He said of his change "Physical attributes aren't there the way they used to be, but the maturity level is greater, Marriage, kids. Start having a broader perspective being one of the older guys on the team now, as opposed to being the youngest. Things evolve."

All of us make mistakes and live with shame and regret of our past choices. However, if you want to move on from them it is important to recognise them and make a conscious choice to become a new, better person.

Curate relationships

While there was friction between Kobe and his former head coach, Phil Jackson, he recognised his talents and the fact that he could achieve more working with him. Likewise, he knew that the Lakers organisation were better with Jerry West as General Manager so orchestrated his return. Likewise, he pushed for some players he valued to join the team and those he didn’t feel contributed to efforts, leveraged to have them moved on.

While it can sometimes seem challenging or unkind to change or, in extreme cases, end relationships in our life, if you want to grow and develop as people it is important to look at those around you and consider whether they enrich your life or impair our lives.

The saying you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with is true. For example, a Harvard study found that if your friends are obese, there is a 57% increase in the likelihood of you becoming obese. Now I’m not saying don’t be friends with people obese and obviously there is an argument for correlation as opposed to causation. However, if you spend time with people who love hiking, you are probably going to hike more. Likewise, if you spend time with people who always complain, you are probably going to complain more.

On top of that, consider the energy used and distraction caused by some relationships. If you are constantly feeling bad after seeing someone or constantly having someone interrupt your life with negativity, the chances of this incredible change or achieving greatness are drastically decreased. This is time and energy you could be practising mental fortitude or developing your life.

Look and act the part

The old Kobe had a short afro and wore the number 8 Jersey. The new, improved, mature Kobe wearing the number 24 had a shaved head. He had no time to worry about styling his hair. He looked and was all business!

During my health transformation I felt like a fraud. I wasn’t a healthy person. Rather than just giving up I decided to fake it until I make it. I started thinking I could act how a healthy person would act, do what a healthy person would do and even wear what a healthy person would wear. You know what happened? I became substantially healthier.

If you don’t feel like you are what or who you want to be, maybe you’re suffering from imposter syndrome, just act like the person you want to be. If you do it long and consistently enough, I guarantee you will become that person.

When in doubt, I think to myself ‘wear the new number and you can be a new man’. I chant to myself, usually in my head, sometimes out loud: “I am a healthy person who makes healthy decisions.” This helps me at least live pretending to be a healthy person because I know the difference between pretending and being is very very minimal.

This goes for everything. If you’re starting a new company, maybe you are becoming an interior designer, don’t say “Well I work in admin but I want to be an interior designer.” Tell people “ I am an interior designer.” Firstly, you’re far more likely to get clients as an interior designer than someone who wants to become one. Secondly, there is power in our words. If you commit to saying something out loud you will gradually change and become that thing. If your dream is to retire at 60 and travel the world, tell people that is what you’re doing.

Reach for the stars

"That's why he went 24, that was a shot at Mike, straight up, like, I'm better than you. It really stood on it. And if you look at every goal or every record that Mike Jordan has had, Kobe chased it." Kevin Garnett.

According to Garnett, the other motivation for Bryant to change his number was that he was aiming for the top. Michael Jordan, generally regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, famously wore the 23 kit for the Chicago Bulls. Kobe didn’t just want to be the greatest player of his generation. He wanted to be the greatest player so he made a statement to himself declaring that.

There’s that really cheesy phrase ‘aim for the moon and if you miss you’ll land among the stars’. It makes me sick. I am not a motivational poster person.

However, I do agree with the general sentiment of it. When making goals, aim really really big! If you aim to lose a few pounds, if you don’t quite get it you will either lose no weight or worse, put weight on. If you aim to lose 30 pounds and only lose 25, that’s still one hell of an achievement. If you want to save up for a Ferrari and don’t quite get enough, you’ll still be able to afford a really nice car (Sorry, I’m not a car person…).

The point is, people with big ambitions will get big results. People with small ambitions tend to get small or no results.

Who are you going to become?

Image: https://lakersnation.com/nba-players-who-changed-nos-8-24-jerseys-to-honor-kobe-bryant/