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"I got 10 fingers" - Young Kobe Bryant on how many NBA championships he was aiming for
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- "I got 10 fingers" - Young Kobe Bryant on how many NBA championships he was aiming for
Breaking into the NBA is tough on its own, but trying to carve out a place for yourself in a franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers - that's a whole different level of pressure.
Now imagine doing it straight out of high school, without any college preparation to prepare you - that's exactly what Kobe Bryant walked into.
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And yet, instead of being overwhelmed, he came in with sky-high expectations for himself.
In fact, in a conversation with Doc Rivers, a young Kobe confidently spoke about chasing multiple championships, even hinting at matching legendary Bill Russell's tally.
Safe to say, it might have sounded unrealistic at the time, but it gave everyone an idea about the mindset the young "Black Mamba" was holding from Day 1.
"Well, I got 10 fingers," Kobe admitted before bursting into laughter. "Might as well try."
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The journey to "FIVE" was hard
Sure, he didn't match Russell's tally, but Kobe's journey to half as many championship rings was nothing less than a movie.
His rookie season was anything but memorable - playing just 15.5 minutes a contest and averaging 7.6 points. To make matters worse, when the time came to make a name for himself in the playoffs against the Utah Jazz , he shot four airballs to decide the fate of his team - elimination.
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Ultimately, it wasn't until his third season that he became a full-time starter, and once he did that, there was no looking back.
Over the next three years, he averaged 25.4 points in the regular season and 25.7 points in the postseason to help the Lakers win three consecutive championships.
Still, he was never seen as the alpha, largely placed in the shadow of Shaquille O'Neal's growing stardom. Even though Kobe earned a nod in the All-NBA, All-Defensive Team in each of those three years, he was never seen as the "alpha."
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Then came the turning out. Many believed that Kobe's demeanor was disruptive to a championship system when Shaq made his move to Miami. To make matters worse, sexual assault allegations further fractured Bryant's reputation.
It was then that he embraced a huge change - switching from No. 8 to No. 24 and in many ways it felt like a new version of him had emerged.
Not only did Bryant go on to lead the league in scoring twice, but he won the league MVP and led his Lakers to back-to-back titles as the Finals MVP, ending all doubts that he needed another All-NBA superstar next to him to beat superteams.
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Kobe did well for himself
Interestingly, what makes his journey even more fascinating is how grounded his original goal was. In that same early interview, Kobe admitted that more than anything, he just wanted the respect of his peers - for them to acknowledge his dedication and game.
"I just want guys to say, 'Man! That guy could play. We saw him grow from 17 years to 20, 25, 30 and you know, he's blossomed into a really good player," Kobe said with an innocent smile.
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It's often that truly legendary players start with the most humble motivations and Bryant's story fits perfectly into that mold.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
