The Details: Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant Resting

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are two of the best basketball players of all time. Both of them had the same trainer, Tim Grover. Grover wrote a book, “Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness”, where he writes about what he thinks it takes to be great.

In the book, he explains the habits that made Bryant and Jordan so great. Much of the time, they were relentless and didn’t let the mainstream dictate their process. Some habits were more obvious than others. They trained more intensely than others. They carefully planned their food around games. Bryant flew to the Staples Center by helicopter for every home game to gain an advantage over his opponents.

If you have seen photos of Bryant or Jordan (or watched them play), you’ve probably seen them resting. Growing up watching them play, I noticed they always grabbed their shorts when resting (Bryant and Jordan); this was different from all the other athletes who often rested their hands on their knees.

It turns out that the habit of grabbing the shorts was intentional (discovered from Grover’s book). It reduces pressure on the knees while allowing deep breaths to recover faster.

I love little details that differentiate the best from the rest.