04/25/24
April 16, 2011
Kobe Bryant Meets His Hero: This week Kobe Bryant was starstruck in a chance meeting with Rudy Ruettiger, the inspiration for the 1993 film Rudy. Bryant said he's watched the Notre Dame football film hundreds of times since seeing it first as a high school sophomore. "You want to meet the person who's had the biggest influence on my life?" Bryant said. "That's Rudy. The real Rudy Ruettiger. ... When I saw it I told myself if I can play as hard as Rudy with the talent I have, anything's possible."
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:32 AM - 5 comments
Oddly, that movie didn't have the same effect on me. It was closer to "great movie, I think I'll take a nap now."
posted by bperk at 10:44 AM on April 16, 2011
This says a lot about why Bryant is so good, and why he's never let up his work ethic after any of his NBA accomplishments. He's the anti-JaMarcus Russell.
The film I watched too many times was Bad Influence. It kept coming up on cable and I couldn't resist.
posted by rcade at 11:07 AM on April 16, 2011
Rudy was offsides.
posted by mayerkyl at 11:00 AM on April 18, 2011
I understand that Kobe's first words upon meeting Rudy were to call him a fluffy frog.
posted by THX-1138 at 03:45 PM on April 19, 2011
It is a great movie. Hopefully we won't have to have several posts about how certain parts of the film were not factual. If it's a film that can influence a athlete at the level of Kobe Bryant, then that seems to be a pretty good testimonial.