[h1]Practicing with Kobe[/h1]
by
Mike Trudell
Lakers Reporter
Posted: Oct 15, 2014
What's it like guarding Kobe Bryant?
What kind of advice does one of the greatest to ever play basketball give to a player that grew up idolizing him?
Bryant's had scores of teammates in his 19 NBA seasons, and among the newest is Wayne Ellington, with whom we sat down after Wednesday's practice to dig deeper into what Kobe's like on the practice court.
Below is a transcription of the conversation:
MT: What's it been like playing with Kobe?
Ellington: Oh man … He's the best, man. I watched him growing up being from the same area and just following him and playing against him. But being on the same team, you get to see it up close and see the way he works, get to play against him in practice. I think that's really helped me get better every day, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Just learning from him. He's one of the best to ever do it, so a guy in my position to play that position, if you don't pay attention to him and watch him closely you’re not very bright. I've been watching him closely, man. Every little thing he does.
MT: What are some examples of what you’ve seen him do in practice, whether you’re guarding him or on his team?
Ellington: Whether it’s defensively getting guys going, he’ll set the pace. He’ll set the tone. Get up, deny guys, put pressure on the ball. It gets the whole team (going). Or it’s offensively, and guys are getting sped up, he’ll slow down. He’ll read the defense. He’ll pull guys to the side, tell them what he sees. There’s so many things that he does that are unbelievable.
MT: Is there anything specific to your game that you’ve picked up, or asked him about?
Ellington: A lot of footwork. He shows me a lot of footwork stuff. He shows me a lot of stuff on the defensive end of the floor, (defensive) footwork as well. Being able to guard guys better in the post. He showed me some things (about) even posting up; little things like how to take advantage of the way guys are guarding you.
MT: Like?
Ellington: Just as far as the way you use your arm bar when you’re guarding a guy in the post. So when a guy has you like that, you turn around and you face him up fast. You’re looking at his feet. Depending on how his feet are faced, give him an up-fake maybe. If one foot comes up just a little bit, you attack it right away. Or if he stays back, you’ve got the step-back jump shot. It’s crazy to be able to see how he thinks the game while he’s playing it. And he’s not just out there just playing. He’s reading guys, reading the way guys are playing, reading the total defense.
MT: So before he gets the ball in the post, he’s making any number of calculations in his head…
Ellington: All at the same time. He’s reading you before he even gets the ball, and you can know he’s going to get the ball in the short post, but he’s not going to let you get around him. Once you’re behind him, you’re behind him. You’re not going to be able to get back and be able to funnel.
MT: So you’re saying if you’re guarding him, he’s doing that by using his body position?
Ellington: If you’re behind him already, he’s going to feel you and he’s going to keep you behind him. He’s going to keep using his feet and he’s going to use his arms in order to get the ball in the position he wants it.
MT: What happens when you try to fight around it before he does that?
Ellington: Absolutely, you try, but … it’s hard to get around. You’re not really going to get around him. And then when you do get around him, he has a counter for that. So there’s a reason he’s one of the best ever.
MT: Does he talk while he’s doing that to you?
Ellington: Every now and then he’ll talk. But in practice, no, he’s pretty locked in on working on his game and working on what he’s going to do in the game. But when he does things, I’ll always ask him, “Hey, what was that when this play happened? How did you read that?” And he’ll explain it to me. Or sometimes he’ll see me doing it a certain way, and next time he’ll be like, “Hey look, next time you do it, try it this way.” So it’s very helpful.
MT: Kobe has been portrayed as really tough on his teammates, but at least in my time here, he’s had very good relationships in the locker room, and certainly with some of the young guys. How’s it been for you?
Ellington: I didn’t really have any perception of it coming in. Obviously you hear all types of junk, but I’ve met him before and he was the coolest dude in the world. I’m the type of guy (that) doesn’t really listen to what people say. I get to experience it myself.
He’s different with everybody, I believe. He’s not one way with everybody, but so far this year he’s been nothing but helpful to all of us. And he’s trying to teach us. He’s an extension of Coach (Byron Scott), honestly, out there on the floor. This is what, his 19th season? Jeez.
MT: How old were you when Kobe was a rookie in 1996?
Ellington: I was born in 1987, so I was nine. I watched him like a hawk. When you grow up in that area (Philadelphia suburbs), I had a little baby afro (like him) and everything.
MT: There’s a difference between seeing him do something and doing it yourself. How do you apply what he’s taught you to your own game?
Ellington: I’m not Kobe Bryant, so I’m not going to use it the same way he’s using it. I’m not going to be able to score from the same position he’s scoring from. So I gotta use it in different ways. I’m using more: how to defend guys better off of the way he’s teaching me things. Or he’ll teach me little things on how to set guys up off a screen where (the defender) can’t get around it. He can’t go for the easy, little jumper.
MT: What is an example of that?
Ellington: More being patient, especially in our offense. He showed me one trick: He’ll come behind the screen and he’ll just stand there while the play’s over there. He’ll stand behind the screen, and the guy that’s guarding him, he has to either stand there and be in the way of his teammate or he has to go help. … He’ll just stand there and he’ll wait, and you’ve gotta make a decision if you’re going to step up and help. And if you’re gonna step up and help, he’s gonna push his man forward to set a screen. So he’s popping wide open for a jump shot. Or you stay connected to him, and the other guy has the whole floor to play with. It’s little stuff like that.
MT: We’ve heard for so many years about Bryant’s work ethic, but how does it look in person?
Ellington: That’s tough to (explain). You don’t get to see everything that he does, because he does a lot of stuff on his own as well. We’re not around for it. You just kind of take after that. You look at him and you say, “Well, if one of the best players to ever do this — a Hall of Famer, five-time champion — is still continuing to work this hard every day, what am I doing? Why am I not? If he’s going this hard and I’m nowhere near on that level, then I should be going just as hard or harder.” So that’s the kind of mind frame it puts me in.
MT: So you’re saying to yourself, “If a 19-year vet can with his accomplishments can do it, I can’t be taking plays off.”
Ellington Absolutely. He just sets the tone. He sets the bar and he sets it high. As a competitor, you can step it up and take it up a notch as well, or you’re going to be out there looking a little ridiculous. So those are the top things that he brings to the table that are just intangible.
MT: Has there been a memorable moment in practice when you hit a shot over him or something?
Ellington No, I’m not even going to start that (laughs). But there’s been a few times when we’ve been playing — we’ve played 1-on-1 a few times — and that’s gonna happen. That’s the nature of the game. … We play before practice sometimes from the block, and obviously post-ups really aren’t my game, but I’m working on it. If Kobe’s down there playing 1-on-1 and tells me to come, I’m gonna come.
MT: Kobe hasn’t lost many 1-on-1 games in his career. It’s one of the things he’s best at. Have you ever played anybody better?
Ellington: We play from the block, so no. We play on the block: me, him and Julius (Randle). His footwork, man. I haven’t seen it (from anybody else).
MT: So it wasn’t going great for you and Julius, I take it…
Ellington: It was competitive up to a point, then he turned it on. I think he ran off probably like seven straight to win it. In the beginning, we were scoring. We were getting stops. I would score a few, then he’d score a few and Julius would score a few. It got to a point in the game where it was getting towards the end, and he just kind of went on a rampage.
MT: And what does he do after he wins?
Ellington: It’s practice, so: “Good work.” (He) shows us some things. It wasn’t to the point where we’re talking trash or anything like that.
good teammate kobe strikes again
sea manup
already posted it
a part of me is angry at that but the other side tells me that the spot isn't all that shocking since he hasn't played in over a year. Plus his age. ESPN gonna ESPN 
