clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Kobe Bryant used cheetah tail as inspiration for fadeaway jumper

Kobe Bryant's leg is a cheetah tail. Sorta.

Lakers social media and more

Watching Kobe Bryant sink fadeaway jumpers on a nightly basis has been a privilege for Lakers fans for years. How has been able to hone this aspect of his game? By drawing inspiration from cheetah tails, of course.

Kobe recently sat down with Arianna Huffington and Philip Galanes of the New York Times in Santa Ana and revealed this perfectly-Kobe tidbit about his fadeaway jumper (h/t Holly MacKenzie):

Exactly. I'll give you an example. When you watch me shoot my fadeaway jumper, you'll notice my leg is always extended. I had problems making that shot in the past. It's tough. So one day I'm watching the Discovery Channel and see a cheetah hunting. When the cheetah runs, its tail always gives it balance, even if it's cutting a sharp angle. And that's when I was like: My leg could be the tail, right?

AH: That's amazing.

KB: Inspiration surrounds us.

Of course Kobe, of course.

Kobetail1_medium

Hunting-cheetah_medium

Excuse for posting a fadeaway compilation? You better believe it.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Silver Screen & Roll Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of Los Angeles Lakers news from Silver Screen & Roll