Ex-Lakers trainer Gary Vitti on Kobe Bryant getting waterboarded by Navy SEALs: "He wanted to see what the big deal was"

One of the primary reasons the late, great Kobe Bryant was so frequently likened to Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan was his intense, almost fanatical devotion to competition and meticulous preparation for it. The man was simply relentless in finding ways to get the slightest edge over his opponents. And once he got an inch, he never hesitated to take a mile.

According to former Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, who worked with Bryant from the time he arrived in Tinseltown to his last day donning the purple and gold, this was what truly separated him from his contemporaries.

In fact, Kobe didn't hesitate to train with the Navy SEALs and went as far as to allow himself to be waterboarded to see if he had the mental fortitude to withstand it.

A brutal torture method

Waterboarding is an interrogation technique wherein someone would be tied down and have a piece of cloth placed over their face. Water would then be poured on the fabric, thereby simulating the feeling of drowning.

Vitti revealed on "Byron Scott's Fast Break" that Bryant willingly underwent this brutal torture method just for kicks.

"Little-known fact: he told me that he got waterboarded because he wanted to see what the big deal was," Vitti said. "He was hanging out with some Navy SEALs and he got waterboarded… He let them do that to him… by choice."

Vitti explained that in Bryant's mind, it was nothing more than just a drill on the basketball court. The only difference was that it wasn't on any hardwood floor, and it required considerable mental strength to overcome.

"It was like a mental exercise for him. Okay? He knew he wasn't going to drown. He knew that none of those guys drowned that they did that to. Okay? So, can you handle it or not?" Vitti remarked.

What separated Kobe from the pack

Vitti understands why everyone looked at Bryant as if he were a basketball god who had decided to spend his days mingling with mortals. He routinely made the improbable look easy and achieved things in his career that will forever be remembered.

That said, Vitti never saw Bryant as God-like.

"Everybody that looks at Kobe looks at him as this talented, unbelievable, one of the greatest basketball players that has ever lived. And I get that. But if you looked at Kobe through my eyes, okay, you don't actually see that," he shared. "Was he big? Yeah. Compared to me, he was big, but by NBA standards, he wasn't that big."

"Was he quick? Yeah. Was he fast? Yeah. But by NBA standards. Could he jump? Sure. But he didn't have like a 42-inch vertical. It wasn't Zach LaVine or, you know what I mean, right? One of these high flyers. He wasn't that. He wasn't any of those things," Vitti added.

Gary added that Kobe was one of the hardest-working players he had ever trained. But then again, many NBA athletes grind each day without ever reaching the heights of NBA glory that Kobe reached.

What was Bryant's secret? According to Vitty, his combination of diligence and intelligence.

"Kobe's an extremely intelligent guy. Everything about him was calculated, almost choreographed, before he went out there. Because he learned from not only his mistakes, mistakes of others," Vitti explained.

Bryant didn't just perform drills for the sake of completion; he practiced with meticulous intent, honing every detail to ensure that his efforts translated directly into game-time execution.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.