They really thought they were ready for Kobe Bryant. They were not ready. Kobe Bryant was already a problem before he ever set foot in an NBA arena. While most high school kids were worried about getting recruited or just surviving varsity, Kobe was out here playing at a level that genuinely didn’t belong in that gym. You could see exactly who he was going to become just by watching him move, and the poor defenders who had to guard him probably still have nightmares about it. This is what separates the all-timers from everyone else. It was never just about the work ethic or the skill — it was about the fact that Kobe was operating with a different operating system than every other player on the floor since the very beginning.