Lakers G Kobe Bryant in a new Nike spot airing exclusively in China "explains his work ethic and process to kids at a basketball camp," according to Sean Highkin of USA TODAY. Bryant recently "took part in Nike Basketball’s Chinese tour, during which he gave campers pointers." In the ad, he explains "everything from preventing late-game turnovers to cutting at sharp angles" (USATODAY.com, 8/11). SPORTING NEWS' Kami Mattioli noted Bryant during the tour "woke his players up in the middle of the night for a 4 a.m. practice to teach them a thing or two about mental toughness, and Nike turned the experience into a Mamba narrative" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 8/11). Bryant in the spot says, "I think being up at 4:00 a.m. adds to the mental toughness. You start thinking, ‘Maybe this morning I don’t have to ... I can just shut the alarm off.’ That’s really challenging you mentally, having to get up and get out there and perform. That’s why I do it.” SI.com's Ben Golliver notes the spot "wraps with a return to the mind games, sounding like a Zenmaster-in-training" (SI.com, 8/12).
