Carter Bryant’s offseason sounded less like a normal summer tune-up and more like a full-blown grind.
The San Antonio Spurs forward said he leaned hard into a Kobe Bryant-style approach as he worked to take a jump in his second year, piling on early mornings, double sessions, and a shooting volume that borders on outrageous. In a media conference, Bryant laid out the schedule himself.
“My first workout was four in the morning, then I was going at seven, come back home, go back to work out about three to four o'clock, and then I'll go shoot in the evening,” said Bryant.
He also made clear where the inspiration came from.
Carter Bryant would make 1000 shots a day over Summer:
— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) October 15, 2026
“My first workout was 4 in the morning, then I was going at 7, come back home, go back to workout about 3-4 o’clock and then I’ll go shoot in the evening.”
What motivated him? “I was a Kobe Bryant guy.”#GoSpursGo #PorVida pic.twitter.com/sDqFvKong6
“I was a Kobe Bryant guy.”
That connection makes sense. The younger Bryant grew up in California, and Kobe Bryant’s reputation for relentless offseason work has long loomed over the league. The late legend became synonymous with dawn workouts, endless shooting, strength work, film study, and the kind of obsession that fed the “Mamba Mentality.”
Carter Bryant is trying to turn that mindset into production after a rookie season that showed flashes. His energy and athleticism stood out, but he knows the learning curve is still steep, and the 20-year-old understands there’s plenty to sharpen.
He played 71 games off the bench last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes a night, and he helped the Spurs reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Drafted out of Arizona with the No. 14 pick, Bryant is expected to remain part of the second unit, where he’ll work alongside Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, Harrison Barnes, and Tobias Harris.
San Antonio will wrap up its preseason on Friday against the Sacramento Kings.
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Spurs May Have Found An Early Answer Behind Wembanyama
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Devin Vassell has already noticed, and that matters for a young player trying to carve out a role before the games count. Reed appears to have the edge right now for the third big-man spot, especially with fellow rookie Jayden Quaintance still coming back from a knee procedure, but the Spurs will still have to decide how much of that preseason momentum turns into real minutes once the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]