Kips Gymnastics is not the only gym in the world where Kobe Bryant is considered to be one of the best gymnasts.
And while he won’t be competing at the Olympics this summer, his presence on the field is not just a sign of respect.
Bryant, who won the gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics, has said he will not only compete, but dominate.
In an interview with The Associated Press in February, Bryant said: “I will be the best athlete of all time.”
While he has no plans to participate in the Summer Olympics this year, he has already made it clear he will be there at the Games.
“If I can compete, I will,” Bryant said.
“I’m going to be the greatest athlete of them all.”
But the Lakers guard also said he does not think he will ever be as dominant as he once was.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to compete like I used to be,” Bryant told AP.
“It’s just not realistic.
I think I was a lot more physical.
I wasn’t always so explosive.
Now, I’m a little more of a smart player, I think.”
The comments come as Kobe prepares to compete at the London Olympics for the first time.
Kobe has been working with his trainer, David Kips, who is also his personal trainer.
“This year, I have to be a better player and more confident in my own abilities and in my body,” Kobe said.
Kips said Bryant was “the only one who really got better” and he thinks that will translate to the Olympics.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Kips told ESPN.
“We’re not going to get to the Olympic level without him.”
Kobe has competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Russia in 2012, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Kobe said he has always taken his role in the sport seriously and that the only way he would compete in London would be if he had to.
“The only way I could be competitive is if I had to,” Kobe told the AP.