Can Kobe Bryant and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” show the Los Angeles Chargers how to win?
Retired Los Angeles Lakers star Bryant addressed the team at a meeting, telling players of the importance of “staying in the moment” and how the 1970 novella “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” was the first book recommended to him
“If I miss a shot, I can’t carry it over to the next shot,” said Bryant, who missed a record 14,481 shots during his 20-season NBA career, according to the website Basketball-Reference.com. Bryant made 11,719 shots, fifth-most all-time.
“As an athlete, if you become conscious of your struggles you’re done. You have to forget about what’s happened and stay in the moment.”
At the first day of training camp Saturday, Bryant explained that “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” was about a seagull who wanted to fly, despite being shunned by the other seagulls.
“If you are on the path to do something great that you believe in, there will be others that will be jealous of you or resent you for it,” Bryant said. “After you prove you can do it, there’s resentment and jealousy because you’ve done it.”
Outside linebacker Kyle Emanuel tweeted, “Best first meeting ever. My favorite athlete of all time made a surprise appearance.”
The Chargers in their last season in SanDiego in 2016 before the move to Los Angeles had a losing 5-11 record. The year before the team won four and lost 12. The last winning season was in 2014 with a 9-7 record.
The Los Angeles Chargers will conduct their first training camp practice of 2017 Sunday in Costa Mesa with no seating passes for the grandstand bleachers at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex remaining.
Fans without passes can stand to watch the planned two-hour practice, which is set to begin at 10 a.m. Admission is free. Gates will open at 9 a.m.
Fans will have the opportunity to high five the players from 9-10 a.m. as they walk onto the field.
Passes for the grandstand bleachers remain available for 11 of the other 12 practices at the complex open to the public, including Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, all set to run from 10 a.m.-noon. Reservations can be made at chargers.com/schedule/training-camp-schedule
Fans may bring their own food, water and soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages may not be brought into the sports complex. Food and beverages are available for purchase from food trucks. Smoking is not allowed at Chargers training camp.
Fans may bring personal cameras and cellphones, but video cameras and telephoto lenses longer than six inches, detachable or non-detachable, are not allowed.
Other items not permitted include pets, other than service animals, weapons of any kind, water guns, fireworks, flying discs, sports balls, beach balls or other inflatable objects, laser pointers, flammable objects, musical instruments or noise-making devices. Click here for more information about Chargers Training Camp.
Parking is available for $10 at the OC Fair & Event Center, which also covers parking for the OC Fair.
Receiver Mike Williams, the Chargers first-round choice in April’s NFL draft, will not practice because of a back injury. Williams last was on the field May 12, the first day of rookie minicamp.
Williams was among three players the Chargers placed on the physically unable to perform list Saturday along with cornerback Jason Verrett and safety Darrell Stuckey, who have both played in the Pro Bowl.
Verrett was sidelined for the final 12 games of the 2016 season because of a partially torn ACL he was unable to pinpoint when it occurred. Stuckey suffered a knee injury in Chargers final game of the 2016 season.
Verrett was the Chargers Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and played in the Pro Bowl following the season. Stuckey was the Chargers Special Teams Player of the Year in 2013, 2015 and 2016 and played in the Pro Bowl following the 2014 season.
Players on the physically unable to perform list count against the 90- player roster limit. They can be activated any time.
–City News Service