Nobody in the NFL works harder than Maxx Crosby and it’s no secret that the Raiders’ All Pro edge rusher has gained inspiration in his career from the NBA career of Kobe Bryant.
Crosby has a mural of Bryant and Michael Jordan at one end of the gymnasium in his home, with legendary boxers Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali also on the wall.
Crosby has talked in the past about why he idolizes Bryant and Jordan, but he added a detail about their careers that, so far, has paralleled his own.
“If I went to some really good team, contender, went and won a Super Bowl, that would be the greatest thing ever. But in the back of my head, I’m like, I feel like it just wouldn’t feel the same if I did it on another team,” Crosby said on the Glory Daze podcast.
“So that’s why I like Kobe, MJ, guys like that. Those are the guys that are my icons and dudes that I aspire to be like. I want to be here and win here.”
Crosby didn’t mention any players by name, but the drive wouldn’t be far for him to watch an NBA player that didn’t follow the Kobe and Jordan model to winning championships.
If there was ever a time Crosby was going to leave the Raiders (to this point in his career, at least) this year would have been the year. In December, Crosby voiced his frustrations with the organization and where the team seemed to be headed at the time.
Ultimately, Crosby bought into the plan Tom Brady and new head coach Pete Carroll were selling and signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Raiders in early March.
x: @raidersbeat
That’s a true Raider right there!!! Now the RAIDERS need to there job and help him win some CHAMPSHIPS!!
CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! My bad.