Kobe improved his fade-away after watching a cheetah hunt, 'Inspiration surrounds us'

Kobe Bryant has been getting more open and philosophical as he enters the later stages of his career, but a far-reaching and somewhat strange interview in The New York Times published on Friday shows that Bryant has been a deep spirit for a long time.

The interview, conducted by Philip Gaines and also including Arianna Huffington as a subject, focused on the drive necessary to succeed in life. Bryant spoke about life as the son of a professional basketball player, his journey to NBA stardom, and what he's found to be paramount to his success.

Bryant talked about valuing the process of becoming a champion, "the journey to get there," as he put it, and highlighted the importance of meditation in his own professional life.

"It’s crazy to me that meditation is viewed as hokey," Bryant said. "Just look at the people who’ve done phenomenal things. Do they meditate? Absolutely."

Of course, you won't be taking any of that with you, because Bryant dropped a fantastic quote that's sure to be your lone takeaway:

I’ll give you an example. When you watch me shoot my fadeaway jumper, you’ll notice my leg is always extended. I had problems making that shot in the past. It’s tough. So one day I’m watching the Discovery Channel and see a cheetah hunting. When the cheetah runs, its tail always gives it balance, even if it’s cutting a sharp angle. And that’s when I was like: My leg could be the tail, right?

Inspiration surrounds us.

For reference, here's a video of a cheetah hunting, and you can see how the tail movement can help with high-speed balance, as Bryant noted:

And now, here's footage of Bryant's fadeaway jumper, without a tail but with strategic placement of his legs after takeoff:

The lesson, as always: it's never a bad idea to fire up the Discovery Channel.