Bryant told the story of playing summer basketball in the Philadelphia area. He would often get top defenders guarding him, yet some of them would do their defensive slides with their arms still and down below their waist.
"They thought it looked cool," Bryant said. "It wasn't cool when I was shooting the ball in their face."
Bryant has become a lockdown defender in part because he never lets his opponent get comfortable. One of the best ways to do that is to keep good lower-body form when sliding, but also make sure your hands are a nuisance to the ball-handler.
"You have to keep your hands active, all the time," Bryant said. "Up, down, side to side, jabbing at the ball.