Kobe Bryant: Browns Star Jarvis Landry Credits Lakers Legend's Death for Inspiring Him to Take Health Seriously

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry underwent hip surgery on Feb. 4 in order to remove two pieces of bone from the labrum in his left hip. This was by no means a necessary procedure, but the veteran opted for it after something changed his priorities. Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Bryant's visit with the Browns on Dec. 14 made a huge impression on Landry. Having the NBA icon die a month later had an even bigger impact.

"Kobe Bryant dies the same day and I stayed up that night until about 3, 4 o'clock in the morning and I'm watching his story, watching his legacy, watching all of his documentaries and it just hit me," Landry said during an interview on his YouTube channel. "I had this talk with myself like 'Jarvis you're hurt. You can't fake this. You can't keep trying to be tough for everybody else. You're hurt.'

"And from that point, I started thinking about, 'All right, do I play another season hurt and my production goes down? Do I play another season and I'm not the same person? Do I play another season and I hurt something else?'

"All these thoughts kind of came just from watching how short life is and how a legend was taken from us in a time when it was unexpected for everybody. I guess it's kind of crazy to say that that's what made me get the surgery, but it's something that triggered something inside of me to have that self-reflection and be like, 'Man, you need the surgery.'"

As Landry explained, he woke up the next morning to call his agent and inform him of his decision. He then called Dr. Chris Larson, his Minnesota surgeon. The Browns receiver knew that the recovery time for the procedure was six to eight months, and he didn't want to miss the beginning of the regular season.

Landry has never missed a game during his six-year NFL career, and he doesn't plan on ending that streak anytime soon. Former Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas achieved this in 10 of his 11 seasons, and Landry wants to do the same.

"It's something I wanted to accomplish. It's important. It's part of the legacy," Landry said. "You can talk about the numbers and all of that, but to be available all the time, not a lot of guys can say that in their career.'"

Following Bryant's death, Landry has changed his priorities. He didn't initially want to deal with the headaches of surgery, but the Mamba Mentality changed his mind.

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