"He knew there was nobody to cheat but himself" - Kobe Bryant corrected a shooting flaw with 100,000 makes after a hand injury

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The stories about Kobe Bryant's legendary work ethic have been retold many times. Yet, there's one account that might have slipped past most fans.

Back in the 1999 preseason, a young Bryant broke the fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand. He missed the first 15 games of the season, but went on to become a massive contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers' title run in 2000.

However, something happened on his way to recovery. Doctors often had to tape his pinkie to his index finger together, but after the injury healed, he noticed the fingers were no longer evenly spaced; they were separated two and two. Bryant could feel that the touch wasn't right, and the rotation of his shot was slightly off.

To correct what was going on, Bryant made 100,000 shots over the summer

Kobe suffered an injury against the Washington Wizards. They ultimately lost that contest, 88-84, as Bryant played 30 minutes and collected 18 points, five rebounds and four steals with zero turnovers.

"He played the rest of the game, didn't realize it was broken until this morning and complained of pain," John Black, a team spokesman, said, per The New York Times.

According to that same game report, somebody's elbow hit Bryant's hand as he went for a rebound. Just like that, the Lakers' championship pursuit was put in jeopardy. Thankfully, Shaquille O'Neal ensured the team did not miss a beat, leading L.A. to a 10-5 record in the games Bryant missed.

With Kobe back the rest of the way, the Lakers went 57-10 and secured the best record in the league. They survived a gritty effort by the Sacramento Kings in the first round, came back to life in the fourth quarter of Game 7 in the WCF against the Portland Trail Blazers and finished the Indiana Pacers in six to get the job done.

Still, Bryant sought perfection and never took the easy way out. Making 100,000 shots over one summer would have required hours and hours in the gym, multiple sessions a day.

"Kobe loved basketball, so he took no shortcuts. He knew there was nobody to cheat but himself," wrote Mike Sager of Esquire.

Related: "I thought it was an injustice the way Phil treated me" - Scottie Pippen once said he won't stay quiet about feeling targeted by Phil Jackson

Bryant came back stronger, and the results spoke for themselves. The summer of 100,000 made shots not only fixed a physiological defect in his hand but also tightened every part of his game. Kobe's production hit new heights as he averaged 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, five assists and 1.7 steals.

At that point in his career, Bryant looked like O'Neal's equal. The Lakers may have won fewer games in the regular season, but when the lights were brightest, they were unstoppable.

Los Angeles tore through the playoffs with a 15-1 record, one of the most dominant postseason runs in NBA history. At one point, they went an entire month without losing, riding both Kobe's ascension and Shaquille's dominance to back-to-back titles.

That stretch of work told the story. Players usually stop once their game feels restored, but Kobe never aimed for "good enough." Getting the spacing in his fingers and rotation of his shot right was never the finish line. For Bryant, it was the starting point for building something great.