Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber draws inspiration from Kobe Bryant and Max Verstappen as he looks to bounce back from injury hell
Jurrien Timber says he has been inspired by “great winners” Kobe Bryant and Max Verstappen in his football career.
The Dutch defender only played three games with Arsenal following his £34million move from Ajax last summer, when he was forced off midway through his Premier League debut with a cruciate ligament tear.
He finally made his second league appearance for the Gunners on the final day of last season against Everton, and now, he is preparing to begin his career at the Emirates next month.
As well as crediting Arsenal for helping him overcome his injury, Timber revealed he also looked to stars outside of football for inspiration, with his most recent posts featuring quotes from the basketball legend. Kobe Bryant and Formula 1 star Max Verstappen.
Asked if he sees the two big names in the sport as role models, Timber smiled and said: “Yeah, I like to look at winners. In the NBA you see them a lot.
“For example, Max Verstappen too, you see his interviews after (the races) and he is a great winner.
“I love seeing that and seeing his comments after things that happen after a race, you know?”
Verstappen exchanged angry radio messages after his defeat at the Hungarian Grand Prix after his collision with Lewis Hamilton and then used a two-word slur to respond to critics of his behavior.
Losing will have been an unusual feeling for the Red Bull driver who has won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles.
Meanwhile, Bryant, who tragically passed away in 2020, won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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He won two gold medals with Team USA in basketball in 2008 and 2012 and inspired millions, including tennis. Superstar Novak Djokovic.
This season, Arsenal will be hoping to win their own trophy in their third attempt at winning the Premier League title after losing it to Manchester City for the last two seasons.
And after watching from the sidelines last quarter, Timber is more than ready for the challenge.
Asked if Arsenal can adopt the winning mentality of Bryant and Verstappen, he said: “Yes, definitely. I think we have it quite a bit already.”
“We already have a lot of leaders and winners in the group, but I think it's always good to add (more).”
