After 17 years in the NBA, Kobe Bryant is still one of the best players in the league.

And there's one reason why — his insane work ethic.

Even after going down with a devastating Achilles injury at the end of the 2012-2013 season, Kobe kept working, and now he says he's way ahead of schedule on his recovery. In fact, he says he "shattered" the timetable for recovery from his surgery, and that he should be back for preseason instead of missing games well into the 2013-2014 season.

But that's just Kobe for you.

We picked out our favorite Kobe stories that illustrate just how hard he works.

They include marathon workouts, playing teammates to 100 after practice, and refusing to eat the junk food he loves the most.