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How much is kobe bryant basketball camp
Kobe Bryant held basketball camp for WNBA players shortly before death
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a true advocate for women’s basketball later in life.
The sheer fact that Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant is no longer here on Earth still hurts to this very day. What tragically occurred on the foggy morning of January 26 will never make logical sense.
Granted no human being will ever be able to comprehend that sad event, many folks since Bryant’s death have shared how the five-time champion impacted them. A recent story published by Bruno Manrique of ClutchPoints further proves how incredibly lucky we were to have Kobe.
Post his 20 years of excellence in the NBA, Kobe Bryant did not just lay back and sip on pi͍ña Coladas all day long. While no one would have questioned him even if he did opt to relax, the Black Mamba became just as renowned for what he did after basketball than what he did on the court. That is saying something.
One of the realms where Bryant’s weighty influence extended to was women’s basketball. It was actually quite interesting because after Kobe called it a career in 2016, basketball was not as prominent in his life as it had once been.
Certainly, it does not suggest he was not doing anything following his illustrious NBA career. For example, the legendary athlete became attached to another passion that he excelled at, believe it or not: storytelling.
As a matter of fact, Bryant went on to claim an Oscar for the Best Animated Short Film in 2018. It was based upon a tear-jerking poem he composed in 2015, not too long after he announced his retirement from the game.
It proved that the iconic figure was not just a one-trick pony who was only capable of swishing a spherical object into a basket. Contrarily, he was much more than that. Heck, the man did not stop there with writing and went on to assemble books such as The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
While Kobe Bryant dabbled in other areas post-basketball, there came a stage where his involvement in hoops picked up steam again. A lot of that push was not self-derived, though. It came from having a daughter whose curious nature corresponded with his very own. Like father, like daughter.
Kobe’s second eldest daughter, Gianna, who was unfortunately also involved in the devastating crash, was the one who possessed the inquisitiveness. She had the intrinsic desire to follow in the footsteps of her papa and perhaps one day join the WNBA.
Gianna called upon Kobe for wisdom on hoops and he reciprocated without hesitation. The primary way he did this for his daughter was by coaching her at the Mamba Sports Academy he founded. In doing so, he was passing the torch in a sense to her whilst also sharing his wealth of knowledge with the next generation of ballers.
It demonstrated not only his natural love toward her as a father. However, it implied that he was in support of her dream and likewise the dreams of many.
In addition to coaching, seeing him and Gianna courtside at Staples Center became a treat for Lakers fans. It was another way for the latter to get close to the action and absorb particles of wisdom from sensei.
In other words, Bryant grasped the bigger picture. He understood his aura in formerly being in the league for so long and knew his job was not finished. Sure, he was maybe never going to play again but just by being there for those who needed a voice they could not provide, Kobe followed through like the champion he was.
To transition back to Manrique, boy, did Bryant follow through? He did so much to push the game forward and inspire. On account of being there for his daughter, it is perhaps no surprise he was there for other women as well.
Per that same article (originally via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic), Bryant executed a basketball camp for WNBA players from Jan. 13-15 of this very year at his facility. Needless to say, that very camp was orchestrated shortly before that fateful helicopter wreck.
Of course, this was not the first time the 2008 MVP chose to help other professionals at their craft. Be that as it may, Kobe is usually remembered for the private workouts he conducted with NBA players. Thus, in intentionally choosing this route, it revealed another side of him.
Despite the rough, fiery exterior many got used to seeing in his playing days, this showed a softer patch in his heart. He truly cared about using his otherworldly gifts to help others as much as he could.
Per Manrique’s transcription, Kobe Bryant himself admitted last autumn that the idea of holding a women’s camp was intriguing. If he could help NBA players, doing the same for women seemed to be the only reasonable option.
“How can we do a men’s camp and not a women’s one?” Bryant told the Mamba Academy staff in the fall, shortly after the NBA camp.
Putting his words into action unveiled his appreciation for women’s sports and how far they have come along. Kobe Bryant had the desire to instill his uncanny drive into women and hopefully enable them to become better than they already were.
A couple participants in the camp commented on the experience and what it meant to them.
“Finding the little details on how to be better on the court,” said Chelsea Gray. “The small details make the difference. How to be better in those moments. Anyone can make a fadeaway shot, but how do you get your shot off in the fourth quarter when they know you’re going to shoot it? Those little details are what made him great.”
“As professionals, we do the same thing over and over,” added Kayla McBride. “He wanted you to take it to another level.”
Gray brought up a particularly key point about Bryant. The Lower Merion High School product was beyond obsessive about the nuances of the game. He wanted to win so badly every time and it manifested itself in a way that was impossible to not notice.
On that note, it is special that he used some of his time post his NBA career to share what made him great. It is especially noteworthy that he invested time for female athletes, for they are not generally given the same attention by the media. It is sad to say, but true.
Therefore, Bryant’s attitude in this department showed that he was not afraid to stand out from the crowd. Not many would have had the willingness to go as far as to do this. And even for some of those who had that willingness, excuses may have suddenly come to light when it came to following through. Excuses were not in the vernacular of the skilled shooting guard.
Kobe Bryant being okay with being a teacher of sorts is a testament to his robust legacy. It says a lot about what he did in the few years he had subsequent to his time with the Lakers. Without a doubt, he made the most of that time and spent a good deal of it focused on the success of others.
Kobe Bryant’s Impact on After-School All-Stars – After School All Stars
By Matthew Kredell
As the world remembers Kobe Bryant the basketball great, ferocious competitor and global icon, there’s another side of Kobe characterized by his efforts to engage with children and inspire them to put the same passion he did into whatever they pursue in life.
Staff and former students of After-School All-Stars recall the impact Kobe made in more than a decade serving as National Ambassador for the organization, one of the country’s largest providers of free after-school services for students in under-resourced communities.
The legacy left by Kobe Bryant, who died on Sunday, January 26th, 2020, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash on the way to a youth basketball tournament at Mamba Sports Academy, is more than five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals in a soon-to-be Hall of Fame basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
After-School All-Stars representatives will never forget Kobe’s smile, generosity, and unique emotional availability, which enabled him to forge meaningful connections with students.
“Kobe was as much a superstar off the court as he was on it,” said Ben Paul, President and CEO of After-School All-Stars. “For over 12 years, he donated his time, wisdom and resources to the 90,000 All-Star students across the country. What I will remember most about Kobe’s involvement with us as a National Ambassador is how authentically he connected with students when he spent time with them.”
USING HIS SPOTLIGHT TO HELP KIDS In 2007, Ben Paul met Kobe through a mutual friend and showed him the impact being made by After-School All-Stars, which offers tutoring, academic enrichment, athletic programs and mentoring at 468 elementary, middle and high schools across 60 U.S. cities during the critical hours of 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Kobe immediately committed to supporting the students and programs with the same passion he put into his craft.
In addition to school visits, he gave kids scholarships to summer basketball camps, got them tickets to Lakers games, took part in fundraisers, and even sent a group of kids from the Los Angeles chapter to China through a cultural exchange program to gain the international perspective that shaped him growing up.
“One wrong decision in middle school can really impact a life in a negative way, or one good decision can send it down the right path,” Paul said. “Every now and then we meet people who really, truly get it, and Kobe Bryant was one of them.”
Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who founded After-School All-Stars in 1992, thanked Kobe for the example he set for athletes.
“Celebrities and athletes have the opportunity to perform on a huge stage and reach millions of people,” Schwarzenegger said. “That comes with a responsibility to recognize that we aren’t self-made. Whether we are actors or athletes, we got to where we are with a lot of help, and it’s our job to pass that on to the next generation.
“As one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe’s spotlight was brighter than almost anyone’s, and he used it to help millions of kids. For 12 years he was an ambassador for After-School All-Stars, and he used his time and his resources to inspire our 90,000 kids and help build opportunities for them. It wasn’t a celebrity endorsement where he slapped his name on it and walked away. He was hands on, spending time with students and bringing them to his basketball camps and on and on. I couldn’t be more grateful to him for his work on behalf of our students.”
BEYOND LOS ANGELES Kobe didn’t just visit after-school programs in his hometown of Los Angeles. Whenever he saw an opportunity for afternoon downtime on the road in a city served by After-School All-Stars, he set aside fatigue from the grueling NBA schedule to visit schools.
Paul remembers the time Kobe visited a school in Harlem. The moment he arrived, the school erupted with excitement, claps and cheers. As hundreds of kids filled the school gym, Kobe began connecting with them through basketball drills.
Word quickly spread that one of the world’s biggest stars was in town and, despite security doing what they could, 20 minutes after his arrival there were in excess of a thousand people crowding inside the gym.
Seeing the situation getting beyond his control, Paul suggested that Kobe wrap up the session early. But he kept going, setting up an imaginary scenario that it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the clock was winding down and it was up to the kids to steal the ball from him. As he was leaving, Kobe even yelled out for a group photo and a sea of kids engulfed him.
“It really brought together everything about Kobe and the organization and why he was a good fit as an ambassador, because the kids loved him and he loved them,” Paul said. “Having worked with a lot of various athletes and celebrities, he stood out from anyone else I’ve ever met. He would light up around kids. Put most adults in a room full of 12-year-olds and it’s the most terrifying environment you could put them in, but that was where Kobe wanted to be. That was his element.”
IN HIS OWN WORDS In his own words, Kobe described what After-School All-Stars meant to him in 2009:
“This program gives kids an opportunity to be able to expand their horizons and to be able to dream. I think it’s important for our youth to feel supported, to feel like there’s an environment where people care about them, people who will help them and guide them to doing the right thing and pursuing their dream.
“As you get older, you see how many people you can affect and how many lives you can touch and the difference you can make, and it really puts things into perspective. I used to hear it all the time when I was a kid – that you have to stay focused; education is the key – but as a kid it never really sinks in unless you’re put in an environment where all that comes to fruition. So it has to not only be said but it has to be lived, and in this program and this environment it’s lived on a daily basis. That’s why I think this program is so special.”
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CELEBRITY Sean Prospect, executive director of the South Florida chapter of After-School All-Stars, was amazed when Kobe visited in 2008 and took the time to engage individually with each of the 120 students.
“We’ve had different celebrities come through, and usually they talk to the kids as a group, take a couple pictures and leave,” Prospect said. “To my pleasant surprise, when Kobe came he spent hours upon hours interacting with every single kid. He approached that camp the way he approached basketball and everything else. He always held himself to a higher standard.”
Years later, at a Miami Heat game, Prospect saw Kobe when he came to town and thanked him for what he did for the children. He recalls Kobe responding that it was his pleasure, as his passion was helping and guiding youth.
HIS IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD In 2011, Kobe came to After-School All-Stars and proposed a cultural exchange in which Nike and the Kobe Bryant Family Foundation would bring 10 All-Stars to China for two weeks over the summer and ASAS would host 10 students from China.
Having spent some of his formative years in Italy, he wanted the students, many of whom had never before left the state of California, to gain the perspective he did from experiencing another culture and country. The program ran for four years.
Marlen Quintero Perez was a 16-year-old student at Huntington Park College-Ready Academy High when she took part in the 2011 China exchange program.
“To be received in China was a life-changing moment to move out of our spectrum of just being in LA and in our own community, and it was all thanks to Kobe,” Perez said. “He wanted to bridge communities together. I had only ever been to Mexico, with the same people from my community. To go to China and experience a different culture, different food, different people, sparked an interest in me to then continue getting an education.”
Over the course of the trip, the students attended a basketball game with Kobe and a press conference where they had the opportunity to ask him questions, get pictures and autographs. Perez remembers feeling nervous to ask for a photo with him signing her Kobe jersey, but he put her at ease by responding “Fo’ sho, fo’ sho.”
“From seeing him on TV, I thought he’s intense and probably not too talkative, but that day he was completely different,” she said. “It was a very personal experience.”
Now a PhD student at UCLA in the Graduate School of Education, Perez still has the Nike Zoom Kobe VI sneakers she received to wear to China, where she got them autographed. She framed the signed jersey and gave it to her older brother.
Recently, teaching her first class as a part-time lecturer at California State University, Northridge, she asked students to introduce themselves and provide a fun fact. She started, and her fun fact was that she met Kobe three times.
A LASTING IMPACT In addition to the impact he made directly on children in After-School All-Stars, Kobe connected with the organization’s mission and used his platform to raise awareness for the importance of free, comprehensive after-school programs. In television appearances on Entertainment Tonight, ESPN and late-night talk shows, he spoke about the work of After-School All-Stars and emphasized the need for continued federal funding.
“There’s only so much a school day can do to help kids,” Paul said. “We have kids an extra three hours, and if a typical school day is six hours that’s 50% more time. After-school programs are a big part of the holistic education of students, and Kobe got that. ”
Kobe’s work with After-School All-Stars foretold how he would go on to dedicate his time fully to producing inspiring stories for youth after retiring from the NBA, in his Oscar-winning short film Dear Basketball, books and other media.
“Losing Kobe and Gianna was heartbreaking,” Schwarzenegger said. “I can’t stop thinking of his family and all of his fans and the millions – even billions – of kids he inspired.”
WATCH KOBE AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR AFTER-SCHOOL ALL-STARS
24 facts about Kobe Bryant
We talk about perhaps the best player in the history of the league.
We talk about perhaps the best player in the history of the league.
On January 29, 2020, a helicopter crashed in Calabasas carrying the Lakers basketball great with his daughter and seven other passengers. He would have turned 43 this year.
Fact #1
Kobe was the first defenseman in NBA history to be selected directly from high school.
Fact #2
Bryant played his entire career with the Lakers, for a total of 20 years.
Fact #3
He was the youngest player to start on an NBA team.
Fact #4
Kobe Bryant's uncle John "Chubbie" Cox played in the NBA for the Washington Bullets and scored 29 points in the 1982-83 season.
Fact #5
His rare name "Kobe" is inspired by the Japanese beef steak his father adored.
Fact #6
The Lakers legend had Kobe Bryant on his passport, but his full name was Kobe Bean Bryant. "Bean" is short for his father's nickname "Jellybean". That is why some translators may turn his name into "beef and beans".
Fact #7
Kobe's father, professional basketball player Joe Bryant, spent seven years in Italy, thanks to which his son learned Italian and fell in love with football.
Fact #8
As soon as Kobe learned that Phil Jackson would be the new head coach of the Lakers, he immediately called Phil's assistant, Tex Winter, and asked him to familiarize him with the intricacies of the "triangular attack. "
Fact #9
Kobe Bryant is a huge fan of Bruce Lee's art and philosophy.
Fact #10
At school, Kobe played the year with the number 24 on his jersey, but most of the time he wore the number 33, which he chose in honor of his father. With the Lakers, Bryant couldn't take numbers 24 and 33, and then he chose 8 in honor of his youth idol, Mike D'Antoni. Before the 2006/07 season, Mamba returned to number 24, and the reasons for this event are disputed to this day.
Fact #11
In the 1996 draft, the Clippers had the opportunity to select Bryant, but they didn't do so for fear of public reaction to his young age.
Fact #12
From the very beginning of his career, Bryant loved to play outdoors, for which he was greatly respected by the fans. In 2002, after winning the Tripit, he came to Rucker Park and put on a real show there.
Fact #13
In the semi-finals of the school championship, Kobe scored 39 points with a broken nose and refused to use a protective mask, citing discomfort.
Fact #14
Refused to play Jesus Shuttlesworth in Spike Lee's His Game. It was the summer of 1997, when Kobe decided to lock himself in the hall to work on his game, because the series of play-offs against Utah and his "terrible game" were nightmares for him.
Fact #15
Bryant thought he was an expert on dirty tricks. The judges did not seem to notice the violation on his part. Although, perhaps his superstar status influenced this.
Fact #16
During one of his summer camps in New Jersey, Bryant was giving a master class, and local star Lenny Cook decided to shout out that he was ready to beat him one on one. Then Bryant waited until the end of the event, found the gym in which Lenny trained and watched him until he was convinced that he was not worth his attention.
Fact #17
Bryant was a big fan of Magic Johnson and was very upset when he retired in 1991. And right after the draft 1996, on which the Lakers signed Kobe, he first phoned Johnson, who at that time served as the club's vice president. Having reached the newly minted boss, Bryant immediately found out when he had the next training session, in which he would play one on one with him.
Fact #18
Bryant learned basketball tricks from the famous Year of Shemgod. In 1999, he was so carried away by street movements and beats that he often beat all five opponents alone. For this, teammates called him "Hollywood", Bryant did not immediately realize that this was not good enough.
Fact #19
Kobe Bryant was actively involved in music. He devoted a lot of time to hip-hop and recorded joint tracks, including with Shaq and Tyra Banks.
Fact #20
Bryant loved the movie The Godfather, but due to strict family rules, he only saw it for the first time at the age of 17.
Fact #21
Kobe's relatives played basketball very well. The cousins were older and left no chance. Then 14-year-old Bryant, who at that time already scored from above, decided to play against mother Pam, who played basketball in her youth. Of course, he was able to beat her, but the childhood dream of putting her on top remained unfulfilled because of her tough and tenacious game in defense.
Fact #22
Many people talked about Bryant's father's game, including Magic Johnson, who believed that Joe was ahead of his time and he was unlucky with the team. From the age of 14, Kobe was close to beating his dad, but he held on because he was the referee and kept the score. Young Bryant's self-confidence and Joe's unwillingness to give in to the boy often resulted in bruises and abrasions. It even got to a broken nose, but at the age of 16, Kobe won his first victory over his dad.
Fact #23
Image of Kobe Bryant was on 9different basketball simulations: Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant, NBA Courtside 2002, NBA 3 On 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant, NBA '07: Featuring the Life Vol. 2, NBA '09: The Inside, NBA 2K10, NBA 2K17 Legend Edition and NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever Edition.
Fact #24
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan met on the floor 8 times. Kobe won 5 of them.
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81 reasons why Kobe is with us forever - Bank shot - Blogs
Kobe Bryant crashed exactly one year ago. Legends don't die.
1. Every time we send a crumpled piece of paper to the bin, we shout: “KOBE!”
2. Because he changed the attitude to business even among NBA players.
“Before the 2008 Olympics, we trained in Las Vegas,” said Chris Bosh. - And so we go down to breakfast, and Kobe is already coming up with ice on his knees, surrounded by trainers, all soaking wet. "Dude, it's only eight in the morning. What the heck? What is he trying to prove? It turned out that this is how he always trained. We thought we were great NBA players, Team USA players and all that. And then Kobe appears and from the very first day he forces us to work differently. Before that, we just rested for three months.
We're all sitting together thinking, "Damn, I need to rethink everything I do as an NBA player."
3. And taught that "the work is still not finished."
4. And not only on the floor.
“Kobe wanted to discuss business initiatives with me, but I was very skeptical about this, because athletes look at business as tourism,” recalled billionaire Chris Sacca. - I told him: “You have to prove to me that you are serious. I will send you a bunch of everything, and you have to read it all, look through it. If you do your homework, I'll tell you about investing. I had no idea that he would go for it - it was such a polite form of refusal.
Over the next months, he kept calling me at night: reading articles, following interesting people, listening to lectures on Ted Talk and Y Combinator Demo Day… Already my wife began to ask: “Are you having an affair with Kobe? What is going on?"
Then I realized how serious he was. He transferred his attitude towards training and recovery to teaching startups. In the end, he completely fascinated me, because I saw such a unique attitude only in the best businessmen.
5. Because five is five.
6. Kobe is naturally the only athlete to win an Oscar.
7. And left a cartoon about his basketball.
8. Because he showed future stars how to train.
“When we arrived at summer camp in Las Vegas for the national team, I heard that Kobe went for a 40-mile bike ride at night,” Blake Griffin said. - 40 miles? At night?"
It turned out Bryant had told his trainer Tim Grover that he wanted to supplement his summer workout with cycling. Grover found a route in Las Vegas, rented three bikes—one for Bryant, one for himself, and one for Bryant's bodyguard—and the night before their first practice, they put on helmets with flashlights and hit the road.
9. And always turn on one hundred percent.
“I remember once we had a training session where we started working out combinations,” Nick Van Exel laughed. “Just work slowly on the system to understand how the defenders operate. And Kobe grabbed Eddie Jones really, really hard – we all started laughing.
Everyone laughed except Bryant, everyone: coaches, players, everyone who was there.
Kobe didn't smile at all. Finally, Del had to say separately: “We are not giving 100 percent yet.”
10. But sometimes show compassion for partners.
“I remember in the '99/00 season Kobe was constantly having one-on-one matches with rookie John Celestand,” wrote Tim Kawakami. - I never sympathized with any professional athlete as I sympathized with Celestand: at some point he could not make even one throw against Kobe and ran into the locker room in tears. I remember Kobe shrugged his shoulders and followed him - so that he would not be upset at all.
11. Taught me that even injuries cannot be an excuse.
“I realized why he is the best during the pre-season,” said John Celestand. – Against Washington, he broke his shooting hand. He was always the first to show up for training - an hour and a half in advance. And it pissed me off, because I liked to come first, and besides, he lived much further than me, from the audience. I am ashamed to admit it, but I was glad when he got injured - I hoped that then I would get ahead of everyone.
And so I go into the locker room, and I am pierced by horror - someone knocks the ball! No, no, that can't be. Kobe is already training with might and main: he has a cast on his right hand, and with his left he dribbles and throws the ball.
A couple of days later, I again witnessed how Kobe did a full workout, throwing only with his left hand. Team doctor Gary Witty was even forced to ask Kobe to rest, but after Gary left, Kobe went back to his old ways.
He suggested I play H-O-R-S-E with his broken wrist. I laughed, but at the same time it offended me a little. Challenging a professional basketball player to “H-O-R-S-E” and going to throw with your left hand? He insisted, so I figured I'd kick his ass and prove he wasn't superhuman.
He put ball after ball. With each new letter, I felt more and more pressure on myself. First “H”, then “O”, “R”, “S”. I started to think only about not letting the person with the broken throwing arm win. Damn it, he was throwing 3-pointers with his left hand! I ended up hitting a difficult three and Kobe missed. At the last moment, I was still able to snatch victory and avoid the most embarrassing moment in my basketball career. Kobe was furious and said, "Come on, Sele, let's play one more time." He truly believed that he could win, and he almost managed to do it. He was sure that he was a superman."
12. Gave me a legendary picture.
13. And the legendary dialogue.
– Miss matches? Because of which?
- Because it is a painful injury.
- I've had worse. In addition, I do not feel pain - they gave me an injection!
I smiled.
– How long do you know me? Do you really think that I won't play? I can't do that.
- But you can't inject before every match!
– Of course you can. I will play, period. In any case, after the injection, I do not feel anything. Hell, I can't even feel the ball in my hand.
14. And the legendary moment.
In Game 2 of the 2000 Final, Jalen Rose deliberately injured Bryant. He returned in the 4th and played through the pain. But everyone already understood that, no matter how dominant Shaq was, he needed Robin, who would decide at key moments. In overtime, O'Neal received a sixth foul, and Kobe determined the outcome of that meeting with three shots in a row.
15. And he was the only one that Michael Jordan said (in the words of Roland Lazenby): “Thanks to his crazy work, he deserved to be compared to me. He's the only one who has done all this work."
16. Remained the most graceful creature in the history of basketball.
17. And he fascinated me with a scrupulous attitude. And on the site.
When Michael Lewis wrote that Shane Battier spent hours studying Bryant's footage to be better prepared to play against him, Kobe took the video, broke down his own moves, and added a couple of new elements to confuse the defender.
18. And beyond.
Nike experts have said that Kobe is their favorite client. Because he forced them to push the boundaries in an attempt to create the perfect shoes, he goes through hours of special examinations with sensors on the body. After the 2009 playoffs, Kobe pushed them to create a shoe with a low hem that would also protect him from ankle injuries.
19. And he invented modern basketball, obsessed with technology and efficiency.
In 2010, Bryant was found to be watching a condensed footage of the first half of the game during breaks and explaining to his teammates how to adjust to be more efficient. Partners constantly told how he does not let them fall asleep on the plane - instead, he explains where they should be and what to do on the set.
20. Because I didn't notice the obstacles.
21. And even at the age of 40 he ended his career with a 60-point match.
22. Because at first he irritated me with impudence.
At the first All-Star Game, he faced Michael Jordan and, in his desire to prove that he would not yield to him in anything, did not notice anyone around. In one of the episodes, Kobe said to Karl Malone: "Get out from under the ring and make room for me to pass."
Malone got offended and asked for a replacement. Kobe's behavior seemed offensive not only to respected veterans, but also to coaching the West, George Carl. In the third quarter, Bryant's three-pointer brought the West 12 points closer, but after that the coach put him on the bench and kept him there for the entire fourth quarter.
23. Annoyed by the fact that he considered himself worthy of more.
For example, when at the end of normal time and overtime of the last game in the series against Utah, Bryant threw four drafts.
And only from Shaq I heard: "Only he had the courage at that moment to take the initiative and quit."
24. Annoyed by trying to challenge number 23.
“His obsession with Michael was incredible,” Phil Jackson said. - When we played in Chicago that season, I organized a meeting of two stars, thinking that Michael could somehow influence Kobe and send him to help the team. After they shook hands, the first thing Kobe said was, "You know, I'll kick your ass one on one."
25. But then he taught everyone to respect him for the same.
26. Respect for having embraced the essence of a "shit leader".
Bryant met Jordan in December of '97 and has made frequent phone calls since.
One of these is the situation in the 2004/05 season, when he elbowed the newcomer Sasha Vuyachich and advised him to change his profession - the Slovenian could not restrain himself and burst into tears.
“Sometimes you have to act like an asshole. Sometimes your partners will hate you, but all the guys that I dealt with - Luke Longley, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler - they all won more than one title, so I'm sure they understand everything correctly.
27. (And he introduced the catchphrase to basketball: "Soft as Charmin's toilet paper").
28. Convinced even basketball purists that the one who worked the hardest deserved to throw more .
“When Kwame and I were traded to the Lakers, we had a practice game before the start of the season,” said Laron Profit. We played three on three. The account is a draw.
Kobe had the ball but Kwame dribbled.
Again, a regular training match. September. Nothing special. The ball rolled towards the center of the court. Kobe ran after him, threw himself on the parquet between Kwame's legs, snatched the ball away, ran back, faked something incredible and laid the winning throw.
I left the room and went to call my mother. Then I told her: “I just saw the best player since Jordan.”
But again, next to him, you understand that all this is not accidental, that all this is the result of many, many hours of work. Therefore, in difficult situations, in the playoffs, in the final, his self-confidence stems from this work.
Once, during a break, he told me about it himself. He didn't get along. I think we played with the Sonics then. And I asked him, "How do you feel?" He replied, “Great! The second half...the second half. Prof, you know, I work so hard. These throws MUST start flying because I've been working on them so much. I quit so many times!”
29. Respect for revenge.
Even at the happiest moment of his career he did not forget:
“The fifth title is the best in my career… And now I have one more ring than Shaq. I can't take that away from me."
30. Respect the need to find out everything on set – one on one.
How then against Ruben Patterson: he proclaimed himself the “Kobe killer” and received two buzzerbitters in the face at once.
31. Especially when he was told that it was wrong.
After Kobe's 81 points, Vince Carter went off somewhere: “That's all good, but it's a pity that easily influenced kids will see this game and think: “Wow, here I am too so I'll go out and do it. Instead of respecting the team game and giving it its due. That's what's missing right now - guys who understand what a team is."
As soon as the Nets arrived in Los Angeles, Carter remembered everything. Kobe worked on defense from the very first minutes, managed to grapple with Carter at the very beginning, quarreled with him throughout the match and eventually shot him - 46 to 10.
32. Respect for the inability to stop.
The 2003 All-Star Game was the last of Michael Jordan's career. He was unusually nervous and started very badly, with 7 misses in a row. But everyone so wanted him to succeed, so actively gave him the ball, that gradually things got better, and His Air began to play.
The script was just perfect. With 5 seconds left in overtime, with a tie, Jordan broke away from Sean Marion hanging on him and flunked his classic deflection shot. His performance was not particularly (20 points, 9out of 27), but this hit should have brought victory to the East and the MVP title to its author.
But Bryant couldn't just relax.
In the next attack, a questionable foul was called on Bryant. Kobe scored two free throws and provided everyone with a second overtime. The West then won 155:145, Kevin Garnett got the MVP (37 points, 9 rebounds).
33. Respect the desire to put superstars in their place.
No legend escaped Bryant. Scotty Pippen also got it in 2001.
After the first match, Pippen rebuked Bryant for faking it. Kobe said that Pippen is his hero.
After the second match, Pippen hit Bryant for real. Kobe said that Pippen is still his hero.
After the third match, Kobe Bryant was leaving the locker room and saw Pippen giving an interview (7 points):
– Today is your last day at work.
34. And attack them in any situation.
Kobe most memorablely scored at the 2012 and 2013 All-Star Games, where he intimidated LeBron. He never dared to get involved in a showdown with a warlike veteran and preferred not to attack or make losses.
The 12th and 13th destroyed the Kobe vs. LeBron debate forever.
On the one hand, turning James into a super-team monster removed all questions.
On the other hand, his fans preferred to savor it in a vacuum and not provoke holivars with dangerous comparisons: All-star matches, of course, are of an exhibition nature, but the lack of any dignity on the part of the 23rd number added to the list of forbidden topics.
35. Respect not only for correcting the laws of physics.
36. Not only because I understood what real rivalry is.
Game-winning shot against the Celtics against the nasty Ray Allen. And performing "Shipping up to Boston" in the locker room.
37. Not only because this relationship produced diamonds.
38. And masterpieces.
At 2-1 in the 2006 series, the Lakers shamelessly stole the win from the Suns: after intercepting Parker, Kobe went to overtime, then faked Jordan's number and left the Phoenix with a nose.
39. And a classic look.
40. And with the horror that inspired his opponents.
"The funniest moment of the finale, and Kobe knows it," Doc Rivers recalled. “The funniest thing happened when we were about 1,000 points in the sixth game, and a man came up to me from whom you could not expect such an offer - Tom Thibodeau came up and said: “Are you going to release substitutes? Only six minutes left. We are leading 42 points. No one would ever have thought that Thibodeau would say such a thing. I looked at the clearing - Kobe was still on the parquet. I really said: "When Phil takes this guy out, then we will make a replacement." Tibbs says to me: "Relax, everything has already been decided. " And I answer him: “No, since this guy is still on the floor.” I was extremely serious. Obviously, my roof went crazy at that moment. We were leading 42 points. But that's what he instilled in us. I was afraid he would hit us with threes. Obviously, my knowledge of mathematics let me down, so I was really worried. Finally Phil replaced him and we released the reserve."
41. But sometimes respect even for disrespect for partners.
“We had training at 11. Well, let's say from 11 to half past one,” Roy Hibbert explained. – And then at 2 we had to get on the plane. So here we are on the plane - everything is in place, except for Kob. Usually, if you miss your plane, you get fined. No one is waiting for you - you have to somehow get to your destination.
But some seem to have their own privileges. 2 o'clock, we have to take off. 2.15, we are still sitting, the plane is not moving. 2.30, we're like, "What the hell?" Sometimes Cob just met us in another city. So our plane is at the airport, and then we suddenly see a Kobe helicopter landing 20 meters from us.
When you arrive by charter, you will usually be met by a minibus that takes you to the airport building. And then the helicopter lands, and we see how a minibus drives up to it to take it these 20 meters. We're all like on the plane, "Dude, it's not that far to walk, is it?"
The guards come out, Kobe gives them his things. Then he gets into a minibus, drives 20 meters. We are all like, “This is crazy, Kob is coming to us. Blimey". And here he comes in, in dark glasses, comes in. This is Cob, he looks irresistible, all in style.
And we start applauding. Then he lowers his glasses and asks: “What are you clapping here for?” “Guys, you must be crazy happy that I'm getting on this fucking plane to fly with all of you. You should be glad I'm here!"
42. And, oddly enough, for the emergence of a culture of basketball memes that for the first ten years of its history focused solely on Kobe not passing to anyone.
44. Because Bryant looked for a challenge in everything.
One of the moments that perfectly illustrate this is the 4th game of the 2001 series against Sacramento. During the break, Kobe gives an interview in which he says that he has not received such pleasure from basketball for a long time. Why? Because the Lakers, who have been dominating for several years, are losing the score.
Bryant played the entire second half and scored 48 points and 16 rebounds.
45. Then it was even more interesting for him.
The next series, Kobe was killing San Antonio on the court when he scored 93 points in two games. He did not take a break - seven goals in a row in the first half set the tone, 28 points in the second decided all the issues. 45 points (19 of 35) and 10 rebounds - that season, the Lakers lost in the playoffs only once and carried everyone forward with their feet, and their leaders shot from both hands.
After that match, Shaq himself said: "Kobe is the best player in the league, no one even comes close."
46. This could be expressed in the fact that he taught not to blink in the face of any danger.
47. Or adapt to what seems impossible.
In the 2009/10 season, Bryant suffered another finger injury and once again continued to play with it. Around the same time, Chuck Person, who appeared on the team to teach Ron Artest to throw, realized that the main mission was still impossible, and switched to more interesting tasks. He noticed a long time ago that Bryant's throw has a small defect - Kobe works too hard with his index finger. The fracture turned out to be the perfect moment to make adjustments: firstly, Bryant began to place more emphasis on the middle and ring fingers, secondly, to clear the ball immediately, and not from the hip, and finally, to raise the elbow to the level of the forehead, and not nose, as before.
48. Or to assert oneself at the expense of the great ones.
In 1998 Kobe brought Anferny Hardaway. At a charity match hosted by Magic Johnson over the summer, Kobe jumped out of his pants to outsell the league's top shooting guard at the time. The only thing he achieved then was the rest of the summer and all autumn, Penny told everyone that he was waiting, he couldn’t wait for the game with the Lakers to teach the kid a lesson.
Not very successful.
49. Or put young people in their place.
50. Or very tall.
51. Or just an element of incredible complexity that fell into the hands of men.
52. Because I taught myself to perceive myself as a killer on the floor, a poisonous snake, from which there is no counteraction.
At 21, he played a decisive role in the decisive game of the season for the future champion - he snatched victory from Portland in Game 7 of the 2000 conference finals.
The obscenely expensive Blazers had a 17-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter but then got up and started to suffer disaster.
Their collapse coincided with the final formation of a new superstar - Bryant took out Sabonis in Game 3, and by Game 7 had already created the illusion that the NBA had a new dominant that would reserve championships for at least a decade.
"Kobe gave his all - I never felt as tired as going against him," explained Shane Battier. - I took into account the experience of Raja Bell, Reuben Patterson and other people who called themselves "Kobe-stoppers" and then received from him. I'm a tough guy, but not as tough as they are. So I behaved in reverse - I tried to impersonate Eeyore from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Every time I got a good game against Kobe, I said: “I just got lucky, he accidentally missed.”
53. A little later he made a key putback in the 4th match of the final.
54. At 23, nailed the Spurs in Game 4 with a game-winning hit after a near-miss and rebound.
The Lakers then bounced back from -10 in six minutes.
55. At 24, he managed to put Denver down in 2.5 seconds.
56. In general, he was in second place in history in the number of winning throws under the siren (right after Jordan).
I always said: “I always consider any negative - pressure or challenges - as an opportunity to show myself.” Even when making mistakes, Bryant did not lose confidence and again and again took the initiative, took responsibility, retained a phenomenal immunity to mistakes, failures, and criticism from the outside.
Nobody was hated like that. No one so illustratively taught us that how many people - so many ####### opinions, and therefore even somehow strange to pay attention to it.
57. Taught me to believe in myself.
“He was young and immature, but I'll tell you this: everything that Kobe is doing now, he told me a long time ago,” Shaq wrote. “We were sitting on the bus one day, and he said to me: “I will be the leading scorer in the history of the Lakers, I will win five or six titles, I will become the best player in history.” I told him: "Of course, as you say." He looked me in the eye and added, "I'm going to be the Will Smith of the NBA."
58. Created the modern financial reality of basketball.
Suspended union general manager Billy Hunter testified in court that Kobe and Rob Pelinka negotiated behind his back with the owners and forced him to agree to their demands and accept an equal distribution of profits.
The then-president of the union, Derek Fisher, confirmed that the energetic couple pushed even him away and put everyone else before the fact.
Thanks to this, the 2011 lockout turned out to be not so shameful, and the league entered the most financially prosperous period in its history.
59. Because he refused to put up with defeats and associate with them.
“We played five on five – the gold team against the white team. We had Devane George, Brian Shaw, Mark Madsen and Slava Medvedenko, and against the starting five - Fish, Kobe, Shaq, - said Tyron Liu. - In short, the game went on until the goal was scored, and then Bryant went into the pass to the front. And I was at the top of the three-second. And so I managed to shift, jump out and press his dunk to the shield. He tried to put on top, and I blocked him against the shield. We landed, Dewayne George picked up the ball, ran and scored from under the basket, and Brian Shaw began to mock Kobe: "Ahaha, he blocked you!" Bryant seemed to have lost his mind. At first he wanted to beat me, and then he began to demand that we play one on one with him after training.
"We'll play one on one, you and me." I told him: "No, I'm not playing with you." He got so mad that after that every day, as soon as we were on the floor, she began to play aggressively against me. Madness".
60. Made even narcissism attractive.
Quote from Sports Illustrated: “Kobe has a knack for making arrogance attractive, and this is one of the foundations of his attractiveness. And anyway, why can't he be impressed by himself?
Indeed. If you're so badass, why are you embarrassed?!
61. Because he left a riddle that still bothers me.
A month before the 81-point game, Kobe bombed the Mavericks - 62 points in three quarters (18 of 31). Then Phil Jackson decided not to release the star for the last stretch, since the Lakers were already leading 34 points.
“Phil sent me over to Kobe to ask if he would like to go into the fourth quarter and hit 70 points,” Brian Shaw recalled. - He looked at the scoreboard: "No, some other time when we need it." I got mad at him then: “What are you talking about? You have the ability to easily score 70 points. How many people in NBA history have scored 70 points? He looked at the scoreboard again. “We don't need it now. Next time".
62. Although he was always extremely honest.
Amnesty THAT
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 24, 2013
“He never fooled himself—he was always aware of who he was and how he viewed the world,” Darwin Ham explains. Everyone is talking about that press conference where he sat with Vanessa. He never ran away from himself. He never cared about who said what about him, be it the media, partners, enemies, people who played against him, the front office. He always knew who he was and just wanted to grow."
63. Because he stayed on The Simpsons, South Park, Modern Family and Family Guy and three documentaries.
64. In the immortal advertisement with LeBron.
65. With Messi.
66. With Jalen Rose.
67. With Italian gangsters.
68. With cars and snakes.
69. On the iconic cover.
71. As a rapper.
Bryant's Visions album was supposed to be released in the spring of 2000, but after the failure of the single "K.O.B.E", presented during the All-Star Weekend with Tyre Banks, the plans were abandoned. Kobe can still be heard on one of Shaq's albums.
72. And as the main inspiration for rappers (he has no competitors in terms of the number of mentions).
73. With a T-shirt sucking habit that is unique to him.
74. And even in the President's farewell speech.
75. Because he seemed unthinkable outside of basketball, as he was overly devoted to it like no other. But, in fact, it was easy to leave him, because he was too versatile.
“I like letting things go (in the original “passing”),” he said. “Some want to take them to the grave with them. Like in The Lord of the Rings. The world is filled with Sméagols who can't give up the damn ring."
“It's important to understand that Kobe didn't give a damn about all these crazy discussions about who is cooler - Michael, LeBron, Magic, Byrd and all that,” Darwin Ham explains. “It didn't bother him at all. He was obsessed with becoming the best possible in the moment - giving his maximum. As soon as he retired from the sport, he already showed his maximum in showing himself as a creative producer - in children's books, in documentary films, in financial investments.
76. Came up with his own unconventional way to influence people and the new generation of the NBA - as a media consultant who understands their game and helps to make it better.
77. Because in the end he taught everyone to live - giving everything to passion, favorite work, family.
“It will mean a lot to me to be remembered as a person who has achieved more than what he could have hoped for. Indeed, in this case, it turns out that I put a lot of work into the business and squeezed every last drop of juice out of the orange.
78. And realized it in the best Hollywood traditions .
Kobe had a heroic 2012/13 season, played the most in the league at the age of 35, carried the team on him, solved the problem of getting into the playoffs and collapsed the death of the brave at a decisive moment. The culmination was the game with Golden State: Kobe fell, got up, went under the shield. He fell again, got up again, scored again. In the fourth quarter, the leg could not stand it anymore - Kobe received the main injury of his career and returns to the site to do the last thing in his power - to level the score.
79. never regretted anything.
“But I liked it all. I fucking loved it. It made me reach a level that I have never reached before in my career.
I am sure that one should always strive to understand the limits of one's abilities. To understand what you can do and what you cannot do. Sometimes it ends up breaking you down. But then again, when you break, you see what you're made of, because you have to re-create yourself. But I would never forgive myself for not making the playoffs. If I hadn’t squeezed everything out of myself, then I would never have known what I was still capable of, and I would not have forgiven myself for this.
80. And he returned to basketball again - just to prove that he can. That he would leave on his own terms and no injury would stop him.
81. And because it gave a unique spectacle.
81 vs. Toronto, 28 of 46 from the field, 7 of 13 from behind the arc, second behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100.
46 throws - this can be a symbol of everything you want: individualism, contempt and distrust of partners, absolute self-confidence and absolute freedom, disregard for norms and heroism.
Jordan eclipsed Russell by being closer to our era, more modern, more understandable, more equipped with obvious basketball skills, crossed the racial barrier.
Bryant, on the other hand, overshadowed Chamberlain and appeared as the personification of the individual principle. In basketball, they always make adjustments for the level of partners, the wisdom of coaches and other murky variables that make it necessary to balance the images of winners, ideal athletes. Kobe, on the other hand, was constantly trying to get closer to the standard of a person, at least equal in potential to the entire opposing team.
A lot of that push was not self-derived, though. It came from having a daughter whose curious nature corresponded with his very own. Like father, like daughter.
It was another way for the latter to get close to the action and absorb particles of wisdom from sensei.
Be that as it may, Kobe is usually remembered for the private workouts he conducted with NBA players. Thus, in intentionally choosing this route, it revealed another side of him.
It is sad to say, but true.
What I will remember most about Kobe’s involvement with us as a National Ambassador is how authentically he connected with students when he spent time with them.”
“Every now and then we meet people who really, truly get it, and Kobe Bryant was one of them.”
I couldn’t be more grateful to him for his work on behalf of our students.”
As he was leaving, Kobe even yelled out for a group photo and a sea of kids engulfed him.
He approached that camp the way he approached basketball and everything else. He always held himself to a higher standard.”
She framed the signed jersey and gave it to her older brother.
”
" 
Having reached the newly minted boss, Bryant immediately found out when he had the next training session, in which he would play one on one with him. 
Of course, he was able to beat her, but the childhood dream of putting her on top remained unfulfilled because of her tough and tenacious game in defense. 
Because he changed the attitude to business even among NBA players. 
And not only on the floor. 
Because five is five. 
And always turn on one hundred percent. 
And the legendary dialogue. 
He's the only one who has done all this work." 
Partners constantly told how he does not let them fall asleep on the plane - instead, he explains where they should be and what to do on the set. 
In the third quarter, Bryant's three-pointer brought the West 12 points closer, but after that the coach put him on the bench and kept him there for the entire fourth quarter. 
We played three on three. The account is a draw. 
I quit so many times!” 
That's what's missing right now - guys who understand what a team is." 
" And I answer him: “No, since this guy is still on the floor.” I was extremely serious. Obviously, my roof went crazy at that moment. We were leading 42 points. But that's what he instilled in us. I was afraid he would hit us with threes. Obviously, my knowledge of mathematics let me down, so I was really worried. Finally Phil replaced him and we released the reserve." 
So our plane is at the airport, and then we suddenly see a Kobe helicopter landing 20 meters from us. 
I'm a tough guy, but not as tough as they are. So I behaved in reverse - I tried to impersonate Eeyore from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Every time I got a good game against Kobe, I said: “I just got lucky, he accidentally missed.” 
At first he wanted to beat me, and then he began to demand that we play one on one with him after training. 
- He looked at the scoreboard: "No, some other time when we need it." I got mad at him then: “What are you talking about? You have the ability to easily score 70 points. How many people in NBA history have scored 70 points? He looked at the scoreboard again. “We don't need it now. Next time". 
But, in fact, it was easy to leave him, because he was too versatile. 
Because in the end he taught everyone to live - giving everything to passion, favorite work, family. 
never regretted anything. 
