Kobe Bryant - The Black Mamba Mentality Full Documentary

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again a 20 point swing once down by 16 they lead by four exactly one minute left tilt for portland three timeouts left the lakers have begun to take matters into their own hands man horn now You have to get this from Curry's deaths. Oh, he was looking for someone to challenge him and no one came fast enough. Brian was the big question because very few have done it and most have failed, as you know, get out of high school and into the pros. It was just the challenge that was there, college would have been a challenge, it would have been a challenge, but you know, when people say you have the opportunity to go to the NBA and play against the best players in the world, you don't get that.

You go, I don't believe in anything, what does it really feel like to wear purple gold? It feels great because there's a lot of pride, you know, behind the uniform and the legacy behind the uniform. I remember growing up and seeing. uh, irving johnson coming to them, coming to the nba with the lakers and winning all the championships, him and mr. scott and worthy and so on and when I walk on the court you feel a lot of pride in trying to continue the tradition and carry on the legacy that Mr. West and Chamberlain and the Captain all had there and they all instilled there, so it was a great pride to know that for you it is like a dream come true I decided to take my talents to no, I have decided to skip college and take my city to mba with the 13th pick in the 1996 nba draft the charlotte hornets select

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from lower marion high school in pennsylvania a coming out party for high school kid kobe bryant meeting that man's approval from charlotte in attendance here and my husband, this is a guy whose stock has gone up every time he's tried people like this, well everyone wrote when he first came out, well he's going to have to bulk up, this guy weighs 200 pounds, At six foot six, she's an offensive liz. very, very talented, he has all the professional moves and when you look at him you are talking about a young man with range, he can get off the dribble, he can get the shot off of him and every place he worked he did nothing but delight to nobody.

Speaking of any shortcomings or weaknesses in his game, Jerry West told me today that greatness awaits this young man. I thought he was going to be absolutely fantastic. I recruited him when he came out of high school and skipped college to pursue a very physical game. All he did was he averaged 31 points a game his senior year his team won the state title with 31 wins and three losses and he eclipsed will chamberlain pennsylvania's scoring mark this kid has it all yeah it shocks you I think what the most you like about him everyone says he makes everyone around him better players and he's a guy with a winning style, we realize there's a lot to overcome when you come out of high school, but if someone has a good chance , this young man has been blessed with outstanding offensive skills.

How were the tests? What did you learn well? I learned that you have to work hard and you have to approach the game with a serious mindset. There's a step up from high school and I understand that, so every time I step on a basketball court I'm going to put in a lot of effort on the court I'm not going to leave anything on the floor you had the grades you had the scores to go. to university why the nba is the ultimate challenge you know if I was 40 years old and I'm sitting back and looking back on my career.

If I went to college and got a master's degree, maybe I had a great career and maybe I didn't, and I still keep that in mind. I could have responded. That challenge because I answered the NBA challenge and that's something I didn't want to have on my shoulders, so I really took it on. He'll wear a number eight and Kobe, um, this is for you, thank you very much. and also a hat and i used to watch magic johnson bring the ball into the court at night. I used to imagine myself, you know, in the hallways of the house knocking over lamps and you know, creating all kinds of chaos in the house and thinking that magic johnson and it's like it was a dream come true right out of high school.

He has been a catalyst for the team and a favorite among advertisers and fans. Charlie Rose met him in 2001, when the Lakers were looking for their second consecutive title. Show me a Kobe trademark. trademark shot kobe shot yes what is a signature shot? Kobe has the ball. You know the offense is prepared but he's going to take the job. What is a signature shot? You can counter this move every time. Okay, tell me which one we can get. Yes, that's him. type of game that is serving Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers very well. He is one of the most dominant players in the game and for good reason I love playing basketball. there is nothing like it.

What do you love? this is the ball when it bounces the sound that makes the smell of basketball the nets when you throw the ball and it goes through the net the shoes when they squeak on the wood the strategies the competition the camaraderie the fans you go on and on and on I will take you to this scene 20 seconds left you're down by one you want the ball you want to make the last shot I'm absolutely not afraid of missing and I just love it it's just an adrenaline rush and everyone in the crowd stands up and everyone's waiting to see if you're going to make the shot whether you're going to lose the game or you're going to win the game it's just an amazing career sorry i missed it for a second kobe bryant was a different type of kid With a different type of upbringing, he spent most of his childhood in Italy, where his father played after leaving the NBA.

The Bryant family spent the next eight seasons there. I started first grade there in an Italian school. I was six years old. My sister was seven. My older sister was eight years old, what influence do you think she had on you? I think she made me more mature. You know, we had to grow much faster. I think she brought us closer together as a family because we moved into a whole. another world we didn't speak the language we didn't know anyone we had to bond with each other uh more than anything he also continued to bond with basketball but without the competition found in American playgrounds and schools his family returned to Philadelphia each summer and he He quickly learned what he was missing, so I returned to the United States in the summer.

I'm playing summer league and I didn't score a point all summer, one point all summer, not one point, not one free throw. not a layup or a steal nothing zero points all summer and my father came up to me afterwards, gave me a hug and said son, don't worry, we will love you if you score zero or fifteen, you know, you know. and uh i just remember thinking thank you when brian's father retired from the game the family returned to the states for good after a stellar high school career kobe bryant skipped college and went straight to the nba today, five Years later, he continues to defy expectations.

Unlike many players, he prefers training to partying when he's not practicing. He is training when he is not training. He's studying game tapes in his room. He doesn't have time left to socialize with his teammates. A delicate point, says his head coach. I said to Phil Jackson of the Lakers last year, "You know, some of the players came to me and said you don't even want to go down and have a bite to eat with them or go to the movies with them." You know, if you want to be a leader of these guys, you have to adapt to what they like and find a common niche.

He has also had a hard time fitting in on the court since the beginning of his career. Kobe Bryant has been accused of not being a leader. team player when he takes control of a game away from the Lakers, another superstar, Senator Shaquille O'Neal, and plays too aggressively, the Lakers sometimes lose games they should have won this season, Bryant could feel the cold in the court, well, you felt something was wrong. a mistake between you and your team something was not right someone was not right I mean, I go to practice and I feel a little uncomfortable, what is it about?

You know this wasn't there before well, something must be going on, something must be going on around here and what was it about uh well, it was about me, it was about them thinking I was out of my league and I was being selfish, which wasn't entirely the case, he is without a doubt one of the most talented players in the league, but he has been criticized for poor shot selection and not playing as a team Peter spoke to the Lakers phenom, It's a tough situation because we all want to win and Kirk wants his players to practice themselves, he wants them there every day and he wants them to do one. time that we have practice that allows me to want that 11 o'clock shot ready to go uh it doesn't mean 1105 and actually I probably want you there in a room at a level exactly once you're warmed up and ready once you be ready to go

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start at 11 o'clock, he doesn't want anyone to disobey that and, especially with a couple of losses we've had in the playoffs around the corner, he's fed up considering some of the shots he takes in this stage of his career my career is questionable at times it's so electrifying you forgive him every time I got to the point where I was low on energy they always did it to pick me up and help me kind of urge me to keep going uh great shaq and he's been very, They are very supportive especially when I am at certain ball games.

I'll miss three shots in a row and turn the ball over or something. Say, "Hey man, okay, come on, let's relax, let's do this job. They're always so nice." He's very supportive when Kurt eliminates you and has eliminated you several times. Four quick shots with plenty of time left on the clock. What are you saying? What does he say and how do you handle that when you come back? I'm angry. Like any player, I mean, you never want to get knocked out of a ball game because I love the game so much, uh, regardless of whether it's a mistake or not, I wouldn't be there playing, uh, but at the same time I'm with them. and I've told them that whatever decision you want to make, whether it's sitting down or doing a certain play or whatever, I'll let you do it, you learn from it, Toby, yeah, yeah.

You don't have a choice, yeah, but I still see, I mean, look, I'm sure you know I've been on your case a little bit on TV, you know exactly the same thing, but I see how much talent you have and you know how to do it. You're young, but do we want to use that as an excuse or are you learning? You know about the race, I'm learning as I go, I think if you look at the years I've been in the league, I think I'll see an improvement in terms of shot selection and goals. I mean, I looked at some of my tape from last season and I was laughing a little bit and taking certain shots because I'm going to take them now.

I'll read the work a little better once more. I think I've actually learned to learn pretty quickly because I've also had a lot of other things to adapt to. The big question is that with the season winding down with games, are they the Lakers? Running out of time to become a team I'm a team This is where Brian emerged as a rising star at Lower Marin High School in the Philadelphia suburbs. He enrolled here in 1992 when he was 14 after his family spent seven years in Europe, where his father ended up. His Career Bryant says his best high school memory is winning the 1996 state championship as a senior when he was also named McDonald's All-American and Gatorade's Player of the Year, but with that success came a perceived arrogance by some that carried After Bryant was highly scouted in May 1996.

The 1996 NBA draft was a month later, Brian's hometown Sixers had the first overall pick they took, the consensus number one pick, guard Georgetown, Allen Iverson, Bryant was drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Lakers that summer. Bryant became a superstar and in his fourth season he helped the Lakers win the 2000 NBA championship. He will be at the helm. He took a long one again and hit another jump shot. He's not a good rebounder. Copyright. Look at that 21 year old kid. give us what your opinion is in reference to why there seems to be a love hate relationship with kobe let's go to uh pat in southwest philadelphia he shares an arrogance he just doesn't seem like a good guy i don't like him as a person i guess that a lot of that is because he plays in Los Angeles.

You know, it's an uptight city, that's glamorous. I mean, come on, Philly is a hard-working, hard-working city, I get the feeling from watching them the last few years. games where the team collectively realizes this season is over. This was my opinion from the studio. They feel like you know you are destined to be mentally whipped. That you've lost that advantage. No, would you consider each other friends? Oh, definitely, yes. There is no doubt that during the years in the hut you were friends. It's not a shame, they know that the two great players don't get along.

Kobe was simply trying to do too much. When you're that good, you can do too much, but when you play on the Team, you shouldn't have to be so tough, there was kind of a Colby faction on one side and a Shaquille faction on the other, when everythingpassed through me, the result was good, the big dog is not me, then the house will not recover. cautious I don't know why anyone else would want to change other than selfish reasons guys you just need to stay away from this man seriously just uh you know where he'll stop asking me about it I will.

What would you do if you were the general manager? Would you have kept Shaquille O'Neal and tried to figure this out right? I would have done it, I think everyone would have done it, you know? I probably say the same thing, um, but I don't know what the intricacies of the deal were. Shaq had to do what was best for him and his family. um he said it after the last game we played, you know, uh, saying you know this is a business and he's going to have to make the best decision for him and his family and that's what he did What's your opinion on Kobe Bryant as player?

I think he is a great player. I think if he, uh, I think if he did the little things that he did. He would be the best player to ever play the game, but he is a great player. What are the little things that make everyone else better? Be the best player of all time. Better than Mike. Better than Shaq. Better than Duncan. Be the best player. He is a great player. He said many. Times, what do you think of Kobe Bryant as a person? It doesn't matter what I think of him as a person. When he was on the court doing my job, he played as a team, so it didn't matter what he thought about them. off the court because look what people don't understand is that I don't have time to think about people off the court I have five kids I'm working on my master's degree I have to go home and I have to go home and do legal work and study statistics and all that stuff.

I don't have time to think about what he's doing. Is he doing that? I do not have time for that. Could he have worked it out between the two of you? Could they have coexisted? Yes, good. We absolutely have, you know, we've had our fights, we have our shaving arguments on the floor, um, you know, for various reasons, he, you know, he used to get mad at me for not playing basketball on the team, he actually got mad at me because I wasn't . I'm in top shape, but you know we put aside our differences and we went out and we played and we won and we played very well doing it, so we could have coexisted, we have coexisted part of Kobe's problems at least as far as your relationship with shaquille o'neal goes back to your court case where it was revealed that you had suggested and I don't have an exact quote that shaquille o'neal may have paid women in the past, when was the last time you spoke to her?

Shaq, did you ever apologize for those statements? No, I have not had the opportunity to speak with him directly. But if I have that opportunity, definitely, why not, Kobe? It's been months, why not? Man, I can try to track it down. down, but you know I don't have his number or anything like that. I was able to send him a message. um, you know through a mutual friend, um, but you know, December 25th seems like a good day to talk to me. Tell him and tell him that I never wanted to expose any kind of way to expose any of his personal issues like that Kobe, are you afraid that Shaq won't want to talk to you?

Uh no, I'm not afraid. I mean, I can only do what I feel is right, you know what I mean, now I feel like it's right to reach out and apologize to the man for bringing them into my situation, you know, that was never my intention. for that to happen and you know things were very exaggerated and um and and misstated why you mentioned this name, Kobe, why go there, you know, I can't really go into details, uh, all I can say is things in the that you know they took something and followed it and took it to a completely different place than what it actually was, well let me ask you this question, one of the things that Shaq would say and I know him pretty well is that Shaq would say it's not hard to find if you really wanted to find it over the last six months it should have been relatively easy to find it, how do you respond to that?

Well I answer you know you probably got his number I got it from you and I call him today I got you I'm saying this yeah it's really that simple man you know no I don't have time you know I've been through too much my family now we I've been through for too much to sit here on bs and say oh I'm not going to call them out but I really don't mean it and all kinds of things that you've been through too much for everyone. that and you know, seriously, I honestly mean I'll pick up the phone and call him if he accepts the call, great if he doesn't know, you know what I mean, just you know, I'm sorry about all that, Kobe Bryant called you. on your cell phone right now, what would you say?

I don't have a cell phone because the people I'm connected to I'm connected to them all you have to do is think and I'll call you. I do not do it. I have a cell phone and that is a problem with diesel. I am more technologically advanced than you. My thought process starts with a normal human iota. But maybe it's about always checking on him if Jerry Krause wasn't here next year or in Chicago. Would that affect your decision to want to stay there? Well, I definitely think there's no doubt about the fact that you know you know you remember the relationship that Jerry West and Pat Riley had with Los Angeles.

I mean, you know those things. and that ended after nine years, chuck daley mccloskey in detroit. You know, it was a great relationship, but they both moved on after nine years and went in different directions and I'm not saying that all marriages in this type of business are general. The manager coaching business has that shelf life, but it seems to me that's what's pushing the emblem. Michael Jordan said the coach if you're not in Chicago he's going to retire and now that you said, hey, this is your last year, do you think he's going to hold up well in that position in any way?

I hope not. I think you know Michael should determine if his own career is over, regardless of whether mine is with the Bulls or not, for the new millennium, the Lakers move on. to a new home but it was a new coach who heralded a greater change and a future more in line with the traditions of the Lakers' past without further ado the new coach of the los angeles lakers phil jackson bill jackson had won six nba championships as a coach of the Chicago Bulls, but his impressive resume came with doubts that his unorthodox style would fit with the Lakers' youth stars.

Everybody sees so many things like pivot like we don't even have a basketball, it's just you know, run, you know, set a pick and spin the golden pivot and stop switching straight like we're without a basketball, hey , he practices layups without a basketball, it's strange, jackson's first challenge was getting his new players to understand him, then he still had to get them to rally behind him, there was sort of a colby faction on one side and one shaquille faction on the other and we had to bring these guys together, there were some personal goals that were in front of the group goals and all of that had to be resolved, it was a situation where you know, I was asking them to fit into the roles and demanded the team play more selfless basketball the first time my career coach came in and said, look, this is what you're going to do, this is what you're going to master.

If you're not going to do that, then you're not going to be here during the preseason. Any initial optimism seemed hopelessly misplaced. I have never seen a quarter much worse than this from a group of Lakers. To make matters worse, Kobe Bryant broke down. hand and would miss eight weeks, the season would begin with little reason for hope and even less reason to believe. When Kobe returned from injury, the 21-year-old Lakers star also seemed more mature, instantly adapting to the new team, the first focus, one of Phil's first things. He said it's not about how hard you play because you can play with all the heart you want, it's about how smart you play, it was classic Lakers basketball when Kobe and Shaq came together like magic the combo brought them together some combo or kobe comes first with the jab and then you follow with me the perfect pass by kobe bryant great execution by shaq the shack comes with the jab and then you follow with but it wasn't just the combo, it was the constant flow of a ball that elevated to the lakers to infinite possible combinations when five players play as one, we felt that at that time there was no one better in the NBA and we just took off like a bottle rocket, look at this, look at o'neill dealing for kobe bryant sean rooks he started tonight, he sat three on two, oh, but he also has the ability, he's a brilliant player, he wants to work on it, he shoots, I've been trying to do a lot off the dribble, I got seven points here, that athleticism all the way. the shipwreck what you're going through spectacular wow I really like these oh look at that ryan working against los angeles so penetrate find the hut and that's a little more aggressive is that after having six in the first half he takes this from the first in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers' confidence in the regular season was maintained, but in the context of their past failures, everyone was well aware of the dangers of postseason play.

We knew there would be some tests and we know that being the best team in the regular season the test was going to be very tough we knew that all the teams wanted to make history by beating us we knew that all the teams were going to be prepared for us you love the playoffs because your players star come forward that's what this is about kobe's spins on the shot from the left baseline is on boy was he under control on that one that o'neal picked up? everything is working right now for the lakers and the lakers at least for two games they look unbeatable, it's very easy to lose at home and We just have a vacation, we feel good, man, we're going back to Los Angeles, that's right, and the Lakers face the adversity for the first time in the playoffs and we'll see how they respond.

They failed this first test dramatically, so now you know the pressure. There we went to our home court with nothing in their experience as a team to turn to the Lakers, they only trusted each other and the Lakers took the lead two to zero in the best of the seventh western semi-final, I think after the second game. We had a little more confidence that we could get through any game, we could get out of any situation. I think the city has been waiting for this moment, just like I have been waiting for this moment. You know, we have an opportunity to do something. that hasn't been done, I think 10 or 11 years ago, so I'm sure the city is lively, we're number one, it's the start of a laker dynasty, babies, ladies and gentlemen, a very nice good night for you from the beautiful staple center of los angeles california tonight the real season begins the los angeles lakers and the indiana pacers competing for the 1999-2000 number one nba championship baby I'm here all I have to do now is get that ring it's the hoosiers vs. hollywood the lakers are matched up against one of their old rivals, larry bird, this is the latest, this is where it's just a matter of looking up, seeing the nba finals posters and you know, seeing the nba finals on the court, 2000 nba finals on your jerseys, you know, it's a great feeling, it's kind.

It feels like you're really dreaming and the 2000 NBA Finals are about to begin. Kobe Bryant, but let's see how the Lakers face the Pacers. Miller is with Bryant Colby on the baseline. Here's his changeup to tie the game. How difficult. The shot here is Bryant and now Harper is looking for Shaq, who puts it deep and you can't, and the Lakers know it. Remember that now, when you played against Corbin, there were some long-range athletes back there exchanging shots right at the basket for Kobe Miller against Harper gets to the baseline, runs with one hand and recovers it also towards Bryant Kobe, he stops and takes advantage of Shaquille O'Neal's presence, which is why Spitz came late in the fourth quarter of his miraculous Game 7 comeback on Sunday against Portland.

The two connected for one of the most memorable plays in Lakers history. He would tell her that he could quit. Leave it so that play you know he was coming into the lane after crossing Scotty and we called eye contact and he just. I threw it where I live, I felt like we put our stamp and left our mark on it because you know other players in the league are watching and they saw what happened. You know they know me and Shaq has a connection and I. Think about what people feared most as a damn 18 points for Rick Smith in 18 minutes on the court between two defenders.

Mark Jackson has to step in and catch him and force him to kick that loose ball that landed on Jack. That will be the number. six what a great play that's kobe he's going to try to attack by shaking miller and making a two point basket he was just inside the line the laker's lead is three again how about this young man's boys give themselves the opportunity to take front? leads and you know Toby is going to work here again, he surpassed Jackson, how good is this kid. Well, now Mark Jackson is playing because you have one to give.

They will not shoot free throws. Shaw running with one hand followed by Kobe. bryantagain offensive rebound the lakers have a 3-1 advantage without being right in the center of the basket the lakers prevail and kobe bryant and shaquille o'neal were incredible when they needed to be tonight kobe had 28 eight of them in overtime He's got his mind right here, thanks Bob Kobe, while Indiana kept talking about this being the most important game of the entire season, you guys were thinking the same thing in your locker room, well, in our minds, this is the championship, so we came out played. with effort we knew they wouldn't come out with a lot of energy we just wanted to keep it close and have a nice little run now coming down the stretch jack comes down suddenly you step forward these are the kind of moments that Although you look for, yeah, when Shaq fouled me state of mind, you know this game became a hell of a lot more interesting than it was and, uh, it was fun for me, you know, I laughed at it right when I played it, I relaxed like I was in the backyard, no, tell me about the Ankle injury, I know that's something.

That's been bothering you at halftime. You told me it was ruining your life. Swinging toward Kobe for three. Pulling out a double team. O'Neal double team. Score anyway. Just a little power. extra there kobe bryant showed reggie miller a little bit of everything and then he drilled the jumper it will be robert no, he hands it to o'neill it was for point one instead of point two it was the point, I think it's a good move, Even though you have it going right now with Mark Jackson, stick with what's working. Neal has ten threes right now the pacers are playing with tremendous confidence a score from a laker here would be huge at half time especially if it's a three oh my god I was actually stuck in there and they talk about confidence now it hasn't He threw the ball well tonight, but he knows the clock is running out.

Look, he's buried. There's no place to go. The ball comes loose. He picks it up. The fall on the wrist. Concentration. The opportunity. Kobe in traffic against the triangle, but no. can you keep kobe bryant in front of him look at this spectacular pass he rises in the air with three defenders shaquille o'neal catches it and finishes it will have the opportunity to give him a six point lead lakers fans are testing it they are approaching the championship five times out indiana bob even if you shoot a three you catch it while the ball is in the air the clock will go off after a free throw right now if we are the champions if the bounce misses the pacemakers have one timeout left that It's not going to happen.

You remember yesterday we talked to Kobe Bryant and I asked him. I told him Kobe, you're a dreamer and he said yes. I'm going to dream that tomorrow night I'll be holding that trophy and it looks like it will fulfill his wish in two. Seconds and a half, it seems that the pacers who fight until the end will use their last timeout. Jackson looks to throw it against Shaq Reggie. He turns and drives it. Wow, two old rivals. Magic and Larry Ahmad are with Kobe. Well, thanks Bob Kobe. The other night you had a dream and it came true tonight it came true tonight.

We worked really hard, it was a really close game and we finally got a championship and it feels great now, so during your 21 years you said I've always dreamed of winning a championship, is that what you dreamed of? or it's all or more. I mean, you have the usual colors falling from the ceiling. The fans are going crazy. I put my hat on and it all covers my throat. It feels great now yes I had to think of one thing that really helped them through the problem and that really pushed them to this point. What the season would have been is just determination and uh PJ did a great job with him and his coaching staff and you know Shaq was wonderful all season long. long and our bench was great and we accomplished everything in a game like tonight, where you had to get out of the triangle in the second half to break down the defense, that's what you had to do, yeah, we just had to break them down. that's it uh I was just creating a situation similar to game four I was just penetrating creating getting into space Roberto made some big shots Fox hit a big three and we won the game I don't feel like this I love it I can't wait to do it new this is the next one right here this is guys work all year for it man shaq the man there's dominique playing the world championship sorry I'm just going through what we went through this year uh the bond we formed with each other because all the adversity, all the struggles we went through, we had the opportunity to give in, instead we decided to come together and come out of this even stronger than we were.

Our community that we created is a well-knit group. we joke with each other we laugh at each other we defend ourselves in june 2000 the lakers conquered the nba fueled by the merger of the game's two brightest stars together they seemed to make the lakers unbeatable at age 28 shaquille o'neal was the most valuable player in the league and at 21 years old kobe bryant was quickly becoming the best all-around player in the league, yeah take a look at the dynasty, this is the next one here, it wasn't just about winning a championship, it was about creating a dynasty and creating something. which you know, other teams can't even talk about folding now and quitting now, obviously the Bulls could do it in the '90s and the Lakers in the '80s and the Celtics in the '60s, but it's a new time and it's a new millennium and we wanted to beat the basketball organization's basketball team to start the NBA legacy again, but after the celebration the Lakers would learn that being a champion demands more from a team than simply winning a championship.

The 2001 Lakers arrived at training camp. As a changed team, the roster had a new look Horace Grant supplanted veteran Laker AC Green at power forward and in a move considered risky for the team's chemistry, the erratic Isaiah Rider was hired to replace Glenn Rice, the third-leading scorer. of the team during 2000, one of the Lakers. Inspirational leaders Derek Fisher were lost to injury, but the biggest change was the loss of harmony between Shaq and Kobe, who arrived at training camp with the same goal but opposite visions of how to achieve it. Jack had told him to really take it easy.

It's been a long season, you've put in a lot of energy, you've spent a lot of minutes on the court, your body really needs to heal and you know, don't worry about working out, come back in September and start preparing for the year. Did he come back around September 28th and start preparing for the year instead of September 1st in Shaq's defense? It was the first time he was a champion and it was the first time he was able to relax once in his career and enjoy some basketball time while The battle-weary veteran used the offseason to recharge.

His young teammate was working to meet his lofty personal goals. I hope he literally never took a break from the championship until early October and late September. He had been improving his game. He wanted to annihilate everyone. His goals were set much higher than a championship, much higher than the level of play he played the year before. As the season began, it was clear that Kobe would no longer be satisfied with being known as a supreme talent. I wouldn't rest until I was known as the best player in the league I stole from Kobe going to the runway he says you're not going to stop me you can't even stop me that's where the comparisons are made With Jordan Toby Bryant, no one in the league played better, but Kobe's personal rise seemed to leave his teammates powerless.

The delicate chemistry achieved during the Lakers' championship run was lost, and no one took the change more seriously than Shaquille O'Neal. I think Shaq had problems. with the fact that kobe came back so determined and so hungry to show that he had grown as an individual player, kobe was just trying to do too much and you know when you're that good you can do too much but when playing on a team you shouldn't have to be so hard the team's problems came to a head when kobe exploded for 51 points at golden state but failed to produce a victory kobe has become a one man arsenal who was trying so desperately to help us win and got so many points, played such a brilliant game and took it just a step or two further away from him, fumbled the ball, you know, threw up a couple of aerial balls down the stretch, throwing him in on that exacerbated the situation we were in. in that you know he was trying to win it all by himself a lot of nights people wanted me to just level my game and not get better and just do the same thing I did last year and I'm not going to do that.

You know, I work too hard and improve as a basketball player every day and I want to show that I improve. I've never been the one to get on the team of who's who's this and who's that, but when was it that it all happened. For me, the result was good, it was 67 and 15 playing with enthusiasm, the city was jumping up and down, there was a parade, let me take it and now we are 23 and 11. Then you will realize that the tension between the two superstars was destroying The structure of the team, the things that happened, I guess, with Kobe and Shaq were well documented, but there was too much focus on that and I think a lot of us as members of the team know that we took a step back and also started to pay attention. a lot of focus on that instead of really taking responsibility for what we could do to help the team.

What had started as a championship saga had become the league's leading soap opera, it was like, here we go to figure it out. Are we going to the top or are we just going to hit rock bottom, you know it went either way, there's nothing anyone can say or do you try to stop that from happening, it was going to be our decision if we're going to pull through this adversity or we're going to be crush, the Lakers were left without answers and without hope. After 60 games, the return of Derek Fisher restored a sense of order on the court, but it was something unexpected that caused the Lakers to rediscover their sense of purpose in In late March, an injury forced Kobe out of the lineup for his absence of nine games.

The Lakers found themselves playing as a team and were winning. No one noticed it more than Kobe during the period of time Kobe set out to do. We had to change our style. to where Shaq had the dominant space on the court and once we got there we executed it very well and I think when Kobe came back it was really his impression that I'm going to come back and I'm going to make this transition. on this team here is kobe with the golden ball that kobe bryant took, i think it was a conscious decision to trust his teammates more to be a playmaker, bounce under the baseline and give colby a selfless play on the one where kobe is a great player and scores 40 every night. wet someone every night do this do that it's not about that it's about making everyone else better oh beautiful once they were on the same page just like everyone followed him and everyone just jumped and we just hit each other and We jailed together with Kobe when the Lakers were reborn as the team they had been trying to become all along, a ruthless way to put it, but we absolutely want to rip their hearts out for six playoff games.

Kobe had held his play back for the good of the team in Game 4 in Sacramento. they finally exploded, they better protect kobe spectacular shot by kobe bryant with shaq and foul trouble kobe knew it was time to demand the ball himself to pass to kobe one on one by christy isolated the right side raises the shots counts the bucket who fouled him and tells the crowd to be quiet here at marco arena they have a good crowd there the crowd gets into the game and they like to talk trash so I started backing up and I started drawing with some of the players and I found a rhythm in doing so, the lakers were trying to sweep the kings without shaquille o'neal on the bloody devops brian with angles towards the baseline, turn between two defenders and send 48 points, 16 rebounds, an incredible performance, the lakers were chasing the history and chasing away their demons 7-0 in the playoffs, a perfect 15 game streak looks less like a fantasy with each win, I think right now we have some arrogance about ourselves because we are the defending champions and we won a streak of 15 back-to-back wins at the moment, so I think naturally there's more confidence that you know how to feel. as if we could get out of any situation, the conference finals would be the lakers' chance to erase a bitter memory of the playoffs in 1999, the san antonio spurs had humiliated the lakers in the last games ever played in the forum and the san antonio spurs have swept the los angeles lakers in the western conference semifinals and they did it convincingly i feel very good because in the short time the form was closed for the last time the spurs felt that the lakers 2000 title was tainted because Tim Duncan hadn't been healthy and with Duncan back they had the best record in the league in 2001.

If you ask me, is there any bad blood? There is no doubt that they are not our favorite team and we are not their favorite team.San Antonio was a team when they won, they embarrassed us, you know, they swept us. So Kobe had that in mind I had that in my mind I was no longer worried about proving who was the best individual the Lakers set out to prove that they were the best team Bryant challenging Ferry that counts and the foul in game one Kobe carried the burden faded I don't know how you defend them with every defensive adjustment the Spurs made.

Kobe countered with another level of creativity, so what a great shot he launched with those beautiful fingertips. Kobe has an intense competitive drive and he doesn't back down, he always loves. those challenges incredible incredible impossible indefensible kobe had scored 93 points in consecutive road wins i told kobe today that he was my idol, he's playing no, i'm sad, he's playing phenomenal, i mean, i don't know what else to do I think he's the best league player by far two seasons earlier, Tim Duncan was making the same claim and in the second game he tried to make the case again.

Now Duncan hasn't left the queen against Grant on the baseline, he comes in and sets. in tim duncan is on a mission away and the alamo dome is swaying the corner of the road closed under him duncan for the power jam with a right hand the lakers were being beaten for the first time in the 2001 playoffs and for first time they seemed nervous, phil jackson got kicked out of the game, how's that? and the lakers might be losing their composure a bit, everything seemed to be going against us in that game, phil was ejected, san antonio was playing at the top of his game hitting. the entire shooting crowd was behind him, like 36,000 people, that our leader had just been exiled from the game and we felt even more challenged to go out and finish off the Spurs in that second game, how are the Lakers going to play now?

This is the first one. adversity they have had in the series although they had not brought out their best game with them, the Lakers reduced the contest to a battle of wills, with growing determination and confidence, they hit the Spurs leaders with a hook and a rebounding battle in the ground, finally grabbed by O'Neal and crashed after Jackson's ejection. the lakers had a 9-2 run the players had sensed their own danger and the lessons of a long season helped them get out of danger right in the middle you can see the visible increase in intensity of the lakers we definitely wanted to come back and show them that we are the champions and we deserve to be the champions and that is why we deserve to be traded shaq comes out to bryant is open shoots for three good good kobe bryant connecting he has been dealt a severe blow and perhaps fatal blow to the championship hopes of the Spurs, man in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers had made the best shot of everyone all season and were the last team standing at the end as the Lakers, had flourished throughout the season as a team and in the playoffs. alan iverson had captivated the basketball world iverson against williams by winning the east iverson proved to be more than a scorer, he had become a leader and made his team believe they could become champions to bring the lakers closer to a center iverson from town allen iverson with 41 points i said they were wearing him down he was getting tired so he shouldn't be able to make that kind of shot brian played by bell is doing a good job with the help of his teammates brian is trying to shake off the snow here 94 points given the sixers a lead of 10199 took the bad shot fell off the plate no one got to iverson for the 70 sensors iverson upset seven points in a row by iverson look 40 seconds left in overtime brian mark the most important question will be how the lakers will respond To this they have been almost invincible, as you said, they have had walls in the playoffs, no one has been able to dent their psyche well tonight, the Sixers come in, win this game as visitors to steal the home court or the

mentality

of the Lakers facing tonight.

I think they're going to have tremendous energy and I think what you're going to see is what we saw in the first game against San Antonio, maybe a lot of screenshots with Kobe and Shaq making it look like they're taking Kobe to the basket or Kobe. ​​he ran to that post and tried to post aaron mckee he is very important to this team i think you will find out soon how mobile he really is he will feel much better mark here is colby with his role comey bryant was there for 52 minutes in the first game he won't stop shooting and he must keep shooting because his teammates expect those shots.

Shot block at five. Good jump shot. I think in that triangle offense he knows where his cutters and his players are. He feels very familiar with where the double teams are. What comes from this is the patience that Phil Jackson wants with Kobe Bryant survey the floor, penetrate, find the hut and that's a very, very high shooting percentage, but again investigate the defense, bring everyone to you, you left it with a beautiful look, passes into a powerful. finish and the hand you hear now perfect surgery here's iverson with a shot clock running with the team when you make

full

jumpers the 76ers have to get kobe back you guys haven't been in a must win situation in a long time have you?

Are you feeling the urgency? It feels good, it feels good, it's a huge challenge, they're very competitive and they play very hard, but it feels good to be tested. I think there was a certain stretch there where we were too aggressive. I think our emotions got the best of us, but we can sit back in the game and start executing our offense. They took him to the break, eh, barb. They made them become very passive on offense. They turned to basketball. Look at Iverson and Kobe talking. between them right now there is a lot of conversation there right now, I think you will see the referee intervene and separate the two players, a lot of emotion and passion, exchange of garbage and allen iverson was telling the official ronnie nunn kobe. bryant started it what happened first with allen iverson right there at the end of the game oh no it's a friendly conversation with the two competitors talking seems too friendly for the heat of battle not friendly kobe let me ask you guys uh built we took the big lead and the 76ers just wouldn't go away, you said you liked the challenge, but you got worried down the stretch, no, you know, they kept coming, but we fell away from our execution, we didn't do the things that helped us. to that point and we just had to regroup and execute the offense.

Your play the other night in the first game fueled what you did tonight to bounce back. No, I wasn't thinking about the first game. I just wanted to come back, play hard. You know, I try to help my team in any way possible and uh, I was able to do some positive things tonight. The last thing I thought, Kobe, how about we go back to Philadelphia? You are all homeless. I really do not care. You know, I just want to go down. there and play and you know, try to do whatever it takes to win the game.

Okay Kobe, congratulations, we hope to see you in Philadelphia. Well thank you very much. Marv Kobe. 20 points. You're on fire there in the second quarter. What's happening? I like being in a zone like that, well you know, it's just getting the rhythm and my team does a great job of finding me going through the screens and that's something easy to see, Toby, it's the confidence and the swagger coming back. after the long break, well, you. I know I want to, I'd just say we're finding our groove again. You know, I have to have nine days off.

It's hard to come back and get into your groove, but we're starting to find the flow of the game again. kobe ​​good luck in the second half thanks to marvy he loves the road we will see what happens in the second half i answer yes, kobe does it with 16 of his 20 points in the second quarter before his team looked tired the other night lack of energy in the downstairs office colby bryant 11 of 18 has 22 points shaquille o'neal someone else got it sensational shot by kobe bryant the lakers say why not question three is which of the lakers wants basketball right now aside by cody force kobe To try to do everything here, Mark and Colby during their last 15 being defended by Roger Bell, checking the clock once again.

You see the contract. You struggled a little bit in the second half, three of 16, but you made a great shot down the stretch, yeah. Well, you know, that's what teammates are for, man, they really stepped up here. Robert came in, did a great job, made a huge shot for us and you know we were able to come out here with a win. You are 10 of 16 in the In the first half, how did you have confidence? Because when Shaq came out, you told your teammates he wanted the ball and then you made that great basket. Well, you know, my legs got so tired.

You know, you know, I just started to slide a little bit. My teammates carry the load and you know, when a pressure situation came, I was trying to save my legs for that moment and it worked well, so you saved your legs, tell us about the great defensive things you had with Iverson. there at the end when he headed to the basket well you know I saw it coming so you know that's usually his specialty you like to get in the lane and shoot those little floaters and you know I had a little help from Rob with the long arm behind me.

You said it was a must to win, so you did it, we did well, see you next time. You were just one assist away from a triple double, but the Sixers made a great run again. You said at halftime that you can. We're not going for the jugular, why not? With this group, they continue to fight and score a lot of goals, so you know it's important for us to stay prepared when they make their career and continue doing what we do. It seemed like the offense was in sync. tonight, but can you talk about the big disparity between three?

I think they did nine more than the 76ers. I love them, but what we did was just say that again, I love them, Kobe, everything we did, we just threw the ball to the Shack and let them double team and you know, when they collapsed their defense, we just kicked it to our shooters and everyone was taking shots. No team has ever returned. Shaq from a three games to one deficit, this series is over and besides, you know, we're just focusing on one more win. You know, we were in this situation last year. We had many scary moments this year.

We wanted to just come and take care of business all the time. We let a game get away from us, so it's just rumors. focusing on getting one and winning and we're going to try to do it on Friday. Did they learn a lesson from what happened last year in Indiana? They had a great game and then came out and lost by 30 points on the next try. Don't think we learned our lesson, I think it was a learning experience for us and you know for us it's just another victory. You love him too, okay, back to him, man, back to him, quick master, who would have done it?

Did you ever think that marv the lakers with a 50-46 lead here is bryant oh what a spectacular play harvey fumbled the ball but his footwork was brilliant to turn and hit that shot thank you so much marv I talked to kobe bryant. He said the team played its worst half in the final since the first half of the first game He said we're still up four at the half He said we don't shoot very well We're only 38 We're still four away He says We've got to keep our heads together, no Let's let the excitement of the building and the 76ers get the best of us and we have to keep them off the offensive boards.

I'm very happy with our position, considering the way we played, how much this means to him to win. the series here in his hometown of Philadelphia, he grew up in the suburbs of Lower Marion, as you know, he was a member of Philadelphia 76 and he literally grew up across the way, in the halls of Spectrum field, Grant Fox, out front, Rocket Five, is fully capable of recovering bounced by Grant Harris Grant surpasses that glory able to come out with it wow mark what a rush he missed his first three shots of the quarter he just wanted that ball and he recovered it and was able to knock it down what a point even that the three previous series against corbin and sacramento were resolved on the road, they've been seven and old on the road in this playoff race and kobe bryant is starting to feel it, he's just looking to run down, here's how the finishing workers have fared with a 15-1 streak the best playoff winning percentage of all time in the history of the league jackson congratulating the different teams the show of respect to kimber but what a moment I can't even imagine eight championships what he has done as coach this team they have responded a great time for the city of los angeles a great team right now any predictions for next year I will wait until October today well we have kobe bryant back and congratulations to kobe for the second time how is it finally to achieve this? dream here in Philadelphia something that you had wanted all your life in your hometown.

It was nice to come back to Philadelphia and play in a place where I honed my competitive skills and, you know, joked around the city of Philadelphia a lot. As far as you know, I'm more of a guy than the other guy, but it was fun to go back to Philly and play for the championship. You have 22 years.You've won two of these. Does this mean more than the first one? The first is always, it's always very special because you're showing people that you can do it. The second is as if you are showing that it is not a coincidence.

You know, the series against San Antonio, two champions, goes head to head. winning back to back definitely feels great considering everything you've been through this year, kobe, do you consider this some kind of relief and it almost broke your spirit at your lowest point? Well, I had so many things to do outside of the game of basketball that people didn't know about and it just felt good to come out on top this season to achieve another championship. You know it definitely feels good. Can you tell us what any of that was now? Are you willing to discuss that?

No, not really, I mean it was difficult, but you know that without stress there is no progress when you went out for 11 games, that gave you the opportunity to recover and come back with a different approach and try to put everything that had happened. in front of you, behind you, well, I think you know having some downtime really helped me put things into perspective and figure out what's important in my life. You know basketball, yes, you know it's a big part of my life, but that's not it. and you know, I was able to focus on the game, you know, a lot of the credit goes to my wife for not only hanging in there but also supporting my work ethic, you know, because I work all day consistently and she supported me a lot.

Credit goes to his final thought, Jerry West, I know he's meant a lot to you, he's not part of this celebration, how instrumental he was in fixing things with you and Shaq, well Jerry was just you know he's a point of inspiration , it's the NBA. logo for crying out loud, but no jerry has always been there for me from day one and, you know, we had a conversation during the season and he helped me put things into perspective from a game standpoint, and Shaq and I overlooked things. and I came out then uh you know what another title kobe congratulations we appreciate your time great year thank you can I go celebrate that absolutely can you go celebrate something we're going to have a lot more here from the first union center the los angeles lakers have now won consecutive championships their number one championship 13 overall we will come back for you, congratulations, you now become the youngest man at 23 to win three titles, how does that get you?

What does that represent for you? That's, you know, I've been blessed and I've been lucky enough to play with a great organization and to be the youngest player to win three. That's, you know, that's an incredible achievement. Did you have the feeling when you beat the Sacramento Kings that you had won the championship? No, you know the feeling that we You know we had a lot of momentum, we were obviously starting to play well together offensively and defensively, we felt like we were going to finance with a lot of momentum, how do you manage in the fourth quarter to turn a corner? things about that you slipped at least in the first three quarters of this series in the fourth quarter you were just the guy that closed the hatch I mean you know the fourth quarter is you know when the game is on the line so even though you know that maybe he's not throwing the ball you know damn well you know damn well the fourth quarter I can turn it up a little bit and what about this guy here, the man who saved the season, what do you think about Robert Horry when he did? that shot in game four, big shot, he steals, he knocks it down, the game is on the line, he gets his bracket going, you know you can count it, it's buckets, he won't miss it, that you wore number 23 here tonight representing to Michael Jordan in your t-shirt parade. why can't you have a t-shirt collection and not have mj in it that doesn't make any sense kobe thank you for all your cooperations congratulations you got it your love is a sword cutting softly my body burns so sweet blood boils when talking weakens me but I I refuse to cry even when I sleep I feel tears running down my cheeks stay strong pride telling me keep going my heart fights against me forcing me to hold on to yours forever I fell for you beyond measure pure as always for those who I don't know, yes, I had a musical career budding.

As a rapper it didn't last long, but I made a video and on the video set was where I met Vanessa, a basketball player at the time, so it was like you know. it's nice to meet you, it was a two day video shoot and I was always looking like I wanted to know where she was and I'd finish the shot and then go to my trailer but I was wondering where she was the whole time and then I walk out of the trailer and I just want to talk to her a little more between takes and stuff like that and she wrote down a phone number at the time when you still had to write down phone numbers and I called her the next day and we talked for hours she was just beautiful we literally did everything together, everything together and I thought I was a big idiot because I loved, I love Disneyland, I love Disney movies and stuff like that, but I never had the chance to go to I parked a lot and she was also a big Disney fan and we used to spend the time at Disneyland, we used to go to Magic Mountain, she became my best friend, you know, and for me it was very different to have someone who I was so. close because I had been so used to growing up in uh, really isolated and moving from place to place and making new friends all the time, so I never opened up to anyone because I knew I was inevitably going to move, but Now you know, being in Los Angeles and feeling like I'm going to be a Laker for the rest of my life and I just met this beautiful woman who I see the world the same way with.

We decided to get married, I propose to her. she said yeah we're both really young so I'd wake up go to training and come back and she's still in bed sleeping like 18 year olds do man she'll be asleep until 12 1 o In the hours in the afternoon, man, and then I'd go to bed with her and go back to sleep too and then, you know, we'd wake up and you know, we do what kids do, we do what kids do, I take him to the cage batting let's hit some balls like we were playing miniature golf, you know, we go to the movies, we went out to eat, it was a beautiful moment, man, we had an Italian, it was like such a beautiful moment, you know, because we were just starting out. our own family and I really enjoyed just being with our baby you know it was great and you setting up a nursery and you know the crib and all those weird baby einstein baby mozart videos where you're just hypnotizing your child we went through it all that, um, all of those things and when you're young you really have the tendency to think about your own personal journey and for us it was about taking two young people and trying to figure out our journey together and trying to grow together, which is a challenge. , but when you have a child it becomes even bigger because now you have the responsibility of this little life that you have to shape, it may be difficult for him to complain that he has a 71 million dollar contract with the Lakers and millions more in advertising sponsorships .

Madison Avenue loves her winning personality and even found a way to put her fluent Italian into practice. All this has made him one of the highest-paid 22-year-olds in the world. He recently bought a new toy. He was going to go. for robert since he was a little kid and uh, it's kind of a splurge opportunity, he's a ferrari modena, that's how he travels to the lakers training center in los angeles. Kobe Bryant lived with his parents until last year when he got engaged to vanessa lane they met two years ago when she was only 17. you start introducing yourself and you know she turned around I tapped on the show she turned around and told him I said: sorry, what is your name?

Vanessa, you know my eyes got really big and just like there was no one before her, I mean why would you have thought there had been 15 before Vanessa? So, was it the fact that you've been waiting for the right person or is she simply the one you married just a few weeks ago? Back when the playoffs were starting, now he and the Lakers are playing their best basketball of the season and seem destined for another NBA championship. If so, it will be a championship driven not only by strategy or star power, but also by a 22-year-old player. determined love for the game i am very, very lucky to be in this position you are playing the sport you love i absolutely love it just two years after this piece first aired a 19 year old hotel employee in colorado accused rape kobe bryant admitted to having sex with a woman but insisted it was consensual in the summer of 2004 charges were dismissed after the alleged rape victim refused to testify she and bryant reached an undisclosed settlement of A civil suit was filed six months later, but the charges in Kobe's response to them became a problem for the Lakers as the team struggled to handle their golden boy-turned-liability.

The media frenzy increased tensions that had always been there. existed between kobe and his teammate and co-superstar shaquille o'neal and between kobe and his zen but coach franco phil jackson so I'm innocent I didn't force her to do anything against him, I'm innocent I don't sit here in front of you , furious with myself, so I feel alone for making the mistake of adultery. I love my wife with all my heart she is my backbone you are a blessing your beats in my heart yes I breathe you are the strongest person I know and I am so sorry to have to overcome this I am going to put my family through this I am a human being I'm a man like everyone else I was born I cry like everyone else and uh yeah I'll sit here before you guys ashamed and embarrassed for committing adultery you know you go through the feeling Or if I could go back in time.

I love my wife so much, she is so special to me, but I am innocent and together, my wife, I and our family, we are going to fight against these false accusations that we have a lot of things. I have a lot at stake and that not only has nothing to do with basketball it has nothing to do with sponsorships nothing at all you know this is about us this is about our family I have been falsely accused of something I am innocent the shoulder, we are going to fight this always today and I thank everyone for their support and uh we need support and prayers now more than ever, thank you, they are going to win the three games in between, something that no team has achieved. home-made since they went back to a 2-3-2 format in 85.

There was actually a time in the mid-50s, believe it or not, when a home team won all three games in between, they were the pistons in the that they were. Fort Wayne, but of all the crazy things, they played those games in Indianapolis and beat the Syracuse Nationals without Phil Jackson being involved with the Detroit Pistons in 1990. Rick Fox finished the game hunched over his former teammate Lindsey Hunter and congratulating him as the clock ticks. who won the nba championship in 89 and 90 and the crazy people just have to stop blowing things up in closed buildings before we have a disaster thanks commissioner that the detroit pistons just shocked the los angeles lakers 187 to win the nba title nba the number two seed in the eastern conference and for the lakers it will really be the end of a particular era living in an apartment back and forth they go to Kobe Bryant the biggest question mark, of course, for him, yes, yes you take their career and divide it. basically on the numbers he wore, he had two hall of fame careers, so it's only fair that you need to retire both numbers. kobe ​​kobe kobe just an epic performance by kobe bryant the

black

kobe bryant came to the nba when he was 17 years old but former Lakers general manager Jerry West said he knew from the moment he saw him train that Kobe was special during the next 10 years.

West watches with pride as the boy who wore the number eight became a champion. Number eight was simply much more explosive. and athletic and when he went to the basket he was trying to make a basket I was trying to embarrass you kobe and shaq won three titles together and it's hard not to wonder how many more they could have won together but the lakers felt like they had to choose between them after the 2004 season and owner Dr. Jerry Buss chose Kobe two years later. Kobe made another change. The Lakers have notified the league. Brian will wear 24 next year.

Great players do it all the time and want to challenge themselves again. I think for him it was just changing numbers and trying to erase everything he did with the number eight and see if he can duplicate it with the number 24. There were different situations, different teammates, his role was different and he continued to reinvent himself. what the all-time greats tend to find a way to do 24 was more of a thinker, a guy who played chess while other people played checkers. I just saw Kobe much calmer. It was the first time I really saw him smile on the basketball court as much as he did and I think he enjoyed that I once asked Kobe what number he'd rather the Lakers retire: 8 or 24.

He paused for a minute, smiled and said that any number they chose would be difficult for someone else to use the other one, kobe does it the wayway kobe doesn't. I wouldn't overlook Kobe Bryant thinking, you know, I'm going to play ten more years and I'm going to play number 24. I'm going to have more or less identical numbers that number eight had and they're probably going to have to retire both jerseys, that's the type of guy. What motivates me now more than ever is winning another championship for Kobe Bryant. An elusive fourth title is once again within reach for Dwight Howard.

A first step on the most prominent stage of his sport. Magic Lakers game. One of the finals. from the nba is next on abc everything is on the line you want to give it your all because you never know what could happen and the other guard is number 24 6 -6 13th season out of high school laura marion kobe bryant three games five and six in the denver series brian comes in hard shot makes it he's yelling for a foul again this is simple basketball size advantage brian in the post over courtney lee and lakers defense help michael jackson's 6-0 run he likes to win by 39 in the new boston garden walking off the floor with green confetti falling on them while the celtics celebrated a loss so disappointing that they wondered what their hardest point was, we asked them Kobe Bryant, are they different this year?

We're a tougher team, a much tougher team, tougher mentally, tougher physically, I mean, we're, you know, the series we've had with Utah, Houston and Denver, those are three very physical teams, tough teams and um. You know we had to overcome adversity and, particularly in that Houston Denver series, and we managed to do it. Ryan is right on top of him and throws him away. Mark. Yesterday you saw Kobe Bryant. He's as serious as we've seen him all season. Right now, another pick-and-roll, good competition from Beatrice, 10-0 run by the Lakers, Kobe, last six, Kobe Bryant deflected by Nelson Brian, recovers it, moves away, hard shot, hit it Oh, what a shot by Coley Bryant, look. you should be in timeout right away you make a shot like that you have to go to silence bryant stops again kobe bryant with 16. little dream move right there great competition from beatrice best offense from brian this guy you put him in pick and roll with gasal, that's a tough, tough coverage, I want to get caught, let me dance one on one with the minor league, well in the first half before he committed his third foul, Bryant, tough shot, that's good, he might be having a of those nights. he already has 22 kobe bryant hit count it in one 26 for kobe bryant and a three point play opportunity well a very good screen by gasal very good use of the screen by bryant he reaches his right hand and you couldn't see the foul there where he cut his leg but again dwight howard's play is the right play for me the magic needs to cut a little more up and under a beautiful fit and they are standing in the center of staples while the Lakers Kobe Bryant on the drive reaches the basket.

Oh, what a move by Kobe Bryant as the shot clock expires, he's up 29 and the Lakers trail by 18. And he also has five rebounds. Ryan again, he's got that look, he's got that game. A couple of fakes on the shot clock at two, he's got to get it going, try to back it up and a brilliant Bobby Bryant foul here in the third quarter and the Lakers up by 22. Incredible on the offensive end, good defense, just better offense, ability to take the hit create your own photo something beautiful brian giving a clinic the man they call the closer not waiting until the fourth quarter to do his damage will probably get you made you cry that night in msg it's working whatever it is on a mission get guys involved and then go back in time talking to the guys on the bench excited after the plays the attitude the focus the

mentality

became happy it's basketball to the free point god gives it to kobe bryant excellent job executing the fast break take notes orlando magic size advantage over Courtney Lee good league, very good defense ryan just skillful two jumpers and then the well executed fast break from a magic turnover orlando leader bryant hits a three and thus it is reduced to seven I think the finger is good honey he just committed his fifth foul odom has five fouls, he makes good shots and the lakers go back by three 28 for kobe bryant leans for the two short rebounds taken by fischer the lakers look to push ryan turning in the back lane for the gaza freddy pass and it's Let's go back to a three point game and the critical part was pieta's excellent job of coming back early and making plays to talk about scoring.

We all know he has the ability to do this any time he wants, but down the stretch he makes plays to fall. off the power gasol cuts it from five to three and then double team a willing passer finds a spot for a long time for this moment you know and I'm ready to do it you know I don't want to wait I'm You know anything can happen and injuries of that nature, like that what do you mean you should really know that you had the opportunity to try to take advantage of it. He shoots the three and puts it on Kobe Bryant from the middle and takes it back to 16.

Kobe Bryant goes for it. stop the bleeding hand down man down turcaloo pays the price when Brian brings down a dagger three there are a lot of players who don't even make it to the NBA Finals in their career it's my sixth time here and I'm lucky enough to win three So far this means that I have been very lucky, anyone who has seen them all season is a resilient team, as we have seen Ryan on the drive banker, it is good, a number of Lakers fans that have been here throughout the arena ready to celebrate a championship. the final seconds are on when the bell rings it's official the lakers are nba champions once again they win the 2009 nba title those two came to the league at the same time two rookies with the lakers kobe bryant congratulations kobe bryant your fourth nba championship already A year ago, this time the Boston Celtics beat them all, what was your approach from that moment to this moment?

Well, we knew we had to become a better defensive team, consistently better defensively, better on the boards and you know, after that series he taught last year. us and we return this year with a renewed focus, all the critics, the fans, the media, we have all speculated why this title means something different than the other three, we don't want to speculate anymore why, well, just for the challenge, I want to say that it is very difficult, you know that to win a championship they have to start again from scratch. I mean, we started from scratch and you know, here we are again.

And this really feels like a dream. I mean, it doesn't even feel real right now. Is incredible. With 12 minutes left, you guys are up by 11. We saw you on the bench during a timeout and you were biting your nails. What were they thinking? So I couldn't wait for the clock to go down. You know I was just waiting and waiting and waiting for time to run out so we can, so this moment could finally be here throughout this entire finals, really throughout this entire playoff race, we've seen you in press conferences with very short answers. and cropped, you have frowned.

On your face, what does winning this mean to you right now? This means everything, I mean, we really worked so hard as a group, you know, we sacrificed so much, we put in so much time, so much effort and you know, it feels amazing to be here. a group of guys that are like brothers to me and you know we can all enjoy this together. How is it different for you as a man and as a player than you were seven years ago, the last time you won a championship? I think you just get better, you just grow as a person, you grow as a man and you know, you just try to find the best way to guide these guys.

I see you with your family. How are you going to celebrate tonight? Well, we'll probably let them have sodas and we can know spill a little bit of champagne just a little bit just a little bit congratulations kobe bryant and congratulations to the los angeles lakers kobe bryant's fourth nba championship the lakers' 15th nba championship as the second franchise of all time in nba history let's now go back to mike green mike okay stuart what a difference a year ago a year ago in game 6 of the mbs as the 2008-2009 season comes to an end for los angeles lakers once again on top we'll be back right after this timeout game one of the nba finals next on abc edgar high school 6'6 laura marian number 24 kobe bryant another guy just going for his fifth ring of championship allen over kobe bryant in this city the lakers so far in the post is a double for kobe Bryant talks about his high IQ.

He understood what the shot clock was at three seconds. He catches it and gets a quicker timeout. Boston. This is a good job by Pierce, he doesn't give up the forward position but fights with Brian looking to say that's not a foul, but you. I love the way the star players compete properly, but I figured in that case, once you've worked, drill a good spot and then adjust back because you're too valuable to open fire and go as far as the big guys. worried about setting big screens, no ball pressure on rocco when brian scores again when he hands those passes to ray allen so he can put it in, they'll get hurt on that play, bryant throws it over perkins talking about soft touch, he's 18.

He said that if Fisher were a Celt, he would have his number removed from turnover. Kobe Bryant Garnett inside Allen Oh blocked by Bryan Allen ready to throw it and Kobe Bryant rejects it. Barnett likes that right away, not even close to our test. grab the rebound forward for fischer fischer alley to bryant kobe bryant 12 points here in the third quarter the lead goes back to 13 feeling the moment host of the dump once brian says no on my watch get him out of here take a look chris rock sitting right next door by kobe bryant shooting the breeze the funniest man in the world telling jokes and check out kobe bryant i don't even listen to you i'm on a mission and i'm not going to criticize others because if i were kobe bryant sitting there i would have said something to Chris Rock.

In fact, the coaches, the players, everyone would have said something. This guy is a different breed. He is on a mission. Brian works hard to get the pass to Odom. Oda picks him up and he's in a great Kobe Bryant spot. but when you have to bend it in the post, as the Lakers will now improve to 9-0 at home, there are three finishing touches. The Lakers take the game. One. Ryan steals it again and throws it. The Celtics are careless in the final seconds for these injured players. Great officials are still on the court and I say Segway is the win, Brian, so the basket is played in a point game, Allen, that's a three, make those shots a little harder, Homie Bryant and a foul, and Rondo picks up his second personal. the Celtic ball still bounces Tony Allen over Bryant straight to the basket and puts it in and a foul good aggressive move by Kobe Bryant has nine points and it's a double-digit lead for the Angels it's a wild shot here it is oh for six perfect pass by Brian to Seoul To finish, they almost have an out-of-body experience.

The doorbell rings suddenly, that moment has arrived. You can't believe you're actually lifting that golden ball. Yeah, I mean, it's a big hard hit to influence. him by the body of the baseline and a step back dribble in the corner, three that should be labeled as unfair because if you play that good defense and a guy still does it consistently, that's just heart attempts, it makes him to do again. consecutive three-pointers for kobe bryant and the lakers go up by four he looks like that right now 21 for the game five of six from downtown for most three-pointers in a game happened in a regular season he and daniel never moved their feet again in the elevator you will find the offense At this moment Ryan on the pull-up Austin that is three lasers per sex with one minute to play a goal the soul the rebound takes it to Brian during the course of the regular season and even in the playoffs , but he has come up with some great performances bruce remembers in the conference he will not go to bounce to seoul he throws it in the fall he throws it ahead the lakers repeat consecutive titles the lakers the 2010 nba champions and the winner of the bill russell mvp of the nba finals is none Other than Kobe Bryant, okay, from one great champion to another, Kobe Bryant, your fifth NBA championship, how does this one stand out to you?

More than one, two, three and four. Well, this is the sweetest thing. Do you know what it is. We've been playing all the time. series the rivalry between us and the celtics because we had to focus on what we had to do but we understood how much the city wanted it, you know, there's no doubt about it and this is by far the sweetest because it's against them and because it's The hardest one by far, you said we had been playing especially, you were holding on, in fact you even said I can't get into the hype, how do you not get into the hype during the race?

Try not to try not so you know that tonight he brought out the best in me, you know he was, I was wondering if it's that bad and sometimes you want something so bad that it gets away from you and uh, my boys pick me up, I mean, no I can,I can't say enough. about the Spanish, but that guy, that guy is incredible and a great player and, uh, we wouldn't have won it without him. 15 rebounds, what were you, Kareem, out there? or oh well, we just had to crash into the bars, you know, they, you know.

Whoever won the rebound battle runs each game, so try to make an effort to go in and grab as many as you can. So far they have been involved in one of Phil Jackson's three triples. You have a chance below. year for your second, his fourth, what are you going to say to him to try to convince him to come back? Well, you know he knows how much I want him back. He knows that I've told him that I've been openly direct about it and I told him how much I want him back and, you know, let's go for it again, let's go for it again.

Okay, congratulations to Kobe Bryant on his second NBA Finals MVP award, so I just want to thank the entire Lakers organization again for his service. for the great joy they have brought to the city of Los Angeles, but also for the incredible competition with which their organization has graced the basketball court for decades. If this season is anything like last season, I know you guys have your place in the NBA Finals. So we may see you here shortly, but we are very grateful for your presence here today. We give them a big round of applause. One last thing.

I was also told that Mr. Brown intends to win the dunk contest. So, so, so, so. We'll see how, uh, how that goes, let's break the podium, let's get, uh, a formal photo, that's right, okay, let's go okay, here I get my official manufacturer jersey, okay, okay, congratulations. again guys and thank you very much, thank you very much, here comes the experience and that is what you are going to need to make the playoffs. He does it to Clay Thompson. He returned the favor at the finish line. Use his left arm and get rid of him. the clay a little bit and then all of a sudden he's alone behind the arc, it's not, it's not like my fingers picked him up and he took him down, it's not like monty mccutchen wasn't staring at him, though in his playoff deciding game against minnesota he was nine for nine in the first half colby splash outside brian has started to warm up he has made his last three from the field bryant attacking the baseline and runs into a festus stone wall and is holding his left knee yeah i hope that he just hit his knees, but the way he holds that thing and lays down doesn't seem like it's something that's just a hit on me right now, Kobe and this is the whole season and it was four for four since then, although more than six as he has done. he's spinning in trouble oh and he's limping he's hurt kobe is hurt and I don't know if he'll be able to continue this could be the same knee he hurt no this is different oh this is the right foot or the right leg I mean Barnes is very slow coming back the other way, Brian in the lane put it in and yeah all of a sudden the paint protection went wrong, here's Kobe going to the rim and scoring 93.

Kobe from behind spinning, shooting, scoring. another look at kobe behind the back and then a spin move to the middle, nice little floater, there's a little jumper, yes, yes, but steph curry has the answer, it seems like every time blake had the initial task, he It was 32 minutes, Coleman, three, yes, a big one. brian from outside 107 104. three point game five minutes left colby guarded by rookie harrison barnes kobe one on one isolated by the time he gets it back he's fighting he'll stay down there for a while to massage that left ankle a little harrison barnes picks up the fouls the warriors ran out of fouls the lakers have three this fourth kobe gets help up he's dead so kobe bryant can't continue i guess he'd go straight to the locker roomnever question the heart, the emotion, the courage, the tenacity and the other forward last time, number 24 on the field and that's where he's been scoring this year.

Oh, turn back the clock to block Trevor Booker and desperate to get to the basket and score at the basket now down here you'll see the nice reaction you know back in the day when he was a defender, let's face it, he was 12 times in the entire defense nine times in the first team now you like the reaction here because he's double teamed and they put pressure on him but he said qb and I'm anxiously waiting for the email to find out where we're going. Kobe, the cute number two, as they play tonight, there is no doubt for the Lakers, yes, they like his talent. he has a lot of bounce, a lot of energy every night, he gives him a strong move moving towards the basket, oh, nice and one, and also Nancy's quickness in picking up Toby off the floor, oh, here's your pick and roll right now , it was a selection. take a step back you're going to play soft i'm going to get that jumper now this is just kobe at his best he knew there was a potential shot but I saw him go under it so the defender couldn't try to block the shot big move 250 guy getting everything loose kobe oh oh boy four in a row for bryant by nance come on you gotta get a score here job this is looking for kobe for three yeah look he said hey eubie I heard the three for 16.

I'm just I'm leaving you to keep quiet there a 40 point game for the 122nd time for the first time since November 2014 kobe comes out in style that jordan didn't against the bulls bryant here hits another three 43. guarded by brian who has the board the hit ahead a clarkson good look up good pass as this farewell season progresses many have been asked what was your kobe moment what is your favorite moment just look at all the pictures from the lakers to team usa the 81 point game In this building against Toronto a decade ago the championships the parades the celebrations a lot of people didn't like Kobe rooted against him over the years because he came in and wanted that adversarial relationship with the visiting fans, but this year it's been hugs with the big players from the other teams in their farewell night double comes the launch into lake clarkson clarkson shot clock we have nine players from brazil this year i think that would really surprise baby 45 deangelo russell for the lakers all night every time he feels pain is what byron scott has referred to him as he and kobe have a very special and unique bond brian gets to the basket and has 47 points the crowd here at staples as kobe gets to the line maybe for the last once hayward evaluating larry nance the basket had been thrown into kobe's hands we'll see if he gets 50 here bryant going to the basket there it's a 50 point game in his six point farewell game so the lakers are in this one for the se Stretch and there's the first player to end his career with a 50-point game in the last 30 minutes.

Brian from the 14th. He's got 53 incredible things tonight, you're getting excited about this 50-point business. Okay, Kobe's got the guys. Lakers for the last time. three until the last piece of him that was left here tonight scored the Lakers' last 13. He's got 56 stamina points tonight, the fact that he's been working so hard from half-court to the rim on so many drives, the fact that he's still the skill is in Russell's three rebounds here's a chance. of the lakers losing one kobe will give them one last player bryant on the move with the jumper 58 points and the lakers lead so he has been great and on his last night it is one last glimpse of greatness for chisel 60. utah will take the court with hayward 13 seconds left hayward on the drive layup no good rebound falls into kobe's hands he throws it forward to clarkson and clarkson will make it 4.1 to go to timeout utah kobe and Shaq together once again in a moment of glory for the Lakers and Bryant will leave here.

Oh, when you look around the building, there is a lot of applause and also some tears. Some people are teary-eyed and emotional at this moment. Lyles misses and the Lakers close out. kobe ​​bryant's career with a victory and one of the great farewell performances in any sport at any time written by one of the nba's all-time greats kobe bryant 60 points 23 in the fourth quarter of his farewell game you know it's uh, I can't believe me how fast 20 years went by, I mean, this is crazy, this is absolutely crazy and, you know, standing here at center court with you, my teammates behind me. , and appreciate all this, you know the journey we have been on.

I know we've been through our ups and downs and I think the most important part is that we all stayed together through it all. You know, I grew up, I grew up a hardcore, I mean a hardcore Lakers fan, I mean, I knew that. everything about every player that ever played here, to be drafted and then transferred to this organization and spend 20 years here, I mean, you can't, you can't write anything better than this and I'm more proud, I'm more proud. about the fact that it's not about the championships it's about the bad years because we didn't run, we didn't run, we played through all that stuff and we got our championships and we did it the right way and all I can do here is just thank you guys, thank you guys for all the years of support, thank you guys for all the motivation, thank you for all the inspiration and, you know, what's funny, what made me laugh all night was the fact that I went through 20. years of everyone yelling to pass the buck and last night they said don't pass it, this has been, it's been absolutely beautiful, you guys can't believe it's over, you guys will always be in my heart and uh, honestly, I love it.

I truly appreciate, there are no words that can describe how I feel about you and uh, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart, God, I love you and uh, I love you and my family, my family, my wife Vanessa, our daughter. It's Natalie and Gianna, you know, thank you guys for all your sacrifice, you know, for all the hours I spent in the gym working and training and Vanessa, you support the family the way you have, I can't, there's no way that I can thank them. You are enough for that, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you and what can I say?

Mamba in our exclusive interview with number 24, Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, who retires at the end of the season, finishing in incredible fashion. 20-year career with the Lakers I went face to face with Kobe about his big decision. It's the end of an era. The records are shattered. The respect earned. Now, after 20 years and five NBA championships, Kobe Bryant will say goodbye to his first love. basketball, everyone wants to know why now is the right time, there's no point harping on it or dragging it out or saying, well, leave the door open in case I don't know, something can change, I don't think this is something that it is a decision that you can allow to have outside influence dictates whether you continue playing or not it should be a decision that comes from your friend so once I knew this was I could also say so how did you know this was? at least 15 minutes of still time and just sitting in my thoughts in the morning and just meditating normally what happens with me is that my mind would always drift to the game and then I would find myself sitting there, my mind wouldn't drift. towards the game all the time and that's when I started to realize that you know what's coming up, it's coming up not just 20 years but 20 years with the same team, the Lakers, how important it is to you, extremely means everything for me, I was like that. a huge laker fan when i was a kid, i mean like a die-hard laker fan, i had magic posters, you know, magic t-shirts, my dream was to be a laker from los angeles, so you know, be here for 20 years. and know.

For some of my mentors it's been a dream come true and the fans of the letter you wrote you wanted to talk to your fans first, because I think it was important to know how much they meant to me, the letter itself still doesn't. I don't do it justice and how important they've been, how vital they've been in my career and, I mean, we grew up together and that's such a beautiful thing, was it a slow process getting here or was it just one? of those lights that went out and you said it was a slow process now and it was something that evolved over the last three years, you know, with the Achilles injury that really scared me because you know it was like my career could be over now.

I got scared, what am I going to do next? Then I trained hard. I returned the following season. I fractured my knee. I trained even harder. I went back to my shoulder again and it was like, "Oh, this is one thing after another, and that's how it went." It was a slow process of three years of evolution to get to where I am. The 17-time All-Star calls herself his biggest critic and admits this season is far from his best. Do you feel like you are being treated fairly? this season is your last one and everything you've done for the sport, yeah, I mean I wouldn't have it any other way, you can't just sit around waiting for everyone to praise you for as long as you have so you can take the lead.

Good with bad, one of the most important things I could share with the younger generation is to accept everything, not have expectations or depend onyou carried during those 20 years. We're retiring both of your numbers because if you separated each of the achievements under those numbers, each of those players would qualify for the hall of fame. I am honored to represent all Lakers fans here tonight and they overwhelmingly asked me to express their gratitude and appreciation for everything they have done. In fact, I am quoting some of them here. Thank you Kobe for your incredible work ethic, you never give up and somehow you figure out how to impose your will on a game and change the outcome single-handedly.

Thanks Kobe, you showed us what happens when you work harder. fear with a relentless

mamba

mentality that teaches us that failure is a non-existent concept. Thank you Kobe, not only for improving the players on your team, but you also forced your opponents to improve their game. Thank you Kobe for inspiring a generation of fans to fall in love with the game, thank you kobe for playing through enormous pain and sometimes putting the team on your back to get us to the finish line and kobe, I thank you for staying loyal to the purple and golden and remain a laker for life when it could have been easier for you to leave, we asked for your effort and you gave us your heart, which was so much more, you showed us how to win with sheer will, hard work and perseverance, you have always You left your mark on this franchise, your legacy. is much bigger than basketball, no one will ever wear 8 or 24 for the Lakers again because they are retiring them, the time has come Lakers fans please direct your attention to the southeast corner of the arena where the number eight and number 24 will hang forever. we honor one of our lakers great kobe bright ah thank you thank you um I mean you know it's uh thank you so much for tonight um but you know it's not it's not about my jerseys that are hanging there for me you know it's about the jerseys that were hanging there before um and without them I couldn't be here today they inspired me to play the game at a high level magic cap shaq pushing me every day baylor chamberlain goodrich west worthy it goes on and on and secondly it's about this organization of classes and uh jerry buss your dad believes in a skinny old guy from lower marion high school in philadelphia and it's also about the next generation it's about this current roster of lakers that we have here you know it's about embodying the spirit that exists in those jerseys up there and move this organization forward so that the next 20 years are better than the last 20 years and that's what it's about and it's also about the fans, the fans, the media, uh, I don't think you guys understand how present you were with me, you know, you were there with me at 5:30 in the morning when I was running on the track and I was halfway through my training and I didn't know if I could make it and I thought about the expectations. you have what you have for me and you have it for our team and that pushed me to overcome those 800 and 400 and 100 at 5 30 in the morning so I thank you uh it's about family it's about my wife vanessa you know Guys don't know this, but the last game, my last game, uh, that we had here against the Utah Jazz, I was really tired, and I came home and I was like, you know what?

I don't know if I can do this. I have one. I have more game left, I don't have legs and she said I want to show you something. I have a gift for you for your last game and she proceeded to show me a row of retired baylor for magic jerseys from shaq de cap, all with signed personal messages for me, even for michael jordan, even from the great bill russell, including the great larry bird and when I saw that I knew I had to upload it, so thanks honey for being an inspiration. for me and uh and lastly our daughters natalia gianna and bianca um you know, I hope it's not tonight, you know, you know that if you do the work, you work hard enough, dreams come true, you know that everyone We know, but hopefully.

What you get from tonight is the understanding that those times when you get up early and work hard, those times when you stay up late and work hard, those times when you don't feel like working, you're too tired, right? I don't want to push you but you do it anyway um that's actually the dream that's the dream it's not the destination it's the journey and if you guys can understand that then what you're going to see happen is you're not going to make it. your dreams your dreams will not come true something bigger will and uh if you can understand that then I'm doing my job as a father thank you very much guys I love you and um um the eloquence of kobe bryant what a night What a celebration, very familiar in his speech , highlighting his wife and three daughters, means a lot to him.

This great Lakers organization. The Bus family for continuing to believe in him, a Laker for life. Kobe.bryant number eight number 24 forever hanging in the rafters of the Staples Center, the only thing I wanted to say was a no-brainer, the fact that they would both go up, but I think what matters most is the message that Kobe sent to the fans, but most importantly the message it sent to the current Lakers roster about what is needed for the journey Hi Colby, over here, so driving around today I'm sure you saw the crowd of people outside of all these people and not even You're going to play tonight, I mean you.

Have you been retired? Is the effect you have on this city that you're ever in all of that or is it something you can feel? um, you know, it's weird, man, it's um, you know, because growing up, I just wanted to play basketball, you know what I mean, and then I wanted to win championships, I wanted to be considered one of the greats and all this stuff. that were very internally driven, individually driven and as you get older, as I sit here, now I come. Realizing that it's not really about those things, those things have a greater meaning to them and it's about how well you can affect or impact others, not from the sense of fandom or whatever the case may be, but to through your actions, your behavior, your commitment.

For the game, how can that inspire people to be so committed in whatever field they choose to be a part of? And that's where I think the connection we have and we feed off that energy. I have felt your energy. for many, many years and um and I think that's the reaction you're seeing, Ted Sobel on the right, hello, gulp, it's good to see you again, I remember the first day you walked on the ground and I'm thinking about that little boy. Right now he is still inside you somewhere. Can you go back there and even think about imagining that this has happened and just the emotions of dealing with all this praise and at the same time you've had a chance to look outside and see what's going on?

In the land of Kobe, I haven't had a chance to look outside and see, I mean, I saw him driving and, uh, I like what you know what I mean, it's kind of like um and then secondly, uh, I can remember being again. a child because that child inside me has never left, you know, all the years that I've been playing here, that child inside me has never left, I mean, one of the first things I did when I entered the forum when The lights were off. It was dimly lit downstairs and I looked up and I looked at all the jerseys that were there because I had seen it so many times on videotape before and uh, before every game I made it a point to look up and remind myself what I'm playing for, you know how I got here and what we stand for, appreciate all of this as you evolved as a person, well, recognition comes in moments, it comes in increments, you know, it's like you go through a moment in time and you realize you're going too fast, you don't really get the chance to appreciate everything that's happening so you take a moment and appreciate it but the reality is you can't stay there you know what I mean because then you can never grow and evolve properly so there are moments of appreciation and then eventually you have to move on and focus with your head down on what comes next, second row in the central leaderboard of Clay Thompson doing things with body armor and Kevin.

While he's doing something with Nike, what kind of business prospects has he offered any of those guys? Well, I'm just talking about being a part of brands that you believe share the same core values ​​as you and then everything else tends to fall into place. place, you know it, but you have to find a connection with the brands and what they represent and what you represent, what you want to represent and then everything else is taken care of only at

mamba

sports academy we adopt the mamba mentality the mamba mentality is a constant curiosity asking questions how can I be better today than yesterday that means bringing passion to the process it means bringing the maximum effort required to be great here we think for ourselves and our goals are ours we take responsibility for the work required to achieve those goals mamba sports academy is where we evolve and we have fun, it has to be fun, this is where we become better members of our team, our family and our community and ultimately the best version of ourselves, so it's great to see Kobe in a different role each night.

How would you describe your training style? We teach you all the basics: fundamentals, right footwork, moving without the ball, handling the ball, passing, cutting and rebounding, boxing like all the basic things, you relax and let them find their own way, a lot of patience. Patience, man, they're 12 years old. you just have to be patient, let them develop, let them grow, are you surprised at all with how amazing, how fast they became, how quickly they improved, that's amazing because we've only been doing this for 10 months when they started they could barely dribble shooting all those things and now I want to say they have improved a lot in 10 months, man, the only thing Kobe always talks about is that you get better by practicing, working out and putting in the time, but our girls play basketball or work out seven days a week. week in the summer, it's a double session and at first you think it's a little crazy, he says, well, yeah, but you want to be the number one coach, mom, man, you know? he's putting it, you know he's, you can see he wants to, you know, go out there at some point, but no, man, he's a great coach.

I'm learning a lot, you know, even as a father, just by watching his training style. tell them something and he'll make noises we have a list of his noises and he'll say and then they'll go and do it exactly like he says or daddy will go and then they'll make it better it's just weird definitely a very compassionate bouncer to these girls shows a lot of love for what he does and for those girls and the team and what they are becoming, yes, they are mine until they go to college, so this team is the plan we have.

What I have instead of how I teach them is a six year plan and how I teach the game, so you're teaching in increments, you're teaching piece by piece by piece, which is very patient as soon as that happens, what you should cut right behind that so now you have two options, you did well improve every day let's improve every day that's it let's improve every day oh oh the family thing here at the aces season opener I'm joined by Brian's Kobe and Gigi , now Kobe starts with you as a pure fan of the game watching this league grow from 1997 to now, where it's what it's like to see that growth.

Well, it's amazing to see the progress that has been made and still understand it. The league is still in its infancy and the amount of growth it will have in the next few years will be incredible and you were part of a dynasty with the Lakers. People say that aces have a chance to be the best. wnba dynasty adding cam beige wilson plum mcbride i mean going down the list is what you see in this lineup i certainly see that level of potential and the hardest thing to do is tune out the noise and the expectations of others and Just focus on hard work every day, but they certainly have that ability and Gigi, I'm a little afraid to ask, but who are you rooting for today?

The aces, are you okay? Awesome, so I'm looking at the list, who are some of your favorites? players with the aces um asia wilson and jackie young and as the reigning rookie of the year i mean asia wilson took the league by storm last year if we've really only seen the tip of the iceberg how much do you look at her and kelsey plum ? and fine-tune your games and try to do what they do on the field. I try to watch as many movies as I can so I can get more information, more inspiration and finally for you, what would it be like to one day be a wnba player?

I think you're serious, I mean everything, good night and thank you very much for joining us. Tonight we will begin with the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. FBI and NTSB investigators are scouring a hillside outside Los Angeles where the helicopter was located. carrying Brian, his daughter and seven other people crashed, CBS News has learned that the pilot received special permission to fly despite the poor weather conditions, meanwhile, fans continue to gather at the Staples Center leaving tributes where Brian played For most of his career, he joined the NBA as a teenager and after 20dazzling seasons as one of the all-time greats, time magazine has already issued a commemorative issue and there is news tonight in the basketball hall of fame, dana jacobson will have more information about bryant and his legacy in just a moment in the kobe ​​mamba sports academy Word spread quickly.

I'm still in shock. I still can't believe this is the real loss of a legend. The world is mourning the sudden and tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna at approximately 9:45 a.m. helicopter crashed into the side of a hill killing everyone on the board medium brush we have smoke small plane down with brush involved thousands of fans gathered to mourn Kobe leaving flowers, hats and t-shirts outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles to pay tribute to the basketball icon i just posted on my wall everywhere i've lived since i was a kid i'm 30 now i had this poster in my room everywhere i moved he was my hero show his love and support it's a sad day that Pokey isn't Here, but all of these people are a testament to all the greatness he has brought to Los Angeles.

I grew up in a Lakers family. I admired Kobe. He was my inspiration. He was my idol. He is one of my idols. Know. I grew up when he was a kid watching. They played basketball they came to the movies Staples Center they played Canada parades Kobe was one of her first words and she grew up a Kobe fan. I don't know why he impacts me so much. It's still chills. I really can't express it. Full words, it's nice to be here surrounded by those who feel your pain. I just want to be surrounded by people who feel the same way.

You know, I mean, it's a tough day. You feel like you just lost a member of your family. The games continued as scheduled, but Kobe was not far from his mind. The NBA and the game of basketball will mourn this loss together. Please join us in a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant. Rest in peace. Mamba Trey Young of the Atlanta Hawks wore a jersey with the number eight. in honor of his idol kobe instead of his usual number 11 and pj tucker of the houston rockets wrote love ukb24 on his sneakers right here in new york city madison square garden changed their exterior lights to lakers purple and gold and a fan changed new york bryant park subway sign to kobe bryant park below, emotional tributes are pouring in from kobe's fellow nba players magic johnson admitted his mind was racing wrote i love him his family and what he represented inside and off the court shaquille o'neal posted photos with his former teammate writing i'm sick right now and michael jordan released a statement saying he was a little brother to me dwyane wade couldn't hide his pain in this tearful video today is one one of the saddest days of my life, it seems like a bad it's like a bad dream I know we all feel the same about something so great, he's a great leader, that's a great champion, shaq, you're the first guy in the What I thought when I heard this news the other day, of course I spoke up. to you, Charles, and Kenny later that afternoon, but then I saw that you had received a text from Kobe that morning or that Sharif had received one.

How have you been during the last 48 hours? So the other day I was down. working out with my son is shakira, my nephew columbus and my other nephew comes in crying and he shows me his phone and I yelled at him, I said, man, get out of my sight, just get him away from me, you know, we live in a world where any anything could be photoshopped, anything could be misleading, I didn't want to believe it and then I got your call, Charles Kenny, everyone called me and then we found out it was confirmed and I haven't felt pain this sharp in a long time.

We, our names would be linked by what we did. People always ask about our relationship and I tell them it's like Charles and me. You have two determined people who will do it that way. things respect will never be lost but when it comes to staying inside the lines and winning that's what him and I that's what we did that's what charles and I that's what we do it was like some kind of triple triple stab in the heart because afterwards you cry and wonder about it and then I go back to the Internet. Rick Fox is on the plane, so now I'm even sicker.

I'm going to call Rick, he doesn't answer, so now I'm, I'm like. What's happening and then the final blow? His lovely daughter was with him in the helicopter. You know, every time I see his lovely wife and his kids, I do the same with Kenny's kids and the kids. Hello, my name is Uncle Shaq, I don't. I don't know if you know me as a basketball player, it doesn't matter, I'm just Uncle Shaq. I try to make him laugh and he would do the same. Sharif called me devastated and said, Kobe, just text me to check in and see how he is. doing and he used to do that from time to time, you know, it makes me think that in life sometimes, instead of repressing certain things, we should do, wait, wait, okay, come on, we, up here, work a lot and I .

I think a lot of times we take for granted things like I don't talk to them as much as I need to to the fact that we're not going to be able to joke around at their hall of fame ceremony. I'm not going to be able to say hello I'm five you're four the fact that we're not going to be able to say if we had stayed together we could have gotten ten those are the things you can't get back and with the loss of my father, my sister and my thing, that's the only man. I wish I could tell you something again.

The last time I talked to him was when we were here and I asked him to get 50 and he got 60. last time. time I talked to him and I wish I could know, so it definitely changes me. I have to do it because I work a lot. You know what I do. I work probably harder than average, but I really have to do it now. time and just calling and saying I love you rick fox finally called me he said man I love you b-shaw called me so I'm going to try to do a better job just reaching out and talking to people instead of always procrastinating because you never know , life was too safe, I never, I could never imagine anything like this, I was thinking the other day, I've never seen anything like this, all the basketball idols I grew up with, I see them, they're old like I used to. be at home when you came to interview me early i used to watch the big mile round bounce round now i'm working with them i used to want to be dr j he lived next door to my mom in orlando my dad used to tell me about the three great men, he I met him, I saw him and the fact that we lost probably the best Lakers in the world, the best basketball players in the world.

I just hear people are going to say take your time and get better, but that's how it will be. It's hard for me, I don't sleep anymore anyway, so I'll figure it out. My condolences to his family, his mother, his father, his sisters, the other families, everyone involved, the Laker organization, I talked to Genie and Linda and uh. People here are hurting, especially in this organization. You know, some people have to get treatment and people just don't understand why it hit all of us out of the blue. I didn't want to believe it, I told myself, I hope someone has some butt.

The face made this up and it's not true, I didn't want to believe it and after getting all the calls and finally you finally you were worried, just that, you know, my spirit just left my body, I just wish I could be. Able to say one thing to the last thing to the people we lost because you know that once you're gone, you're gone forever and you know we should never take things like that for granted, be who you are, be who. you are and and I mean in a sense you know we all go through things and I think it's just being aware of what you're experiencing in that moment where there's frustration, whether it's anger, whether it's joy or sadness.

I know it's okay to experience those things because we all know them, I think it's just about accepting where you are and once you do, it's very easy to let go of that and move on, and I think the most important thing is to find what is. . is that you love to do, that is the most difficult part and it required work as if basketball was born to play, but the second phase, what we are doing, required a lot of work, a lot of soul searching, a lot of research, trying things, but when You find what you love to do and then you wake up each morning with a sense of purpose.

You know, my life has been great. I fell into a big routine. You know, I work out at five in the morning and take the kids. to school um have breakfast with my wife go to the office to work there pick up the kids and then from there you know volleyball here basketball here soccer there that's my routine once you have the passion, what you're passionate about now you can look at other people or other entities or other things or works of art and you can extract things from that that help you be better at what you do by looking for those common denominators that you wake up in the morning and you dread going go to work friend do something else do something else thing and those are hard decisions to make but when you make those decisions it's a very liberating experience uh I guess you just sit in the moment and then you let whatever is inside of me in that moment just come just move forward I think that preparing for things like this isn't really true, you just have to sit in the moment, absorb it and then whatever comes out, will come out in 20 years.

Let's talk about your legacy in basketball? or invest, which would you prefer to invest? You know, listen to playing basketball, you know, the focus is always on winning, winning championships, winning championships, winning championships, now championships come and go, there will be another team that will want another championship, another player that will win another MVP award, but. If you really want to create something that will last for generations, you have to help inspire the next generation. It's not about your opponent, it's about you, it's about taking it and your struggles and channeling them through the game as a way to properly unleash.

So now it became a question of how do I express that to them, how can I get them to that point where they realize this for themselves and he wanted to call me and encourage me and tell me don't change for them, you have to stay. concentrated if you want to be one of the greats of all time you have to study the greats of all time you have to be obsessive with what you do and how you do it the best way to demonstrate your value is to work is to learn is to absorb be a sponge , you always want to develop your potential, you know that no matter how hard you think you can work, you can work harder than that, so it's not about going beyond your limitations or expectations, that's really the key and when. you do that, then the world seems limitless in the last few seconds, wow, because the man is in that new painted imaginary circle, I think that's what the fans came to see and you talk about elevation, he approached the raptors before deciding put someone on a sign welcome to the kobe show how good is this kid he finally got a champion wins the game there's what happens