The final stage of the World Cup in China brought together several illustrious players from the FIBA world, as well as one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA: Kobe Bryant, who fulfilled the role of ambassador of the world championship.
In the semifinals, there was a luxurious courtside meeting as Kobe sat next to Emanuel Ginobili, who traveled to the Asian land to be close to his former teammates in a historic moment. Six months after Kobe’s death in Los Angeles, we remember the shocking phrase in which he referred to the Argentine.
In a press conference, Kobe himself praised the masterful work of the Argentine perimeter with the Spurs jersey: « I was pretty angry with Manu, because if he hadn’t been there, he would have had 10 rings. He has always been one of my favorite players. He’s the ultimate competitor, extremely smart.
Recall that Bryant accumulated five championships throughout his career with the Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010), while Manu won four titles (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014).
Kobe also recalled the moment shared in the semifinal between Argentina and France: « It was fun to sit with him because he sees the game like I do, in a very analytical way. Before, we were competing with each other. and it’s good that now you talk to me and tell me what you think. We will never compete with each other again, now it will be all about strategy. It was nice to catch up because we hadn’t talked in a long time. » On January 26, 2020, just 4 months after that conference, Kobe lost his life in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gigi and several other passengers. The worst tragedy.
Source: RA NBA
