Growing up in Italy where his father Joe played as an import, Bryant didn’t only learn how to speak Italian and Spanish but also how to play football. “It’s a beautiful sport,” he said. “It helped me develop as a kid. It certainly helped my footwork and gave me more mobility and strength in doing different pivots and switching my feet on the court.”
Regarding the possibility of a Filipino someday making it to the NBA, Bryant said it’s just a matter of time. “If you’ve got a good player, no matter where he’s playing, the NBA will find him,” said Bryant. “That’s how global the NBA is now. Every time I come back to Manila, everybody’s improving. Coaches play an important role in teaching players. They shouldn’t be screamers or yellers. They should be patient and know how to talk the game. The key is to be able to teach.”
Bryant said after the Lakers were swept by Dallas in the recent Western Conference semifinal playoffs, the priority is to work harder in the offseason and get ready for the next campaign. “We’re moving on,” he said. “We’ve had a great run, playing in seven finals in the last 12 seasons. But it’s back to working harder than ever.”
As for a Bryant statue outside the Staples Center, he said, “One day, that would be nice – if that’s something they feel like they want to do for me, I’d welcome it.” And Bryant added he’ll end his NBA career with the Lakers.
Playing for the US at the Olympics was an unforgettable experience for Bryant and he said he plans to do it again in London next year. “I loved it in Beijing,” he said. “I had a great time. One of my favorite things to do was to sit in the cafeteria and meet all those tremendous athletes, the best in the world, talking to them, trying to learn how they train, where they come from and what their stories are.”
Bryant said the transition of playing against NBA rivals and joining them on the US team was easy. “It wasn’t much of a transition for me because I’ve won more than they have,” he chuckled. “As far as the trash-talking goes, the buck stops here and there’s nothing you can say.”
Bryant said he often works out with former NBA star Chuck (The Rifleman) Person but his stroke remains the same. “Chuck’s a workaholic like me,” he said. “When I come to work out four hours before practice, he’s there. So we do things together. He can still shoot it. He’s the Rifleman. My stroke hasn’t changed at all. Chuck’s a great scorer. He and I kind of just talk and we go back and forth. We just work out together.”
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