USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, respected widely in the game, announced a surprise to his team in December 2023, months before Juju Watkins put the Trojans in the race for the elite eight. Gottlieb revealed their new sneaker collection, gifted by the Mamba and the Mambacita Sports Foundation: the Nike Kobe 8 Protro, with each pair matching USC colors.
“I think, a lot of times, about people who cared before it was the thing. And you all know, who’s been here, Kobe cared before it was the cool thing to care about women’s basketball,” Gottlieb told his team As his voice cracked. She wiped away a escaping tear. “I think the greatest thing you can do is leave a legacy. I think that’s one of his legacies. Yes. Women’s basketball matters. Girls basketball.
It was a touching moment, one orchestrated by Vanessa Bryant – an illustration of its resilient meaning. One of the country’s most respected coaches, leading a women’s basketball program, hailed him as a champion of their sport. And it is part of a growing chorus.
On the fifth anniversary of his astonishing death, Bryant lives. Yes, in the statues. In jerseys No. 8 and 24 Lakers. Inspired by many current NBA stars. Into the culture and ethics of the NBA.
But also to Sabrina Ionescu and Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale. In the Orange WNBA hoodie. In every celebrity who stops on the court at WNBA games. In every young girl working on her sweater and her crossover, grinding for a crown, she is convinced that she deserves. In Juju.
“Kobe’s legacy is so much more than basketball,” Loyd said. “It’s a lifestyle. He had an impact on the minds of so many people. The hearts of so many people. He knew basketball could be a ship, but the knowledge he had could be passed down forever. »
Kobe was a Hooper. And his aura, validation and embrace extended immeasurably through women’s hoops. He confirmed that they were also hoops. He was an advocate for them reaching the mainstream of sports fandom. He shared their belief of value. His value to them and their game is undisputed.
Although he is gone, they still feel him.
“I think if he saw where it is right now, he would be so proud,” Skylar Diggins-Smith said of Kobe. “He was always a supporter of our league and the people of our league. And really making sure that he stood up as an advocate as far as resources and providing the support. … He made sure he positioned himself to hold space for all of us and our sport. … His fingerprints are all over our game today. »
Being about 20 years ago is to understand the importance of this result for Kobe, the champion of female athletes. In 2003, when he was accused of sexual assault, it sparked a 14-month saga that transformed Kobe from Lakers hero to national villain.
Consider the massiveness of his scandal, the vitriol he had earned, and the depths of his fall from grace. It’s wild to think about how this guy — flying between court appearances in Eagle County, Colorado, to playoff games at Staples Center — became this guy.
Call it irony. Describe it as atonement. Credit it to redemption. Deems it unacceptable. Or even stir it up to the inevitable conflicts of the lifespan of a truly complex figure. But Kobe’s impact on women’s basketball is as unmistakable as it is profound.
Her comprehensive legacy and lasting impact must include her role in changing paradigms about women’s play. The WNBA’s current elevated status, and its pending brilliance to come, is partially attributable to the Mamba stamp.
“He was the first one I saw consistently and to the masses promoting it,” Steph Curry said of Kobe. “Not just Gigi’s team, but girls’ basketball in general. He spent his time reaching out – obviously his relationship with Sabrina, showing up at the games, what he did at the Academy and opening facilities for them. He was an incredible role model for putting his name and stamp on women’s basketball as something to invest in. »
The WNBA is seeing new heights in interest and business potential. A new, unmatched 3×3 women’s league launched last summer – all orchestrated by WNBA players on the basis of the viability of the sport. Women’s college basketball is as mainstream as ever. The best women’s players, at every level, are due to shine and adore, unlike most of their predecessors who dominated in silos.
These women are responsible for their greatness because of their talent and hard work. But Kobe saw them. And when Kobe saw you, then you were seen.
Kobe was tangible in that way to them. Via phone calls and training sessions. Through public praise and recognition. By attendance.
Even what he did to the WNBA’s orange hoodie — simply wearing it and making it iconic — played a role.
It was intangibly beneficial. The credibility he delivered, the validation he offered. Kobe took his massive presence and undying influence and visioned them.
Even coach Phil Handy, the longtime NBA assistant coach with the Lakers and Cavaliers, has taken note of Kobe’s influence on women’s basketball.
“I’ve always had an interest in the women’s game,” said Handy, now head coach in Unmatched. “But it really contributed to (me having) a more finite understanding of it. When he retired and started this team with Gigi and these young girls, I spent a lot of time with them in training. His whole mindset was so different, and he really wanted to put a lot of energy into the women’s game. We’ve had many conversations about doing this. It played a huge role in inspiring me to really put more time and energy into the space. »
Curry said he remembers having dinner with Kobe in Los Angeles shortly before his death. The two NBA legends and their respective business partners planned to discuss the rigors of starting an investment business, but they never got down to business. Instead, the entire conversation was about Kobe’s passion for children’s storytelling.
“Inspire their imagination,” Curry said. “Not just in basketball, but in life. Especially girls. It was cool to see a different side of him.
Napheesa Collier, the brains behind Unmatched, also saw this side. Her husband, Alex Bazzell, is a respected coach who has worked with the girls at Mamba Academy. Collier was struck by how Pure Bryant’s intentions stood out.
“The way he just put himself aside and really did what was best for the girls,” Collier said. “He’s one of the best players to ever play the game, but he leaned on his coaches and the coaches and was really there like a father supporting his daughter.”
One of his last public appearances was Courtside at Staples Center, in December 2019. He wore an Orange WNBA hoodie while scoring a Lakers victory over the Mavericks, his arm affectionately around his daughter Gianna. nicknamed Gigi.
It was a fitting final public image. Symbolic. A doting father with his beloved daughter. A committed mentor with his prodigious protégé. It was a window into the Kobe who proudly took on the role of ambassador and friend of Hoopes women.
“I aspire to be like Kobe,” Collier said.
He stuck to women’s basketball because, in word and deed, he said it could.
This article originally appeared in Athletics.
Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, WNBA, Women’s College Basketball
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