Why the W.N.B.A. Loved Kobe Bryant
In 2013 my college team, the California Golden Bears, made it to the final four of the national championship. One day in the locker room our coach, Lindsey Gottlieb, told us there was a surprise. She projected a grainy cellphone video of a personal message from Kobe Bryant wishing us luck. We lost to Louisville in the semifinal, but Kobe’s belief in us stuck.
I grew up watching him play for the Los Angeles Lakers, and I learned to mimic his moves on the court. He perfected the jab step, pump fake, Euro step, up and unders and pivots. His game was technical — he was an athletic freak of nature, sure, but he was a thinker of the game, and so cerebral.… Seguir leyendo »