IN THE DENSE, FOGGY EARLY
AFTERNOON OF CALIFORNIA.
JOE SENIOR NBA WRITER, JOE
YEAR THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
ON THE LEGACY OF KOBE BRYANT?
>> I WAS IN PHILADELPHIA LAST
NIGHT COVERING THE LAKERS AND
70 SIXERS FOR THE ATHLETIC ON
THE NIGHT LEBRON JAMES
LITERALLY PASS KOBE FOR THIRD
PLACE ON THE OUTSIDE MBA
SCORELESS.
AND SO KOBE WAS ALREADY BACK
IN THE DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT
IN HIS CAREER AND WHAT HE
MEANT NOT JUST TO THE SPORT,
BUT TO THE PLAYERS WHO CAME
WHILE HE WAS IN THE LEAGUE AND
ALSO AFTER.
AND OBVIOUSLY TO SAY I AM
SHOCKED AND THEY DON'T KNOW
WHAT TO DO OR SAY, JOIN THE
CLUB.
BUT TO BE ALREADY TALKING
ABOUT KOBE OVERNIGHTS LEADING
INTO THIS, AND YOU JUST
REALIZE TO BE A WINNER OF FIVE
NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS LIKE HE WAS,
AND SHOULD BE THIRD ON THE
ALL-TIME SCORING LIST AHEAD OF
MICHAEL JORDAN LIKE HE WAS,
YOU KNOW YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THE THING THAT
IS SET KOBE APART FROM SOME OF
THE GREATS BEFORE HIM, HE HAS
CHANGE THE WAY BASKETBALL WILL
BE GOING FORWARD IS HIS
WILLINGNESS TO MENTOR LATER IN
HIS CAREER.
IT WAS IN A WAY THAT MICHAEL
CERTAINLY NEVER DID.
ERIC: THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT
IN THE INTERVIEW.
WHAT WERE THEY SAYING LAST
NIGHT, WHAT DOES HE MEAN TO
THE SPORT INTO THE PLAYERS.
HIS LAST QUOTE LAST NIGHT
ABOUT THAT GAME WHEN LEBRON
PASSED HIM TO BE NUMBER THREE
OF THE ALL-TIME SCORES.
KOBE WAITED QUOTE CONTINUING
TO MOVE THE GAME FORWARD AT
KING JAMES, MUCH RESPECTED
BROTHER WITH THE BICEPS ARM.
NUMBERS THAT IS BEING
RETWEETED AND COMMENTED ON
ACROSS THE GLOBE.
INDICATION OF THE GENEROSITY,
THE KINDNESS OF KOBE BRYANT.
>> AND LUM BRAUN HAD SOMETHING
TO SAY ABOUT THAT, HE SAID AT
SCHOOL TO KNOW THE OF ONE OF
THE ALL-TIME GREATS THAT EVER
PLAYED THIS GAME AND ADMIRED
TO BE LIKE ON THE FLOOR, YOU
DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME TO
PLAY THIS GAME IF YOU'RE ABLE
TO BE REMEMBERED FOR THE GREAT
THINGS YOU DID THE POSITIVE
THINGS YOU DID, MAKING PEOPLE
FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE THINGS
YOU DID IS A PRETTY COOL
THING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TOOK THAT
QUOTE TO SAY HE WAS COMPARING
KOBE TO MICHAEL.
IT WAS JUST SHOWING THE WAY
KOBE -- ONCE HE REALIZED HE
LOST THAT HE WANTED TO BE THAT
BRIDGE FOR THE NEXT BATCH OF
NBA PLAYERS TO BE GREAT.
ARTHEL: .
ERIC: DID YOU DEAL WITH HIM?
HOW OFTEN DID YOU DEAL WITH
HIM?
DID YOU SEE WHAT HE WAS LIKE
ON THE COURT BUT OFF THE COURT
IN YOUR PERSONAL
INTERACTIONS?
JIM HAS BEEN VERY EMOTIONAL
THIS AFTERNOON AND SPECTACULAR
IN HIS REMEMBRANCES AND
THOUGHTS OF THIS MAN WHO YOU
GUYS KNEW PERSONALLY.
>> CERTAINLY WHEN I CAME INTO
THE LEAGUE, IT WAS SIX YEARS
AGO AND SO WAS DEFINITELY
TOWARDS THE END OF KOBE'S
CAREER.
HE HAD ALREADY BECOME THE MBA
ELDER STATESMAN AND WAS
ALREADY REVERED.
BUT EITHER TIME, WAS COVERING
THE CAVALIERS SO EVERYTHING
WAS VIEWED TO THE PRISM OF
KOBE AND LEBRON.
HIS KOBE, RODE OFF INTO THE
SUNSET.
AND ALSO THE IMPACT HE HAD ON
IRVING.
HE KINDA CHALLENGED HIM TO BE
THE LIGHTNING ROD IN THE
LOCKER ROOM AND TO CAUSE A
DISTURBANCE IF THERE WASN'T
ONE BECAUSE CONTROVERSY IN
HERE CAN BE BENEFICIAL AS YOU
GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS.
AND SO YOU ASKED ME WHAT MY
IMPRESSIONS OF KOBE WERE, AND
I WAS ALWAYS AMAZED AT HOW
POLISHED AND WELL THOUGHT HE
WAS.
BUT ALSO, YOU COULD SEE,
LISTEN TO THIS MAN WHO COULD
BE SO CALM AND MEASURED IN HIS
REMARKS, KNOWING THAT HE HAD
THAT KILLER INSTINCT.
THAT HE HAD THE ABILITY TO GO
OUT THERE, AND TAKE YOUR HEART
YOUR CHEST.
THAT WAS THE ESSENCE OF KOBE.
ERIC: YOU SEE THAT FLAIR, YOU
SEE THAT DRIVE, YOU SEE THAT
DEDICATION DRIVE.
HE SOUGHT IN BOSTON AND WITH
THE METS.
IS THAT A LASTING LEGACY?
IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE
MECHANICS AND THE STRATEGY OF
APPROACHING THAT GAME?
>> I THINK SO, I THINK KOBE,
AND HE'S NOT THE FIRST PLAYER
TO WORK HARD CERTAINLY.
BUT KOBE WITH HIS MANTRA THE
MAMBA MENTALITY, AND THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT IS SPREAD NOT
JUST TO A LOT OF THEM AND ALL
THROUGH THE CROP OF STARS,
THIS IDEA OF WANTING THE LAST
SHAH AND WORKING SO HARD FOR
SO LONG TO PUT YOURSELF IN A
POSITION TO WANT TO TAKE THAT
SHAH.
PLAYERS ALL OVER THE PLACE
RIGHT MAMBA MENTALITY ON THEIR
SHOES.
KOBE ACTUALLY HAD AN ACADEMY
HE STARTED INVITING THESE GUYS
TO OVER THE SUMMER.
PLAYERS WHO WON FINALS AND WON
MPP'S AND THEY TO KOBE FOR
GUIDANCE.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A
LASTING LEGACY, THERE CAN BE
SO MANY.
THERE COULD BE AS TITLES, HIS
TITLES WITH JACK, HIS ROLE AS
A GLOBAL AMBASSADOR IN CHINA
AND ALSO IN THE USA, THE
PROBLEM PARTS OF HIS LIFE AND
CERTAINLY CAREER, BUT ALL
THOSE THINGS PLAY INTO IT.
HE WAS ABLE TO DO POST
CAREER.
BUT I REALLY THINK IT'S THE
MAMBA MENTALITY PART OF THIS
IS GOING TO BE THE ADORING
LEGACY.
AND THAT IS MICHAEL SORT OF
REMEMBER THAT WAY IN PART,
KOBE WAS THE NEXT GUY.
HE WAS THE KILLER.
IN A WAY THAT LEBRON ACTUALLY
THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAT
WAY.
AND SO I DO THINK 20 YEARS
FROM NOW BUT WE STILL TALK
ABOUT KOBE THAT'S IT WILL WILL
REMEMBER.
ERIC: A MAN OF GENEROSITY IN
CARRYING THAT GAVE OF
HIMSELF.
EXCELLENCE, PROFESSIONALISM ON
AND OFF THE COURT.
JOE VARTAN SENIOR NBA WRITER