On a podcast episode of Last Year's Redick
Duke University Coach "Old K"
He is also the former head coach of the American Dream Team
Come and visit
He recalled some of his old days with Kobe Bryant
Once again, everyone thought of the black mamba
In 2008, on the eve of participating in the Beijing Olympic Games
The U.S. men's basketball team was training at the casino at the time
One night a few days before departure
Bryant knocked on Old K's door
And very seriously asked Old K
"After the game,
I want to defend against the strongest scorers in every team. ”
Coach K recalled:
"That look in Kobe's eyes at the time,
I've only seen it in Jordan.
And then Bryant told me,
'I will crush every opponent'. ”
In a subsequent intra-team training session
Kobe Bryant didn't shoot a single shot in the whole game
It's a desperate defense the whole time
Old K said to Bryant after the training game:
"Can you vote for a few?"
Bryant responded with a smile:
"You're the only coach who pushed me to shoot"
Nagging takes every game extra seriously
In 2007, in a selection match at FIBA
Bryant has fully demonstrated his defensive attitude
The first quarter match against Brazil
Bryant death haunts Barbosa
And flew to the ground to grab the ball
(Blue No. 10 for Kobe, yellow for Barbosa)
Let's look at it from another angle
At that time, due to the fierce scramble
Barbosa accidentally stepped on Kobe's face
But in that case, Bryant was still concentrating on the fight
It's just an inconsequential warm-up game
- The Dream Team will not lose the World Series
In such a scenario
Except for nagging
There will be a billion-dollar superstar
Can you come up with such a defensive attitude?
Argentina defeated the United States in 2004
And in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
The two teams met again in the semi-finals
Argentina trailed by 20 minutes
Ginobili retired from injury
Argentina then forced the point difference to 6 points at one point
Old K explained why
"The demon knife is not present, which makes Kobe Feel Tasteless"
When good people get together
There are bound to be disagreements
Old K also had a small friction with Kobe
When old K had just become the coach of Team USA
He once told Bryant that he needed to practice fixed-point three-pointers
Bryant's initial attitude does not agree:
"I always face bags for more than 2 people,
There was simply no chance to shoot a fixed-point shot. ”
Later Old K persuaded Kobe
"We have James and Anthony on our team.
You're not going to get that many bags.
You'll get a lot of empty three-point opportunities. ”
Every training session after that
Bryant will practice 1,000 empty shots
This has largely shaken up the other stars of Dream Eight
Memories of Yumehachi at the 08 Olympic Games
A lot of people will remember their various pressing steals
Forcing many teams to pass the half
Thus completing the fast attack of the clouds and flowing water
But all this
All of them are inseparable from the leader Kobe Bryant's example
The black mamba is like a mirror
Tell all your teammates
I want to win the championship in a snowy way
It's not just about offense, it's about defending
One piece of data is enough to say it all
Kobe Bryant played in the national team match
The Dream Team hasn't lost a single game
Because when the stars gather they correct their attitude
It is invincible
You must remember the time in the bird's nest
Bryant occupies personal footage up to 10s long
You must also remember the major international media at that time
This is how Bryant was evaluated for his first appearance at the Olympics
"Americans have always said when they have lost in the past,
We haven't sent the best athletes yet.
This time, the best players came out..."
Now, you think of nagging
The final year of his career in the championship and the playoffs
He fell on top of that pitch
Scenes of forced pain to get up and take free throws
It's still fresh in my mind
Even in those years the Lakers' worst days
He would still say
"The goal of the new season is still only the championship"
Some people will find it ridiculous and childish
The facts are obvious
Why don't you want to admit it?
Instead, we need to acknowledge it
On the playoff stage today
This paranoia adds smoke to the game on an individual level
It's becoming less and less common