While in the Philippines, Kobe Bryant sat down with Jinno Rufino to talk the Lenovo brand he’s endorsing overseas, motivation, inspiration and the next season. Bryant was recently quoted saying that he want’s his legacy to be bigger than basketball, and it seems that he hopes his ability to inspire others becomes a part of that.
“I enjoy inspiring others, and hopefully that inspires them to do something great. And them doing something great maybe inspires someone else that they’re close to and then you end up having this chain, this chain of inspiration.”
While Bryant wants his legacy to be bigger than hoops, basketball is still going to be a huge part of his legacy. This upcoming season can only add to what will surely be one of the most polarizing legacies in NBA lore. This year’s Lakers team isn’t expected to compete at the levels of many of the years Bryant has been a part of the franchise, but there will still be opportunity for this team to excel past expectations if they can enter the season with a singular focus.
“I think it’s great to be able to look at the year. The majority of the contracts are one-year contracts. There are no distractions, no complacencies. Guys know that we have a window here of one year, so let’s give it everything we have. The individual stuff gets pushed to the back because most of us here are all veterans — so let’s go out here, let’s play, let’s win. I like that philosophy; I like that format.”
With most of the members on the team entering the season in contract years, the focus should be on playing collective basketball to accomplish a greater goal, but with some of the younger guys hoping to secure bigger contracts, some of that focus could ultimately be derailed in stretches during the season.
Bryant’s leadership and ability to bring individuals together could be one of the toughest tests of his career, especially since he’ll be coming back from a career-threatening injury.
For more of the interview, check out the video below.