After retiring from the NBA, Kobe Bryant turned his attention to women’s basketball and was keen on helping it grow. The Los Angeles Lakers icon wasn’t just a massive supporter of the sport, he even took up coaching and formed a team of girls called ‘The Mamba 5’. The team did a photo shoot with SLAM Magazine in 2019, which caught the eye of retired NBA star Zach Randolph‘s daughter, MacKenly.
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During a recent appearance on Podcast P, the two-time All-Star revealed that the photo shoot made his daughter want to join the team and learn from Kobe himself. Randolph reluctantly called the five-time NBA champion to ask if he had a spot on the roster for his daughter.
The Lakers icon did not respond with an affirmative immediately but asked him to bring MacKenly to the team’s practice session in Orange County. Kobe only promised to add her to the roster if she managed to gel well with the squad.
Detailing what happened during the visit, Randolph said,
“[MacKenly] fitted in like a puzzle. The girls [on The Mamba 5] loved her and she was another big that they needed. It just worked out, man. She’s looking at Kobe like, ‘Wow!'”
“Just being there, she learned so much from Kobe. Kobe made her run 16s. She’s never ran 16 in her life. Kobe had her running, while all the other girls they practicing. Kobe got her running [and said,] ‘You got to get in shape,'” he added.
Despite MacKenly having the skillset his team needed, Bryant ensured she earned a spot on the roster. Playing under the five-time NBA champion’s tutelage did wonders for the young star, as it helped her hone her skills and develop into a star.
In April, she was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game, becoming the first player on The Mamba’s team to earn the honor.
Perhaps more young girls would’ve learned from Bryant if not for his untimely passing. One of those would’ve likely been Gigi Bryant, who also lost her life in the tragic helicopter crash in 2020.
Gigi Bryant’s playing style made Zach Randolph reminisce about her father
During MacKenly Randolph’s stint with The Mamba Girls, she shared the court with Gigi Bryant. This allowed Zach Randolph to watch Gigi from up close. When the Podcast P crew asked him to describe her playing style, he said,
“[She was] kind of like her dad. Her shot and everything, like them genes were crazy. How Kobe shoot, she shot it like that. Like her whole form. How he was on the court, she walked like that. You could just tell [she was] a girl Kobe Bryant.”
Randolph revealed that Bryant was planning on becoming the head coach of Sage Hill School to help Gigi and her teammates earn scholarships at colleges they wished to play for. His daughter had her eyes set on playing for the UConn Huskies, where she would have been a freshman in 2024.
Gigi and Kobe’s wishes were left unfulfilled, but their dream of turning women’s basketball into a mainstream behemoth is slowly but surely coming true.
