Candace Parker Says Kobe Bryant’s 2008 Olympic Run Is “Etched in Her Mind”

Candace Parker and Kobe Bryant had a close and supportive friendship that eventually evolved into a mentorship. The WNBA star would watch and study Bryant in almost everything he did but one of her best memories of the late great superstar came from when the two were in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. 

Parker, unsurprisingly made the roster for the Games in both 2008 and 2012, but it was her first run for a medal that was truly special. It was where she truly began admiring the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

Parker remembers the men’s team trying to keep up with Kobe’s work ethic and recalled that he practiced every day. “The redeem team, they’re like, ‘Yeah, we were motivated to get up and lift weights with Kobe.’ Like, not every day,” began revealed with a laugh on All The Smoke.

“Y’all didn’t do that every day. I was there. There were a number of times where Kobe was by himself on the court before our practice. But it was every single day.”

Often, when athletes go to the Olympics, they like to get away from the practice arena as much as possible to watch other sports and get an experience. But Bryant was unlike most athletes. He was a basketball freak who was constantly focused on getting better, even in the middle of a global spectacle. 

It was this dedication to working out that Parker thought was very surreal to see in person. 

“A lot of times, you see the hype, and you see the conversation around this person’s work ethic. But to see him when the men did not have practice every single day before our shootaround out there working out… It was crazy to me,” Parker shared. 

It was this dedication and work ethic that the former WNBA star remembers most from being around Kobe, rather than stories and funny moments. “You could hold onto that,” co-host of the show Stephen Jackson responded. 

Every once in a while, it’s fun to reminisce on the player he used to be and how much of an impact he made.