“Kobe Bryant called me up and told me to meet him”: How Rashad Philips was motivated by the Lakers legend to start ‘Skills Unlimited’

Rashad Philips was not well-known for his basketball career, but the ‘Skills Unlimited’ basketball mentor says Kobe Bryant inspired him to coach.

Kobe Bryant was born this day 43 years ago, and in a different world, we’d be celebrating his life differently. Nevertheless, this man personifies basketball better than almost anyone to ever play the game. So he does live on among us, if only symbolically.

An entire generation of basketball players grew up watching and idolizing one of the most artistic basketball players ever. One could even make the case that Kobe has the most diverse mixtape of anyone to ever touch the NBA hardwood.

His dedication to improving himself and his craft was apparent in how he seemed to add a move or two to his arsenal every single offseason. There’s a whole host of squandered basketball talents who could’ve made the grade with the Mamba Mentality.

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Rashad Philips was motivated by Kobe Bryant to start ‘Skills Unlimited’

Rashad Philips was a contemporary of Bryant, one high school class below the St. Merion HS product. Philips played college basketball and then had a pro basketball career overseas for 9 years.

He cited Kobe Bryant’s unique influence behind why he started his skills academy in Detroit. In his own Twitter thread made last May, Rashad details how the Mamba Mentality drove him to success in his own life:

“I was going through a rough patch in my life at this time. Kobe calls my phone out of nowhere tells me to meet him after the game. I told him I wasn’t doing well. He tells me ‘get your a**’ up and meet me after the game.”

“After my talk with Kobe a year later I built the top training academy in the state of Michigan and my jersey was retired with some of my students accepting the honor. Kobe spoke life into me when I was at a crossroad in life. I love you Kobe. I miss you my dude.”

The pain runs river deep my guy @kobebryant Miss you dog. Happy Birthday old man 💜 https://t.co/zDXYUpwKTR

— Rashad Phillips (@RP3natural) August 23, 2021

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