It’s been five years since we lost Kobe Bryant and Gianna in a helicopter crash. Their family, friends, and basketball fans all over the world mourn their loss every day. The Lakers legend had an untouchable legacy, but his daughter was just starting to make a name for herself. Under her father’s guidance, Gianna, also known as GiGi, had become a rising star at the Mamba Sports Academy.
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At just 13, GiGi was the perfect embodiment of her father’s famous ‘Mamba Mentality’ and had a game that mirrored his movements. In 2019, just as Mambacita’s game was starting to capture hearts online, the former shooting guard sat down with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles for an interview. Kobe informed the former players that he had a 6-year training routine in place for his daughter, who had a strong desire to pursue a career in basketball.
He revealed how watching his daughter take up the sport allowed him to revisit the time in his life when he’d started playing. He looked forward to creating daily practice plans, teaching his daughter the basics, and incorporating his skills into her game. He said on the Knuckleheads Podcast,
“I write practice plans every day. And it’s like a 6-year plan, and we’re in year 2. So you can patiently teach them every little aspect. Teach them how to use screens, teach them how to be patient, teach them how to anticipate on defense. It’s awesome man.”
He told his hosts how helping his daughter learn the game was akin to drawing on a blank canvas. Since she had no prior experience or knowledge of the sport outside of what she saw on TV, Kobe was able to teach her his signature footwork, his fadeaway shots, and his up-and-under layups.
“It’s awesome because it’s like a blank canvas when they started 2 years ago. So I started teaching them all the footwork that took me 20 years to learn. I’m teaching them that at 11. So now at 13, their fade away, their up-and-under, their spin moves, their balance, their footwork is really really sharp because it’s like a blank canvas.”
Although he loved coaching GiGi, Bryant was initially surprised that his daughter wanted to take up basketball. Kobe confessed that he wasn’t expecting any of his four daughters to pursue the sport, which he was fine with.
Kobe Bryant supported his daughters no matter what
As a father, the Lakers legend said he would support them in any endeavor, as long as they were passionate about it. Kobe used his oldest daughter Natalia as an example. “Like my eldest loves film. She loves volleyball too, but she really loves film.”
On how his role as a father would not have changed if his daughters pursued something else, he said, “But you know it would’ve been the same if it was anything else, as long as they got the passion for it. That’s the hardest thing, is trying to find something your kids are passionate about.”
As for his time as a coach at the Mamba Academy, Kobe Bryant said he never expected to be in a position to coach. It was largely because he didn’t think his daughters would take up the sport. However, when GiGi eventually took it on, he gladly accepted this new responsibility.
