Why Kobe Bryant Attributed His Long Career to Less AAU Ball, Played Gianna Bryant In Fewer Tournaments

Kobe Bryant hardly played any AAU basketball tournaments. The Lakers legend did his best to protect his daughter Gianna Bryant from burnout too.

By the numbers, youth basketball is the biggest youth sports movement in the USA today. It has been estimated that around 10 million children, aged from 6 to 17, participate annually in age group tournaments at various levels.

Many of these tournaments are affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). These traveling basketball tournaments are held year-round. The best of these generate exposure for NBA-bound talents still in middle school and lower grades.

However, the rise of AAU basketball has also coincided with a rise in career-altering injuries. A disconcerting number of high school students find themselves dealing with injuries – particularly in their lower extremities.

Some of the most famous AAU products in the NBA today – like Lonzo Ball – have also dealt with injury-ridden careers. It’s probably not a coincidence that he played basketball all year long for several years in school.

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Kobe Bryant guarded his daughter Gianna Bryant from overexertion in youth basketball

Kobe grew up in Italy, where his father Joe played professionally for many years. By the time he came over to Philadelphia, he was 13 years old and nearly ready for varsity basketball.

Bryant revealed in a 2019 interview that he played in very few AAU tournaments. He didn’t participate in one till he was aged 15, concentrating more on developing his fundamentals.

When asked if he’d have had the long career he had if he’d played summer basketball, Kobe was unsure:

“Hmmm … I’m not sure. I’d like to think I’d be able to figure something out, but the reality is, I’d have to figure something out, because I put so much on my body.”

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But when asked about his approach for his then-13-year-old daughter Gianna, Bryant was decisive. He wanted no part of year-round tournaments for his daughter:

“She’s looking around at different stuff and you see there’s a lot. They could literally play every single weekend in club-organized basketball at 10 years old. It’s like, why? I had to be like, ‘No.'”

Was Kobe injury-prone?

Despite not overexerting himself in AAU circuits, Kobe had problems staying fit. He began having knee problems after his 11th season. Bryant also suffered from a whole host of hand and finger injuries throughout his career.

Despite this spate of injuries, Bryant played all games in a season in 5 different seasons. He was one of the toughest competitors ever and would never load-manage his games.