Kobe Bryant’s Impact on AZ Hoops

Millions of people know Kobe Bryant as the NBA Champion, Gold Medal Olympian, Father, and Husband. What many people may not know about is all of the work he did for the girls basketball community. Specifically, he had an impact on the AZ girls hoops scene in such a short amount of time. Kobe ran and coached Mamba Sports Academy. He brought his team to Phoenix to play in a AAU tournament and that is when I first met him. We talked about how we could enhance the exposure for girls basketball and even talked about some of the players here in Arizona. The day of the tournament, he asked me about <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jess-finney/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jess-finney/">Jess Finney</a></a> and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lexi-mcnabb/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lexi-mcnabb/">Lexi McNabb</a></a>. He was quite impressed with their play and had many questions for me and asked for my take on their game. Once they were done playing, he went down to the court to congratulate both of the girls. The looks on their faces will stick in my memory forever. They were so thrilled to meet their hero. Months later, he was once again bringing his club team to Phoenix and asked if I could come scout. We previously talked about what my role is with Prep Girls Hoops AZ and even sent him the articles I wrote/posted about Mamba Sports Academy. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the event. Through social media, I could tell that he was once again making an impact on some of Arizona’s finest. I saw many pictures of Kobe posing with Taty Clayburne, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/madison-conner/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/madison-conner/">Madison Conner</a></a>, and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/shayla-oneil/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/shayla-oneil/">Shayla O’Neil</a></a>. They all had that look that I had seen in the faces of Finney and McNabb. It may seem like no big deal but those small moments where he took time out of his day to share wisdom with the next generation meant the world to those girls. Through his game and his teachings, he has motivated a whole wave of ballers and we are eternally grateful for everything Kobe did and the positivity he brought into the world. This ones for you Kobe. Rest In Peace 24.