Tony Parker on Kobe Bryant: ‘Every time we played, he’d come up with different words and try to talk trash to me in French’

Even trainer Phil Handy, the long-time NBA assistant coach with the Lakers and Cavaliers, took notice of Kobe’s influence on women’s basketball. “I’ve always kind of had an interest in the women’s game,” said Handy, now a head coach in Unrivaled. “But he was really instrumental in (me having) a more finite understanding of it. When he retired and he started that team with Gigi and those young girls, I spent a lot of time with them in training. His whole mindset was so different, and he really wanted to put a lot of energy into the women’s game. We had many conversations about being able to do that. He played a huge part in inspiring me to really put more time and energy into the space.” -via New York Times / January 27, 2025

Even before arriving at the Kobe-Gianna statue, while making the 16-mile drive from LAX to the arena that somehow takes nearly an hour in afternoon traffic, it was impossible to miss all the ways Kobe’s presence remains in the City of Angels. On the corner of Obama Boulevard and La Cienega, on the side of a 7-Eleven, there’s a mural of Bryant and the late rapper and LA native Nipsey Hussle that looks so clean you’d think it had been painted that day. According to Kobemural.com, there are 343 such pieces of art in Southern California (and 646 worldwide). The souvenir stands outside of Lakers games are still flooded with Bryant gear. It’s not hard to find a car with a ‘Kobe’ license plate cover, featuring No. 8 and No. 24. In Thursday’s game against the Celtics — a 117-96 Lakers win that surely would have made him proud — there was even a video tribute celebrating the anniversary of his 81-point game against Toronto in 2006. -via New York Times / January 27, 2025

On the fifth anniversary of his stunning death, Bryant lives. Yes, in statues. In Nos. 8 and 24 Lakers jerseys. In the inspiration of many current NBA stars. In the culture and ethos of the NBA. But also in Sabrina Ionescu and Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale. In the orange WNBA hoodie. In every celebrity who pulls up courtside to WNBA games. In every young girl working on her jumper and crossover, grinding for a crown she’s convinced she deserves. In JuJu. “Kobe’s legacy is way more than basketball,” Loyd said. “It’s a lifestyle. He impacted the minds of so many. The hearts of so many. He knew that basketball could be a vessel but the knowledge he had could be passed down forever.” -via New York Times / January 27, 2025

Tony Parker: *”I want to give credit to Timmy. That’s what I was talking about earlier—how unselfish he was. Timmy could score 30 anytime he wanted, but in that series, I had Boobie Gibson on me and Larry Hughes. It was a good matchup for me. Timmy was like, ‘Let’s go with Tony.’ Man, I was aggressive the whole series, shot the ball really well. Winning Finals MVP was an unbelievable feeling. I had already won two championships, but now I was winning my third one—and I became the first European to be named Finals MVP. That was pretty special, Q. I’m not going to lie—that was very, very special to me. That was cool.”* -via YouTube / January 29, 2025

Tony Parker: But the first time I saw Timmy, I was impressed. Obviously, I knew he was a superstar—multiple-time All-Star, MVP of the All-Star Game. I knew he was the franchise, basically. I also knew that if I wanted to be the point guard of that team, I had to earn his respect. And man, he made it tough on me the whole first year. People think I joke when I say this, but it’s true—he didn’t talk to me the entire first year. I don’t think he believed that a little French kid could be his point guard for the next 10 years. It wasn’t until I played great against Gary Payton in the playoffs that he finally talked to me. He was like, ‘Man, if he can play well against GP, I think we have something.’ Timmy was very tough on me that first year. -via YouTube / January 29, 2025

Sirius XM NBA: “[Victor Wembanyama] is going to have to win multiple championships because in the Spurs that’s what we expect” Spurs Hall of Famer @TonyParker tells @Ashstro what Wemby must do in order to be considered one of the best in team history Hear the full interview on SiriusXM App 👆 pic.x.com/78hBGmbXji -via Twitter @SiriusXMNBA / January 24, 2025