“Meant A Lot To Me”: Former Rockets All-Star Recollects Leaving Kobe Bryant Astonished
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The whole basketball world was shaken by Kobe Bryant passing away in January. A lot of players have shared emotional stories from their time with Kobe and how they learned a lot from the Lakers legend. The latest to share their story is three-time All-Star Steve Francis.
Back in the early 2000s, Bryant and Francis had multiple battles. But Francis was part of a struggling Rockets team, so the battles were often skewed. Recently Francis spoke to The Undefeated, where he spoke about Bryant.
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“I remember playing the Lakers in Los Angeles one year,” Francis said. “Kobe always guarded me because he always wanted the challenge of taking the best player. I did a spin move on the baseline and made a fadeaway — something I had been working on all summer — and he goes, ‘Oh, you been working on your game.’ The fact he noticed, that meant a lot to me.”
Steve Francis talks about what he learned from Kobe Bryant
When asked about what he learned from Kobe, Francis said, “To always play hard. I started in the backcourt with Kobe during my three All-Star Games. And he’d get upset that people weren’t playing defense. Every time he took the court — even in the All-Star Game — he was playing to prove that he was the best player and we were the best team.”
Francis and Bryant started together on Team West in the All-Star Game for three consecutive years between 2002-2004. They won each game with Kobe winning the All-Star MVP in 2002.
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Francis rose up the ranks quickly, but after he was traded away from Houston, his downward spiral began. He left the league at just 30 years old and also had a failed experiment with the Chinese Basketball League as well. Although he had a short tenure in the league, Francis is still an underrated player.
While Francis’ career ended in 2008, Bryant still had a lot to offer. He went on to win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, to end his career with a tally of five rings, just one short of his idol Michael Jordan.
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Mamba may be gone but he will never be forgotten and players across will never stop being inspired by him.