‘He Grew up in Ohio and Was a Normal Person’- Sloane Stephens Details Why NBA Legend LeBron James And Kobe Bryant Are Her Heroes

Ever since her US Open triumph in 2017, Sloane Stephens has been an inspiration to many. Steadily tasting success, today, the American grace rightly enjoys the perks of being one of the most prominent players on the tour.

Her love for tennis is clearly visible in her performance. However, similar to most Americans, apart from tennis, the 29-year-old also has a slight inclination toward Basketball. The proof is her recent confession. Recently, the former World No. 3 admitted that NBA legends LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are the ones she admires.

Sloane Stephens makes an honest confession

Following a decent run at the French Open, Stephens suffered early round defeats on the grass courts. Following first-round losses in Bad Homburg and Wimbledon, she is next gearing up for the hard-court season. Taking time off from her training, recently, Stephens took part in an episode of the renowned podcast, WHOOP.

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During the podcast, she started by admitting, “I really love LeBron because he grew up in Ohio and was a normal person and then he became who he became.” Following one legend, Stephens further went on elaborating her love for Kobe Bryant. “Obviously, I love Kobe. I think people who experience crazy amounts of greatness and success in their sport are just cool because they are so interesting.”

Why does Stephen love James and Bryant?

Going back in time, James had a struggling time growing. Being born to a 16-year-old single mother, the two single-handedly faced the most difficult times of life. On the other hand, Kobe had a fairly decent childhood, being the son of former NBA star Joe Bryant. However, despite the differences, the thing that the two had in common was that neither of the two thought of being the greatest basketballers of all time.

Going further in the conversation, Stephens further added, “When they were nothing, or when they were like someone’s son at 3 years old, thinking like, wow, they are gonna be this.” “I think I never would have grown up and been like, Yeah, I’m sure going to win the US Open and I’m going to be ranked number 3 in the world,” she further added.

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Sloane Stephens isn’t the only tennis star who came forward to express her love for basketball. Apart from Stephens, a number of other players like Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka have also been highly vocal about their love for the game. On the tennis front, Sloane will now be polishing herself for another title at the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.