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Kobe Bryant is one of the most influential players in basketball history. His influence on the players is seen just by looking at the most worn shoes on the court in NBA games. Even three years after his passing, NBA players are following his methods and are now taking up his work to bring women’s sports to the forefront and give them the same spotlight as men’s sports.

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The Black Mamba never failed to show his support for female athletes. He even inspired others in the league. An NBA Champion with the Dallas Mavericks started doing his part in the process in 2021.

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How Kobe Bryant influenced the Mavericks legend

Jason Kidd has been a major contributor to female athletes. Jason Kidd’s girls’ basketball team won the under-17 national championship earlier this year. When reminiscing about his victory, he shared who has inspired him on this journey.

Jason Kidd started by saying how important Kobe’s work was in women’s sports. He shed light on women’s sports and even attended all the events he could. His contribution to promoting and providing facilities for women to learn and get better at their craft had a great impact.

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Jason Kidd then said, ?When he and his daughter passed, a question became who was going to help pick up the torch.?

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Kidd emphasized that he could never take Kobe?s position. He explained that he launched his Kidd Select program a year after the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s passing to continue the work he began.

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Kidd said, “Whatever I could do to help women in the world of sports, I want to be involved.” His main goal is to have all the players on his select team get college scholarships. All his players since 2021 have gotten D1 offers.

Kidd believes that there are other players who have been influenced just like him by Kobe Bryant and are doing their part to give more light to women’s sports.

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Kobe’s influence on Women’s Sports

Kobe was heavily invested in bringing forward women’s sports. This led to him coaching his daughter’s school team. On a grander scale, he was always seen attending WNBA games.

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He started the Mamba Sports Academy in 2018. This facility prioritized developing young talents in various sports. The academy was often used as the stage for AAU games.

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others met with a fatal helicopter crash on their way to the facility for an AAU game. Players have since taken Kobe’s wishes and are doing their part in promoting women’s sports, and many players are having their own camps in the off-season.

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Written by

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Rijin Varghese

687 Articles

Rijin is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Specializing in the technical aspects of the game, keeps a close eye on the three principles of coaching of Gregg Popovich: Humility, Discipline, and Determination. That same attention to detail made him a big fan of the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. While Rijin did not follow the traditional route to become a journalist, his passion for basketball and writing brought him to ES.

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Aakash Nair

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