Lisa Leslie is an icon for anyone who knows professional basketball. A lot of the current generation of superstars has so much to learn from this veteran athlete. However, the two-time WNBA champion learned a great deal from one of the greatest NBA players of all time–Kobe Bryant. And till today, she cherishes her encounter with the Mamba whose mentality inspired a generation of superstars.

Kobe whose tragic death in a copter crash plunged the basketball world into mass mourning was lately recalled by Leslie. She opened up about her basketball bond with the 18-time NBA All-Star.

Kobe in Lisa’s world

The 4x Olympic gold medal winner in conversation with Leslie Jones had some inspirational words for the youngsters about slog and sacrifice. She said, “Write down your goals. That was the biggest thing for me. My short-term goals were goals I wanted to achieve within one year. My long-term goals were goals I wanted to achieve within five years. Those goals kept me focused and when I saw these goals, my sacrifice was to go to the gym and put up 200 shots, 500 shots as opposed to going to the mall and hang out with my homegirls.”

The 8x WNBA All-Star then mentioned the legend: “One of the things Kobe and I would always talk about is everybody is not willing to make sacrifices. The great Kobe, I love him so much.”?Following this, host Leslie Jones added some invaluable comments: “Everybody wants the now but they don’t want the how. It’s hard work.”?

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Apparently, Lisa Leslie and Kobe Bryant shared a very special connection between them. Leslie had earlier mentioned that she treated Kobe as her little brother.

The basketball bond

Lisa Leslie and Kobe Bryant go way back. Leslie first met Bryant when he was a rising superstar for the L.A Lakers. Kobe’s sister Shaya was a close friend of Lisa. In addition to this, she also helped Bryant’s family to settle in Los Angeles.

Both these legends would have detailed discussions on Michael Jordan. Furthermore, they trained at the same Los Angeles facility as they had an identical work ethic and the same passion for the sport. Lisa saw Kobe grow both as a player and as a person.

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Both Lisa Leslie and Kobe Bryant were at the top of their game throughout their career. Their commitment and dedication to the sport have blessed them with multiple titles and accolades to their name. The careers of these two iconic figures of professional basketball will continue to inspire us for a long time.