Team USA and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made a heartfelt statement about the late Kobe Bryant. “I have great memories of playing against him and then coaching against him late in his career. To have the good fortune to be in the NBA at the same time as one of the all-time greats, watch him, and compete against him was really special. We all think about Kobe to this day and everything he meant to the league and all of us,” Kerr said ahead of Team USA’s FIBA World Cup match against New Zealand.
Kerr is in a unique position, having both played and coached against Kobe. Kerr did not retire until 2003, meaning that he played against Bryant during the first seven years of Kobe’s career. The pair faced off in 24 games, spread across Kerr’s stints in Chicago, San Antonio, and Portland. They split those games evenly, each winning 12. This included eliminating each other on the way to a title. Kobe eliminated Kerr’s Spurs in the 2001 Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, Kerr and the Spurs eliminated Kobe in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals.
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Kobe Bryant’s Legacy Lives In
"We all think about Kobe to this day, and everything he meant to the league and to all of us."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 24, 2023
Steve Kerr on 8/24 aka Mamba Day
(via @ByTimReynolds)pic.twitter.com/MnWJsdb4Dr
The complex legacy of Kobe Bryant lives in as the city of Los Angeles marks Kobe Bryant Day. Celebrated on August 24, chosen due to Kobe’s famous jersey number and its proximity to his birthday. Speaking of Kobe’s birthday, his wife Vanessa also shared a heartfelt message to her late husband on August 23. “Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever,” she wrote on Instagram.
As Team USA prepares for a pivotal World Cup, Bryant’s legacy on the international stage will loom large. Kobe won two Olympic golds (2008, 2012) and a FIBA Americas Championship (2007). However, Kobe never played in a FIBA World Cup. He was famously not included in the 2010 roster that won gold. In fact, none of the 2008 Olympic team was selected. Meanwhile, Kobe retired from international play in 2012. Team USA would go on to win a second gold in 2014. The team in 2023 looks to bounce back from a 7th-place finish in 2019.
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