Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss formed quite a bond with Kobe Bryant even after his playing days for the Purple & Gold came to an end. As a matter of fact, Buss recently revealed one particular plan that she had discussed with Kobe prior to the NBA legend's untimely passing.
According to Buss, this audacious plan stemmed from the fact that Kobe's daughter, Gianna, appeared to be well on her way to revolutionize the game of basketball in her own way. As such, Buss thought it was a good idea to form a co-ed league specifically for Gianna Bryant:
“I had started talking to Kobe because the way (his late daughter) Gianna was devouring basketball, it wasn’t going to be enough for her to be a champion on a college team,” Buss said, via Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. “She was going to want a bigger challenge. Something that had never been done… What I was talking to Kobe about was like a co-ed team. We’ve got the G League. We’ve got the WNBA, got the NBA. Why not a co-ed league?”
This would have been a leap of faith for Buss, Kobe and even Gianna. Then again, if there was anyone who was capable of breaking through the barriers of the sport then it had to be Kobe Bryant. The fact that Jeanie Buss also happens to be one of the most powerful women in all of sports would have certainly helped their cause as well.
Buss also shared how this idea came to be. According to the Lakers team owner, she just saw that same “killer mentality” Kobe had in Gianna. Buss knew that this kid was bound for greatness:
“Gianna was so inspiring because she was like Kobe. She would process information, and then she’d need more and more … She was like, ‘OK, I did that. Now give me more challenges.’ That was Kobe. You know, he just wanted more and more and more. That’s why he was such a killer on the court. You know, he just kept refining his game. learning more moves, dissecting opponents, teams before we played. He knew what all their moves were going to be, like, relentless. That’s the heart of a champion, right?”
It seems that this forward-looking concept was put to bed along with Kobe and Gianna's tragic deaths. Then again, Buss did admit that she will “probably bring it up again” so perhaps the Gianna Bryant Co-Ed League could be a reality somewhere down the road.
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