Former Kobe Bryant coach credits the Black Mamba for transition into women's basketball
Kobe Bryant has been gone for years now, but his legacy is as strong as it's ever been. The Los Angeles Lakers legend inspired millions in and out of sports with his 'Mamba Mentality,' and his influence can be seen everywhere in today's game.
That's true even for the women's game. Bryant, a strong advocate for the WNBA and women's basketball, even inspired his former coach, Phil Handy, to pursue a career coaching women.
Handy was recently appointed as the head coach for Mist BC of the new 'Unrivaled' basketball league.
In a sitdown with Paul George for his 'Podcast P' show, the former NBA assistant coach credited Kobe for inspiring him to walk down this path:
“I started working with women about six or seven years ago. Slowly, I began training young ladies, and Kobe was a huge part of that,” Handy said on Dec. 16.
“Kobe didn’t treat them like girls; he treated them like athletes, first and foremost. Kobe called me and said, ‘Listen, when you come to the gym, don’t hold back. Coach them like you coach us. They’re athletes, and they need to be pushed just as hard.'”
Phil Handy explains why Kobe Bryant was different
Bryant's approach to the game was obsessive and methodical. That's why he simply couldn't respect anybody who didn't work as hard as humanly possible to get better:
"I asked him one time. I asked him, 'Why you such an a**hole?'" Handy said. "He said, 'You really want to know?... Phil, man, some of my teammates don't understand the work. I see dudes walk into practice 10 minutes before practice, and they leave right after. Why the f**k am I gonna pass them the basketball?
"'I don't respect their work ethic. I'm in here busting my a*s every day trying to perfect my craft, and these dudes don't want to work on their game. I don't trust them ... I'm gonna ride them hard every day.'"
Kobe wasn't the most popular player among free agents because of that approach, but it clearly worked.
Winner of five NBA championships and considered either the greatest or one of the greatest of all time, dozens of current stars emulated his game and dreamed of being like him.
Even if they don't reach those heights, just taking that same approach and obsession to work on their crafts helped them become the athletes they are nowadays.