Kobe Bryant is the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time leading scorer and one of the best all-around players ever in NBA lore. His cold-blooded scoring mentality and overall basketball acumen aren’t easily taught or learned. As Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com reports, though, Bryant recently gave pointers to Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas and is willing to do more of that upon request for others:
Kobe Bryant might be retired but he hasn’t stopped watching game film. He tells ESPN.com he keeps his personal laptop handy at the offices of Kobe Inc. and continues to make it readily available when he arrives home in the evening.
“You never know who might call,” Bryant chuckles.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas revealed last week that Bryant has been texting him before and after each playoff game and has engaged in a film session with him. Bryant took to Twitter to declare IT had a “Mamba mentality” and nicknamed him “Mighty IT.”
Bryant confirms he has had “many conversations” during the playoffs with Thomas, but says the Celtics star is just one of many current NBA stars who have reached out to him for advice.
Bryant says he also talks regularly with Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, MVP candidates James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and Utah Jazz star Gordon Hayward, whom Bryant spent three days training with in Orange County last summer.
“I’m around for all the guys,” Bryant tells ESPN.com. “Anybody can reach out. It’s an open book.”
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When Bryant learned of the death of Thomas’ sister Chyna in a car accident just before Game 1 of Boston’s opening-round playoff series against Chicago, he called to offer his condolences.
Thomas, overcome with emotion during the call, shared with Bryant his struggles over whether he should play or be with his family.
“I told him, ‘Listen, I don’t know whether you should decide to play or not play. Obviously none of us can begin to fathom what you are going through right now,'” Bryant said. “But then I told him, ‘The one bit of advice I would give you is, if you are going to play, then you gotta play. Maybe you can find some peace in moments out there.'”
Bryant says he ended the conversation by telling Thomas, “If you ever need anything, just reach out. I’m here for you.”
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“I was happy to help him. He had the courage to ask. I did the same thing with Michael Jordan when I was a young player.”
Bryant says pop star Michael Jackson gave him some treasured advice in his rookie season during a visit to Neverland Ranch: Reach out to all the greats in your profession and learn from them.
So Bryant did, tapping everyone from resident Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Magic Johnson to Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird and his childhood idol Jordan.
