LeBron James Dubs Kobe Bryant’s Daughter One of Next Great Players

Kobe- Bryant

Getty Kobe Bryant and his daughter at All Star Game in Toronto

After the Los Angeles Lakers secured win No. 12 of the season, LeBron James dubbed Kobe Bryant’s oldest daughter Gigi as one of the next-great female basketball players.

“[Kobe’s] got one of the greatest female basketball players that’s about to come up sitting next to him.”

It was high praise from the Lakers star, but he’s also not the only NBA player who’s apparently a fan of Kobe’s daughter’s game.


Trae Young on Meeting Gigi

Atlanta Hawks rising star Trae Young noted on Twitter that he was just as excited to meet Gigi as she was to meet him. Young shared with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that he has been watching her highlights.

“I was told earlier this morning that he was coming to watch me with his daughter,” said Young, according to Holmes. “It was crazy because he told me his daughter is a huge fan of mine, and I’m one of her favorite players. It’s kind of crazy because I’ll be watching her highlights, too.”


LeBron James on Playing in Front of Kobe Bryant

Future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gigi were sitting courtside last night at the Staple Center watching LeBron James and the revamp Lakers take on the Atlanta Hawks. During James’ post-game interview, he was asked what it was like playing in front of the Laker legend.

“I grew up watching him, admiring him. I was one of the kids obviously who had the chance to come straight outta high school. He did it,” James said. “It’s just so surreal for me. Just for a kid from Akron to have a guy like Kobe, just take time out of his day, even at this point in my career, it’s still special.”

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Lakers Head Coach Frank Vogel Agrees

After the game, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reported Frank Vogel got chills when the crowd went nuts at the sight of the five-time NBA Champion.

“I got chills when the crowd started going nuts at his presence,” Vogel said. 

James also shared with the media that when he signed with the Lakers last season, Kobe welcomed him with open arms as well as everyone else. “Just to have that support from one of the greatest Lakers to ever play, is just special for me.”


Kobe Bryant on LeBron James With the Lakers

Last December, during a Q&A at the Lakers’ annual “All-Access” event at Staples Center, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Bryant explained the Lakers can’t just depend on James to get them to a championship.

”It’s a test of Bron’s patience and also doing what he needs to do to keep the team’s head above water,” Bryant told Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill MacDonald at the “All-Access” event. “So, it’s a balancing act. They were struggling, Bron got the ball, took control, decided to start playing the point, doing everything, doing everything.”

”That’s not the recipe for winning championships by no means, but it is a recipe to keep your head above water, to give yourself a little breathing room, and now it’s going back to teaching how to play the way that we want to play.”

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