Conference Call with Kobe Bryant

A couple of weeks ago I was on a conference call with one of the greatest NBA players on the planet... The mighty Kobe Bryant!!! With this being his last season at the Lakers and as a basketball player it made that much more special. Below are a few quotes from the call regarding FIFA, the Olympics and helping the game spread internationally

Legacy

"I try to look at my legacy and how it impacts the future of the game. I'm not looking at my legacy from the standpoint of where I fit in with the greatest of all time.

"For me, it's a moot point and a shallow argument. I think the most important thing and the most beautiful thing is how does your legacy impact the generation of players to come?

"If what I've done and what I've stood for these 20 years has impacted the players today and the players tomorrow in a positive way, in a way they can then carry that legacy on themselves and impact the generation to follow, that's much more significant than where I stand in history."

 

On the Olympics

"It's not something I'm absolutely pressing for but being part of the Olympic experience is a beautiful thing.

"It would be a beautiful thing to finish my career playing internationally. But that being said we will see how it goes."

 

On helping the game spread

"I definitely plan on helping the game spread and helping kids all around the world understand kind of the metaphors that come along with the game ... everything that surrounds the game of basketball."

 

On playing for another team in another country

"I would have loved to have played overseas for a season but it's not going to happen. I wish I could have done it but I can’t. My body won't let me.

"My body has been through a lot. And it's very easy to forget I haven't played because of it. My timing is off, my rhythm is off. It was about me continuing my training and believing my timing will come back and that's what happened."

 

On FIFA

"It's always a touchy thing. You are dealing with a big business. I think this is an important first step to cleaning up the sport.

"With life being as brutal as it is, we come to sport as an escape. When something like this happens, it damages the emotional Shangri-La you get from sport.

."I'm sure they are on top of it and I'm sure they will get the sport back where we all want it to be."

The Orlando Magic host the Toronto Raptors at The O2 in London Tonight as part of NBA Global Games London 2016. The game is live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Showcase or via NBA LEAGUE PASS (www.nba.tv) and will be screened live at 31 ODEON cinemas around the country.