During his legendary 20-year NBA career, the late Kobe Bryant evolved into a very good leader for the Los Angeles Lakers. He started to forge close relationships with his teammates, including those who didn’t make much of an impact on the basketball court.
Guard Sasha Vujacic was often a festering disappointment for the Lakers and their fans. A first-round draft pick out of Slovenia in 2004, he shot 43.7% from 3-point range during the 2007-08 season, but he was otherwise a one-dimensional player — a shooter who didn’t consistently knock down good looks.
However, Bryant took a liking to Vujacic because the latter had guts, something he greatly valued in people. Vujacic went on ESPN 710 LA and talked about his relationship with Bryant and how the Hall of Famer helped him out with his craft.
“I didn’t come to L.A. for the glamour to play for the Lakers and just be a cool guy, I really wanted to win. And that’s how the nickname also came because I was a gym rat, Kobe and I would go with each other, he knows a lot. He was truly my big brother from Day 1. So, when he embraced me, when he welcomed me properly, I knew that there’s a big responsibility also. Our practices were basically like wars. Everything was a battle of a war and you know that’s how we were able to prevail and not many teams can win back-to-back. You know when you watch somebody all your life and then you become teammates, but you guys play the same role, you know your minutes will go down 100%. But, going at each other every single day, he also taught me how to study the game, how to watch the film. So for him, I’m really grateful that I had him for so long and that we were able to bring the best out of each other and he’s always with us, he is with us right now. I refuse to believe that he’s not, his spirit with Gigi and I think Purple and Gold nation feel that.”
Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020. The five-time NBA champion’s legacy and spirit have indeed lived on vigorously, especially in the Southland, where numerous murals honoring him have gone up since his passing.
He set an intense tone on the court during games and practices and demanded that his teammates keep up. It was likely a bit abrasive at times, but one cannot argue with the results.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Sasha Vujacic talks about his relationship with Kobe Bryant
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
