Spurs’ Popovich: ‘There was really no defense’ for Lakers’ Kobe Bryant in his prime – Orange County Register
From 2016..
If you weren’t careful you stopped coaching and you just start watching because they’re so incredible.”
Bryant’s Lakers beat the Spurs both times they matched up in the Western Conference Finals, in 2001 and 2008, and on Friday Popovich described the terror that was preparing his defense for Bryant.
“No matter what you did defensively,” Popovich said, “he still could rise up over you and get off a relatively uncontested shot with balance. That would scare you, because there was really no defense for it.”
Popovich added: “He did that against many people, including us, many times.”
Bryant and Popovich were together last weekend in Toronto for All-Star Weekend, with Bryant making his final appearance and Popovich coaching the West All-Stars.
At previous All-Star Games, the two would sit and talk, sharing industry secrets and dissecting hoops. Last week, Popovich said, was just fun.
The moment that stood out to him from the Toronto festivities, he said, came during an open practice on Saturday, when a video tribute to Bryant began to play, and everyone on the floor stopped what they were doing to watch.
“For some of the young All-Stars,” Popovich said, “some of the stuff they had never seen before, probably. When he was young. So there were ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and that was a pretty cool moment.”