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Reading: Coach K Once Revealed He Was The First Coach To Ask Kobe Bryant To Take More Shots During Team USA Practice: “Can You Please Shoot The Freaking Ball?”
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Coach K Once Revealed He Was The First Coach To Ask Kobe Bryant To Take More Shots During Team USA Practice: “Can You Please Shoot The Freaking Ball?”

Coach K Once Revealed He Was The First Coach To Ask Kobe Bryant To Take More Shots During Team USA Practice: “Can You Please Shoot The Freaking Ball?”

Coach Mike Krzyzewski revealed that Kobe Bryant was told to shoot more in practice because Kobe was focused on being a lockdown defender.

Ishaan Bhattacharya
Oct 12, 2022
4 Min Read
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Kobe Bryant was an animal on the court like no other that we have seen in the recent history of NBA basketball. Bryant was aggressive and went to the ends of his ability to ensure he can be a winner, a word that now defines him because of all the success he had during his playing career.

One of his biggest achievements is the Gold medal that he won in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games while representing the United States. His head coach for those Olympic runs was the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, who revealed a story from the 2008 Games that pertained to Kobe not taking enough shots in practice because he was focusing on being a defensive specialist. 

I’m with my staff in Vegas a couple of days before the team comes in, and all of a sudden there’s a knock on the door two days early. It’s Kobe, he said ‘coach, can I talk to you for a minute?’, and I said ‘certainly’. So, he went to a private room and I said ‘what do you need?’, He said I need to ask you a favor and I said ‘yeah, what is it?’, And he said ‘I want to guard the best perimeter player on every team that we play now’. He’s the NBA scoring champ, he’s the best player in the league at that time. He had seven 50-point games that year and he knew that he would have to change a little bit and be a leader. He says, ‘You know, I want to guard the best perimeter player’, and then he pauses. And you know his eyes, he and Jordan had the same eyes they killed you with their eyes, and he leans forward and he said ‘Coach, I promise you, I’ll destroy him. I go holy sh*t, this is good.”

“We go to our first practice and he doesn’t take a shot. He does not take one shot. And he’s playing defense. So, I call him over afterward and I said, ‘you know, yo, this destroy thing.’ He says, ‘Coach, I promised you I’ll destroy him’. I said, ‘look, I’ve seen you destroy teams offensively. Will you shoot the freaking ball?’, and he smiled. You know he had that smile and he said from then on I was the only coach ever to ask him to shoot.”

Kobe was showing that he wants to lock in defensively and reflecting that in practice shows how deeply he’d commit to things he wanted to. Thankfully, Coach K did get Kobe to take more shots and Team USA won those Olympics in convincing fashion.


Kobe Bryant’s Team USA Career

Kobe Bryant played on five USA Basketball teams and compiled an overall win-loss record of 36-0, winning three gold medals, with the U.S. Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012 and the 2007 USA Tournament of America. Bryant wore No. 10 for Team USA. 

In the 2012 Olympics, Kobe played and started in all eight games, averaging 17.3 minutes, 12.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 42.9% from the field, 43.6% from 3-point, and 90.9% (20-22 FTs) from the foul line. 

In the 2008 Olympics, Kobe was the veteran leader of the team that finished 8-0 and won the Gold medal. Bryant started in all eight games, averaging 23.5 minutes, 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game. Shot 46.2% from the field, 32.1% from 3-point, and 58.3% from the foul line.

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ByIshaan Bhattacharya
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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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