Sabrina Ionescu on her mentor Kobe Bryant: “Kobe and I, and our paths…. they connected for a reason. Not just because of the wisdom that he shared with me. Not just because of the friendship, and confidence, and support that he gave me. Not just because of the way that he made me a smarter teammate, and a tougher competitor, and a harder worker. Not just because of the promise that he recognized in me — as a player, and a leader, and a person. I think my path connected with Kobe’s because of a bigger picture.⁠ ⁠ Kobe always saw the bigger picture.⁠ ⁠ That was clear with everything he did in his life — but to me it was especially clear with the way that he looked at and treated the game of women’s basketball. He didn’t see growing the game with girls as his hobby, or as some side project, or as a charity case. He saw it as a movement. And he didn’t get involved because he just wanted to be a fan of our movement. He got involved because he wanted to be a part of it.⁠ ⁠ And that’s what I ...