JIMMY Alapag’s fondest memory of Kobe Bryant was when the Smart Gilas side played a collection of NBA stars led by the Los Angeles Lakers great in a pair of exhibition games held in 2011 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Alapag along with Ranidel De Ocampo, Kelly Williams, Dondon Hontiveros, and Asi Taulava reinforced the all-amateur Smart Gilas squad that played Kobe and Co. as part of their preparation for the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.
The NBA stars defeated Smart Gilas, 98-89, as expected with Bryant finishing with 17 points to lead a side that also included Kevin Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Javale McGee, Tyreke Evans, Derek Fisher, and Derrick Williams.
Alapag bared that Bryant showed up for that exhibition match prepared, knowing their opponents’ tendencies and strengths including his.
“Talked to him a little bit afterwards, we were laughing and joking, and he said, ‘We know who you are,” said Alapag during the Mamba Mentality Live webinar for Nike members on Monday.
That attitude, Alapag said, summed up Bryant’s competitiveness.
“Just seeing how much he paid attention to detail in a game that wasn’t an official game really stood out for me. It shows his work ethic and attention to detail to the game,” said the former Gilas PIlipinas captain.
Alapag said it was that attitude he picked up from Bryant served him in good stead three years later when he was part of the Gilas squad that competed at the 2014 Fiba Basketball World Cup in Seville, Spain.
“I think when you talk about Kobe and his passion, focus, and honesty, I think that applies so well to my experience going back to the World Cup in 2014 because it was something that I had so much passion for, to get the opportunity to play against the best in the world. It took an extremely high amount of focus for that moment.”
The now-San Miguel Alab Pilipinas coach said the World Cup experience also helped him prepare for his future career in coaching.
“To be honest, I was at the tailend of my career. I was already 37 at the time or turning 37 during the World Cup. Just getting into that in terms of preparation and now years later, making this transition into coaching.
"When you talk about the optimism as a young coach, it was something that I really took to heart because I didn’t have much experience but I was incredibly excited about the opportunity to be a head coach and again, just applying that Mamba mentality meant everything,” said Alapag.
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