Kobe Bryant's International Appeal

From USA TODAY, on 13 August 2012, "Kobe Bryant the most interesting man in the world?" by Jeff Zillgitt  --  LONDON – LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world.

Kevin Durant is trying to take that title.

But the world's most popular NBA player? That belongs to Kobe Bryant.

It's revealed in anecdotal evidence. At the U.S. men's introductory Olympic news conference in London on July 27, Bryant drew more attention from international journalists than any other U.S. player.

It's obvious during Team USA introductions before Olympic games when Bryant, who has spent his 16-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, receives the loudest ovation.

There is tangible evidence to his worldwide popularity. For the sixth consecutive year, his jersey was the top seller in China, and when the NBA released its first list of top-selling international jerseys in June, Bryant's name was atop that list, too.

"In Asia, everything came to a head at the last Olympics (2008 in Beijing)," Bryant said. "In Europe last summer, we did a nice tour with Nike. The response was more than what we expected. At those two points, that's when we realized how big it is."

Bryant, 33, can't explain his global popularity.

"I don't know why," he said. "I have a hard time putting my finger on it."

But it's certainly there. At Wednesday's afternoon quarterfinals session, which did not include the U.S. team, about a dozen Kobe Bryant jerseys were spotted, including two guys sitting next to each other, one wearing a home jersey, the other a road. Mathieu Dufrenne, 26 of France bought his home jersey four years ago.

Kobe Bryant of United States during the Women's Marathon on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 5, 2012 in London, England.

"In France, it's quite difficult to see the games, but you can see summaries of the games, and the best actions of the night always show Kobe Bryant, and it's been like that for years. Everybody knows Kobe Bryant," Dufrenne said.

When Dufrenne purchased his quarterfinal tickets, he didn't know which teams he would get to see. He will get to see France play Spain.

"Either way, I was going to see France or Kobe Bryant," he said.

Even opponents are fans

Bryant's popularity extends to players on upstart national teams. Reminiscent of opponents asking the 1992 Dream Team for autographs and posing for pictures with U.S. players, Tunisia's Mohamed Hadidane asked Bryant for an autograph after the USA's 110-63 victory in group play.

Bryant has attributes perfectly suited for global icon status. He spent part of his childhood in Italy, where his dad played professional basketball. He is a soccer fan, speaks Italian and Spanish and credits his Italian youth coach for developing his basketball IQ.

"I'm extremely fundamentally sound. That all comes from growing up overseas," Bryant said. "If you look at most of the guys here, a lot of guys do things off the dribble. I'm very comfortable in a triple-threat position. I'm very comfortable with pump fakes and jab steps and footwork.

"With my club team growing up, we'd have practices where you literally could not dribble the entire practice."

Though Bryant will be 34 at the end of the NBA season, he has passed his professional crossroads. That was five summers ago, when Bryant didn't know if he wanted to remain a Laker. He stayed and won two more titles.

NBA star Kobe Bryant seen with wife Vanessa Laine and daughters Natalia and Gianna watching swimmer Michael Phelps at the Aquatics Centre, London 2012 Olympic Games

He has also gotten past a personal crossroads. In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in Eagle County, Colo. He pleaded not guilty, and the accuser eventually dropped the charges.

With two years left on his contract — $27.8 million in 2012-13 and $30.4 million in 2013-14 — Bryant has given brief consideration to his future. He recently told Yahoo he would consider playing a year in Europe after he retires from the Lakers.

"I don't put much thought into (retirement), but it's crossed my mind," Bryant said this week.

While he acknowledged he doesn't want to hang on just for the sake of hanging on, he realizes, "When you're accustomed to doing something your entire life and all of a sudden it's gone, it takes a lot of adjustment."

How many more seasons? "We'll see. Not many."

He still has unfinished business. Everyone knows he wants a sixth ring, not as much to catch Hall of Famer Michael Jordan but because he just wants to win. He knows time is running out.

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. With that roster, the Lakers were drifting from championship dreams rather than chasing them, last winning a title in 2010.

Beefing up the Lakers

In July, the Lakers pulled one of the biggest free agent moves of the summer, acquiring longtime Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash.

Since the deal, there have been phone calls, dinners and meetings. Nash and Bryant have talked. Lakers center Pau Gasol had dinner with Bryant, and Lakers coach Mike Brown spent time in Las Vegas last month with former NBA coach Eddie Jordan. They discussed the idea of adding Jordan as an assistant coach and running portions of the Princeton offense.

"I like Steve a lot. I look forward to running with Steve," Bryant said.

How much better Nash makes the Lakers will be played out this season. But Nash's presence will take offensive pressure off Bryant. Now the Lakers have a playmaker in Nash, who can set up shots for himself, Bryant, Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Bryant looks forward to seeing Gasol flourish in the Lakers' new offense.

"It's going to make it a lot easier for him, that's for sure. Steve's an incredible distributor," Bryant said. "Also, the system that we run will be a lot different. So I think it's perfect for (Gasol), his ability to pass the ball and make plays from the high post. He'll be able to shoot. It's the perfect system.

"We talked about this over dinner. We talked next season and the things we'll be running. I was excited for him. That's right in his wheelhouse, the way he likes to play."

Another consequence of Nash's arrival might be the extension of Bryant's NBA career, given that his body should be under less stress. Bryant lost 16 pounds after the season and told news reporters he had to curtail his stops at In-N-Out Burger.

Since the USA began its training camp in Las Vegas, Bryant has been on a roll engaging news reporters. He started by saying the 2012 U.S. team could beat the 1992 Dream Team, igniting a debate that won't go away. Bryant tried to clarify his comment. He said the current team could beat the old team in a one-game situation. He didn't say this team could beat that team every time.

When a news reporter suggested Bryant was the best U.S offensive player in the low post other than center Tyson Chandler, Bryant stopped the question.

"No, no, no," Bryant said. "Not other than Tyson Chandler. I'm the best post player on this team, period. Tyson Chandler is not in that conversation."

Asked what it's like to be the old guy on the team, Bryant said, "I'm where everybody wants to get to. I just happen to be still playing."

"Can you learn anything from these young guys?" he was asked.

Bryant: "No."

"You know everything?"

Bryant: "I don't know if I know it all, but I know more than they do."

Bryant is not along for the ride in London after winning gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He starts, provides leadership and because he doesn't need to score as much he doesn't. James, Durant and Carmelo Anthony can handle that. But when needed, Bryant isn't worried.

"I score. That's what I do," he said.

Bryant scored 14 points in the first two games. On the next off day, Durant asked Bryant to show him a few offensive moves against Nigeria. So Bryant scored 14 in the first quarter.

Bryant has the full support of Mike Krzyzewski, the coach of Team USA and Duke. Krzyzewski recruited Bryant even though he knew Bryant wasn't going to attend college. Bryant says had he attended college, Duke would have been his choice.

"I say that by default," Bryant said. "(Former North Carolina coach) Dean Smith stopped recruiting me because he knew I was going to the pros. Coach K just kept keeping on in case I changed my mind."

The two have grown to become friends.

"Great friends," Krzyzewski said. "I've known him since he was 16. As his pro career advanced, we got to be closer. Through this (Team USA), we've been really close.

"We both know that we've won. There's a mutual respect with people who have been lucky enough to win championships. There's certain things that tie you together." (source: USA TODAY)