سه شنبه Twenty-four 8 بهمن 1398 24 شماره 6408 روزنامه ورزشی صبح ایران صاحب امتیاز: خبرگزاری جمهوری اسالمی ایران مدیرمسئول: علی عالی تلفن: 14 ــ 88504113 نمابر: 84711173 سازمان آگهیها: 1877ــ 88501300 ــ88746583 انتشارات: 5 و 88548892 امور مشترکین: 88748800 ــ 88521954 نشانی: تهران، خیابان خرمشهر، شماره 208 / صندوق پستی 5388-15875 چاپ: ایرانیان [email protected] Basketball legend Kobe Bryant inspired a generation of players Guardian - Kobe Bryant, who died on Sunday in a he led the league in jersey sales five times over the helicopter crash in California at the age of 41, was course of his career and is believed to have sold one of the most accomplished players in league more jerseys internationally than every NBA player history, an 18-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals except Michael Jordan. The son of Joe “Jelly Bean” MVP and the 2007-2008 league MVP. As a member Bryant, who played in the NBA for eight seasons be- of Team USA he won gold medals at the 2008 and fore becoming a star in Italy, Kobe Bryant was argu- 2012 Summer Olympics. His 81 points against the ably the most worldly of any NBA star in history – he Toronto Raptors in 2006 is the second-highest sin- could confidently conduct interviews in Spanish and gle-game total in NBA history. In his final game in Italian – and was instrumental in raising the sport’s 2016 he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz, the international profile. most of any player in his last contest. His international popularity may have even dwarfed On Saturday night LeBron James passed Bryant to his national celebrity, as he was routinely met by become the third all-time leading scorer in league mobs of fans – he once had to escape a reported history, which Bryant celebrated with a tweet con- 15,000 adoring supporters when landing in China gratulating his former opponent and Olympic team- for an appearance in the late 2000s – wherever he mate. travelled. A titanic figure who inspired a generation of bas- Bryant’s loss is a seismic one not just for basketball ketball players nationally and internationally, Bry- but for a generation of Los Angeles natives whose ant made his debut in 1996 at 18 and played 20 bedroom walls were adorned with his posters and seasons for the Lakers before retiring. Bryant and the countless individuals he inspired over the course the center Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers to the of his 20-year career. The loss of a legend who ma- remarkable feat of winning three consecutive titles tured from basketball superstar to devoted family from 1999-2002 – something accomplished by just man (husband of Vanessa) to global basketball am- two other franchises – and won two more titles be- bassador is a palpable tragedy that left the world tween 2008-2010 after O’Neal’s departure. After his shocked, grieving and reminiscing about the thrills retirement, Bryant secured himself as a Los Angeles he delivered over the course of three decades. As the legend and one of the most iconic athletes in world longtime NBA coach David Fizdale told ESPN on Sun- history. day: “The Lakers are the heartbeat of LA and Kobe His stardom reached well beyond Los Angeles, as Bryant was the blood running through it.” Ronaldinho: ‘Martinelli reminds me of Iranian athletes Karate national team Ronaldo’ pay tribute to Kobe wants more quota Bryant Goal - The 2002 World Cup winner has tipped his ot. Mehrnews - Besides other NBA superstars and Irani- IranVarzeshi - Iran Karate national team wins compatriot to break into the Brazil team sooner “He reminds me of Ronaldo his first season in Eu- an athletes flooding social media with condolences gold and bronze in men’s singles champion- rather than later at the age of 18 rope he scored 30 goals and people were thinking: after the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old ship in French World Cup, now Shahram Heravi, Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho sees similari- ‘who is this 18 year old Brazilian kid?’ daughter Gianna, Iran’s Hamed Haddai reacted to head coach of Karate national team believes if ties between Gabriel Martinelli and Ronaldo as he “He wanted the ball, he would run at players, there the incident. some things did not happen and refereeing was tipped the Arsenal teenager to take the game by was no fear no matter what players or team he In his Instagram stories, Haddadi posted a picture fairer Karate Iran could win more than two med- storm. was playing against - and I see that similar atti- of himself as Memphis Grizzlies member playing als in France. Martinelli, 18, made the leap from the bottom tier tude in Martinelli. against Bryant. Haddai wished peace for the Ameri- “Necessary points work hard and come out well of Brazilian football to the Premier League in the “He just wants to be on the ball and score goals. can professional basketball player. prepared. summer when he traded in Ituano for Arsenal. But Ronaldo went on to be the best player in the world Haddadi is a basketball player for Nanjing Mon- That was the case, too, and we saw high-level he has barely been fazed by the step up in quality, - and that can also be the aim of Martinelli.” key King of the Chinese Basketball Association. struggles.” Heravi, said that. scoring 10 goals in 21 appearances in all compe- Martinelli may yet have to wait to make his Brazil He plays at the center position and is 7’2” tall and “We learned a great lesson from the Paris tour- titions to provide one of the few bright spots in a debut, with the South American giants boasting weighs 280 lbs. Haddadi was the first Iranian to nament,” the national team coach said, adding difficult season for the Gunners. The youngster the likes of Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto play in the National Basketball Association when he that France had great lessons for karate. has become a sensation since running 65 yards Firmino among their forward options. debuted with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008. That is while we are good at something that is to score a delightful equaliser in a 2-2 draw with But Ronaldinho insists that he will be in coach Bryant’s death sent shockwaves throughout the against our will, it is out of the hands of the na- Chelsea. Tite’s plans before too long. NBA and beyond, prompting not only his colleagues tional team and the technical staff. Ronaldo too came to prominence at Barcelona “I am sure that his first Brazil cap is very close - he but a range of celebrities worldwide to pay tribute to “We definitely have weaknesses, and I hope in with his spectacular strike against Compostela, is ready,” he added. the basketball icon. Iran national basketball team the three weeks that we have the opportunity capping a run that started in his own half. “Historically the national team has never been captain, Samad Nikkhah Bahrami appreciated Bry- left in the Dubai World League we can fix the And for his 2002 World Cup-winning team-mate, concerned with age. Ronaldo was playing for Bra- ant for all the things he gave to basketball. “Thanks weaknesses.” comparisons between the pair are not too far- zil at 17 - and more recently Neymar and Jesus for everything that you gave to this game of basket- In response to several quotas for Iran’s karate, fetched. have played an important role when they were ball,” he wrote in an Instagram story while posting Heravi said, “We have excellent conditions in “We as Brazilians are very excited about him and only teenagers. Bryant’s photo. Key Iran national football team play- two weights from 3 weights. We will be in Par- his future. It is one thing to have the talent - but “If you have the ability and the talent then you will ers Ashkan Dejagah, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and Sa- is next year to achieve that goal, which is the another at the age of 18 to have the confidence,” get the chance - and the world can see that he man Ghoddos also honored Kobe and his daughter Olympic quota, and then to be proud of the Ira- Ronaldinho told the Mirror of his young compatri- (Martinelli) has the talent.” in separate posts. nian sports team at the Olympics.”.