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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERSJune 5, 2010Kobe BryantLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day Q. Before we start talking about Game 2, I'd like for you to give us your thoughts on John Wooden, because I know for a long time you had admired him and his philosophy on not only basketball but life in general. KOBE BRYANT: Well, I mean, to say he was a great coach I think doesn't do it any justice. I think his legacy speaks for itself. The personal experience that I've had with him was the first time -- I saw him once at a UCLA basketball game when I was really young and we spoke briefly, and then we spoke at length at Chick Hearn's funeral. We spoke for about 25, 30 minutes. I think if you talk to any of his players, players that played for him, I think the thing that's consistent is that he made them better people, you know. I think that would be a true mark of his legacy. The winning and all that stuff, that's stuff that we all know about. Q. At this point, NBA Finals, how much is the mental approach to the game key? KOBE BRYANT: Well, it's a big key. I think effort plays, hustle points, loose balls, that stuff, wins championships, because it changes momentums of games. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper within yourself and try to pull out the energy to try to make that play. Those are big plays, no doubt. Q. (Off microphone). KOBE BRYANT: It's just doing what we've always done, and that's just stay composed, stay even keel. Don't get too high, don't get too low. We've always done that and we've followed Phil's lead in that department, and we just expect to do the same thing in Game 2. Q. When you speak about not getting too high and too low, how much do you have to do with making sure the guys don't go through that type of swing? KOBE BRYANT: Just continue to focus on the execution of the game. We're not a rah-rah kind of team. We don't have to do a lot of jumping around or anything like that. We just focus on the task at hand. I've learned that from Phil, and I try to communicate that as best I can to my teammates. Q. Is that also, no matter how good you guys looked in Game 1, that if you don't win Game 2, then they basically accomplished what they came here for? KOBE BRYANT: Well, we just focus on winning the next game. Game 1 is over and done with. I don't think anybody has been thinking about Game 1 at all. We just focus on the next one and not even worrying about Game 3. Q. In that focusing that you're talking about, if that is indeed true, it seems like if you play like you practice, you're going to be ready because the team was really getting after it today at the practice session. KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, we've always been a good practice team. We compete. We've got a lot of competitors on this team, and we don't like losing, whether it's 19,000 or 1 person in the crowd or nobody. We get after it pretty good. Q. You had some success going at Ray Allen pretty aggressively, he got into foul trouble. That ended up being a big part of Game 1. How does this work in the playoffs? For Game 2 you know he's going to try to get himself into foul trouble. What's the challenge going up against him? KOBE BRYANT: For me it's never going up against Ray Allen. Maybe when he was in Seattle. But with the Celtics, they're such a great defensive team that I can't focus on scoring on Ray Allen. I have to think about the other four guys out there on the court. So that relationship or that battle has changed significantly. Q. In your mind is Game 2 the pivotal game of the series because you could take command with a victory and they could get right back in it with a win? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, it's pivotal because it's just the next one. It's really no more or no less to me at this point. Q. In '08 you guys pretty much deployed a five-on-three strategy. On Thursday night it seemed like you guys stayed at home, played them one-on-one, particularly on Garnett. Is that a deliberate shift in strategy or are guys more confident you can handle the Celtics' offensive guys one-on-one? KOBE BRYANT: No, we just read it. It's just a read, it's not anything that's strategic or anything like that. We just try to read each other. Q. There's a theory that the Celtics might try to get a little physical with you guys after the first game for the second game. And how do you think Pau will respond if they try to knock him around a little bit? KOBE BRYANT: He'll be fine. Q. What have you seen that leads you to think that? KOBE BRYANT: I don't think he'll have any problems. I think he'll be okay. Q. Is there anything specific about John Wooden or anything in particular that you learned from him? KOBE BRYANT: Well, when we talked, we talked about our team. At the time we were winning championships, things like that. He just talked about us and how well we play together as a group and how proud he was to see a young player -- at the time I was young, and we talked about how proud he was to see a young player that was willing to work hard and do things when nobody is around that helps the team win. Things like that. Q. Do you see any parallels between the UCLA dynasty and the Laker dynasty at all? KOBE BRYANT: No, not quite like that. We've had a great run but not quite like that. Q. Rondo really makes it go for the Celtics. How big of a concentration is it for you guys to stop him with that dribble penetration? And what's the real impact on the team that you've seen when you do keep Rondo away from the basket? KOBE BRYANT: You try to do the best you can. You don't want to overcommit too much. But it's a full-time job because he's very smart, and he gets after it quite a bit. It takes a great deal of energy and effort to key in on him. End of FastScripts |
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