RIP Kobe...
Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who captained the gold-winning U.S. Men’s Basketball Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, recalled at the time having “goosebumps” the first time he received his USA uniform.
“We believe it’s the greatest country in the world,” Bryant told NBC Sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth. “And it’s given us so many great opportunities. And it’s just a sense of pride that you have. Cos you say, you know what, our country is the best.”
Collinsworth asked Bryant with a smile whether that was a “cool thing to say in this day and age.”
“It’s a cool thing for me to say,” Bryant replied. “You know, I feel great about it. And I’m not ashamed to say it. This is, this is a tremendous honor
Bryant, a shooting guard with the Los Angeles Lakers and five-time NBA champion, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, along with eight others – including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. He was 41.
Collinsworth: “Tell the story of when you first got your USA uniform.”
Bryant: “Well, I had goosebumps, and I actually just looked at it for a while. I just, I just held it there and I laid it across my bed and I just stared at it for a few minutes – just because it’s, you know, as a kid growing up, this is the ultimate, ultimate in basketball.”
Collinsworth: “Where does the patriotism come from inside of you, historically, what is--?”
Bryant: “Well, you know, it’s just, our country, we believe it’s the greatest country in the world. And it’s given us so many great opportunities. And it’s just a sense of pride that you have. Cos you say, you know what, our country is the best.”
Collinsworth: “Is that a cool thing to say in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems like, sort of, a day gone by.”
Bryant: “No, it’s a cool thing for me to say. You know, I feel great about it. And I’m not ashamed to say it. This is, this is a tremendous honor.”
cool interview with Cris
https://www.cnsnews.com/article/nat...g-usa-uniform-2008-its-greatest-country-world