By all accounts, it was the perfect way for a newcomer to LA. Jalen Hood – Sifino and Maxwell Lewisto be liked by Lakers fans when introduced to the media on Tuesday.
They both spoke respectfully about their beloved kobe bryant And what did the Lakers legend mean to them as they grew up as basketball players?
Hood-Sciffino is a 6-6 guard from Indiana. lakers The No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft has been inspired by Bryant for as long as he can remember.
“Well, when I was younger when I was watching him, I saw him in terms of how talented he was on the court,” Hood-Sifino said. “Obviously he’s one of the best players to play in this game.
“When I got older and started to understand what he stood for and what ‘mamba spirituality’ was, I started to think about his ideas and what he stood for. I felt really drawn to Kobe, and these are the habits I tried to instill in myself.”
Lewis is a 6-7 forward from Pepperdine who was picked by the Lakers in the 40th round (second round) of the draft. He was also a huge Kobe Bryant fan.
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Lewis said his father grew up in Inglewood and the whole family is a Lakers fan. He said Lewis remained a fan of the Lakers and Bryant even after he settled in Las Vegas.
“First of all, my dad had a Laker Fathead in my room in Kobe, so I was watching it all the time,” Lewis said. “I was always by Laker alone.” [stuff]. He would always take me to LA, his old base, etc. on weekends. Exactly his mentality. how much he works I sometimes watch his motivational videos in the morning. It was little things like that that kept him in his mind how hard he had worked. “
And now Hood-Sciffino and Lewis are teammates lebron james. Still, it’s an interesting story for 20-year-old Hood-Sciffino.
When James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, he was seven days old. Hood-Sifino was asked to put it into perspective. he smiled.
“I saw it and I was like, ‘Fuck, LeBron is old.'” He’s been in the league for 21 years, just his knowledge of the game and what he can bring.” I think it will be really useful. “
For Lewis, it wasn’t clear who was more excited about the opportunity to play and learn from James, he or his friends.
“All my friends are just talking about playing with LeBron,” Lewis said. “It’s not realistic. Only big veterans can coach you and make me a better player. I just get a lot of feedback and see what they do. And they do.” just learn from.”
Hood-Sifino and Lewis will play for the Lakers’ summer team in two games at the California Classic on July 3 and 5 in Sacramento and two games at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas starting on July 7. Play the game first.
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I was impressed with both of them. Rob Pelinkathe Lakers’ vice president and general manager of basketball operations, coach Durbin Hamm, Jessie Buss, the team’s assistant general manager and scouting director … practically the entire organization.
“My coach and I spoke with Max on the phone and I think he was so emotionally trapped that he was really speechless,” Pelinka said. “Coach and I were like, ‘Wow,'” Man. This is a deep moment for him. ” and again. A player who cares so much about playing for this franchise is a big deal for us. Sitting upstairs with Jalen, Durbin, and Jessie, we talk about his journey so far and how he sees Mamba’s mentality as one of the pillars of his life when he was younger, and how he wants to approach the game. I just listened to you talk about what you thought.
“It’s easy to spit it out in a draft interview, but as you can see from him, it was incredibly sincere. It was something.”
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This story was originally los angeles times.
