Steph Curry Reveals Truth About Kobe Bryant's Lasting Legacy

Five years after his sudden passing, Kobe Bryant's impact on women's basketball continues to reverberate.

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry spoke about the late Hall of Famer's lasting impact on the women's game and hailed Bryant as one of the predominant forces behind its rise before his death.

“He was the first one I saw consistently and to the masses promoting it,” Curry said of Bryant in an interview with The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II. “Not just (his daughter) Gigi's team, but girls’ basketball in general. He spent his time reaching out — obviously his relationship with Sabrina [Ionescu], showing up at games, what he did at the academy and opening up facilities for them."

Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people, died in a fatal helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on their way to a basketball game on Jan. 26, 2020. 

Already a larger-than-life figure long before his death, Bryant's prominence in women's basketball remains thanks to his body of work before the accident.

Bryant served as a coach to Gianna's youth team and had trained and bonded with some of the game's biggest superstars, including the likes of Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi — nicknamed 'White Mamba' by Bryant himself — and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu. 

One of Bryant's lasting images before his death perfectly captured his support for the WNBA and women's basketball in general. In 2019, Bryant was seen wearing the orange WNBA hoodie while watching a Los Angeles Lakers game in 2019 alongside his daughter Gigi; a year later, that item became the best-selling merchandise in league history. 

"He was an unbelievable role model in terms of putting his name and stamp on women’s basketball as something to invest in," Curry said.

“Kobe’s legacy is way more than basketball,” added Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd. “It’s a lifestyle. He impacted the minds of so many. The hearts of so many. He knew that basketball could be a vessel but the knowledge he had could be passed down forever.”

On Sunday, the NBA also marked his death anniversary with a statement from commissioner Adam Silver, who acknowledged Bryant's influence across the basketball sphere.

"Kobe Bryant continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring and current NBA and WNBA players, young athletes playing at all levels and those who are motivated solely by his relentless pursuit of excellence," Silver said in a statement.

"Our thoughts today are with Vanessa and the Bryant family as we remember Kobe and their daughter, Gianna, with whom he shared a special bond around a profound love of the game of basketball," he added.