Colorado football coach Deion Sanders generated news headlines last month when he announced that the university had obtained record insurance coverage for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports now shed additional light on the insurance policies purchased by Colorado before the Buffaloes lost to BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, 36-14. The university redacted the names of the players on the documents, but USA TODAY Sports identified them as Hunter and Shedeur Sanders based on several factors.

The records show the school bought $1 million in extra permanent total disability (PTD) insurance for the bowl game, in addition to their previous $20 million in PTD coverage for the year that began in August 2024.

“Adding $1MM of temporary coverage effective December 18, 2024, through to December 29,2024 to cover Valero Alamo Bowl,” said an email to Colorado officials from Matthew Vuckovich of the firm Paradigm Gilbert. “Current coverage now at $21,000,000 for both players.”

After the bowl game, the coverage amount would go back down to $20 million, according to another email. Fortunately, neither Hunter nor Shedeur Sanders suffered a severe injury in the game.

Was that a good deal for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders?

Extra insurance brings extra peace of mind. But in this case, insurance industry experts found it strange to add $1 million in permanent disability coverage for one game when they had $20 million in place already. The extra $1 million cost the school $1,030 each in premiums.

Richard Giller, a renowned sports insurance recovery attorney in Los Angeles, reviewed the documents at the request of USA TODAY Sports.

“It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” said Giller of the firm Greenspoon Marder. “I don’t see the reason other than maybe just wanting to say they had $21 million, which is $1 million more than most of the other policies around?”

Was that really the highest-ever amount?

It’s not clear what Deion Sanders was referring to exactly on Dec. 23, when he said the players had obtained the “highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football.”

Colorado athletic director Rick George was sitting next to his coach when he made that statement and said, “That’s correct.” He said the added coverage was Sanders’ idea.

Former Kansas basketball player Eric Chenowith, founder of the Leverage Disability and Life Insurance Services, said he’s not privy to what Colorado was basing its statements on regarding  the “highest” amounts of coverage. But he said he’s placed two policies with an aggregate of $26 million on two different college football players in 2023.

Colorado declined to elaborate, citing privacy laws.

“We stand by what Coach Prime and Rick said at their press conference at the Alamo Bowl, which was based on information we had at that time,” Colorado athletics spokesman Steve Hurlbert said.

Messages sent to Vuckovich were not returned.

What did Colorado pay for this coverage?

The documents say it cost $1,030 each in premiums for the extra $1 million. Documents indicate the premiums for the other $20 million in year-long coverage cost about $166,000 for each through different companies.

The documents also show up to $250,000 in critical injury riders for the year if the players tore their Achllles tendon, among other serious injuries.

Was it worth the injury risk to play in the bowl game?

It depends on the viewpoint. Both Hunter and Shedeur Sanders indicated that playing in their final college games meant more to them than a financial risk calculation.

Other top college players opted not to play in bowl games because they didn’t want to risk their financial futures by getting injured in them. Giller told USA TODAY Sports before the bowl game that “there is absolutely NO reason that Hunter should ever play in what amounts to a meaningless bowl game, and risk his financial future to do so.”

If they had suffered a career-ending injury in their final college games, they would have tried to collect on that insurance. But that amount still could be far less than what they would earn in the NFL from future contracts and endorsement deals that come with their NFL fame. Both Hunter and Sanders are projected as top picks in the NFL draft in April.

Last year, the top pick in the draft, quarterback Caleb Williams, signed a four-year deal worth nearly $40 million.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Let me see if I have this right, because I’m a little fuzzy about the ACC’s idea of improving the college football postseason. 

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips floated an idea last weekend during the most recent College Football Playoff management committee meeting, and I’m not exactly sure what in the wide world of sports is going on.

The idea, in a nutshell, is more games for more teams within the ACC. A mini-tournament of sorts — before the College Football Playoff even begins. 

Now I’m no labor attorney, but I do believe adding more games for more teams will alter the already uneasy terms of revenue sharing (see: pay for play) beginning with the 2025 season. 

In layman terms, you’re not adding more games without giving players a larger slice of the media rights revenue pie. Again, I’m just a dumb writer, but that sounds a whole lot like a starting gun for attorneys lining up to take a run at more money for players.

Not that it’s a bad thing.

You’ve got to hand it to these administrators running the sport, they’re trying everything they can to generate revenue and not be severely impacted when the expected change comes July 1 — and as much as $20 million in pay for play revenue evaporates from their coffers.

This latest idea is the most intriguing whopper yet. Phillips thinks the ACC can do one of two things prior to the start of the playoff int he 2026 season, when the new contract begins and the format – still to be determined – has changed. Both involve more games. 

REPORT CARD: College football season grades for all 134 teams

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

The first: the regular season ACC champion gets an automatic bye to the playoff, and the next two teams have a play-in game for one of the ACC’s two projected automatic berths. 

The second: The ACC has a final four of sorts before the College Football Playoff, where four teams will play a conference tournament (think: original CFP setup) to determine the projected two automatic qualifying bids. 

While both ideas could drive revenue – and therefore increase player revenue under the current revenue sharing proposal – the idea of playing more games before the playoff isn’t one that could’ve been foreseen by player representatives. In other words, someone, somewhere is lawyering up.

Now, let’s do some math, shall we?

SMU, Miami, Clemson and Syracuse were the top four teams in the ACC in 2024, and in the ACC “conference tournament” scenario, SMU would play Syracuse and Miami would play Clemson. And the winner of those games, would play a week later for the league championship.

Assuming the highest-ranked four teams will earn first-round byes in the CFP beginning in 2026, there’s a possibility the ACC won’t have one of the four highest-ranked teams. It wouldn’t have this season.

So that means ACC teams will play 12 regular season games, and four ACC teams will play 13. Two more ACC teams will play 14 — and then the CFP begins. 

So let’s say the champion of the ACC tournament doesn’t receive a first-round by in the CFP, and must win four games to win the national title — which Ohio State did this season. That means players on the ACC championship team would have to play 18 games in one season. 

The NFL plays 17 regular season games, and the most any team would have to play to win the Super Bowl is 21. NFL players also receive 49 percent of a $110 billion media rights revenue sharing deal. 

The entire college athlete pool is expected to received about $20 million beginning July 1, with incremental increases in following seasons tied to increased revenue — if their universities are willing to commit to spending that amount.

Phillips says this ‘tournament’ would start the final week of the regular season, which would mean scheduling in the final week would have to be flexible. I’m just throwing this out there: Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia aren’t going to be ‘flexible’ with playing rivalry games against the ACC anywhere but the last week of the regular season.

So this ‘tournament’ will have to start after a full 12-game regular season schedule. Hence, the 18-game gauntlet for players.

Again, I’m just a dumb writer, but that’s going to be a legal problem in the near future. A big problem. 

And we all have seen how the NCAA deals with big problems: ignore them until the governing body is named in a lawsuit. The NCAA’s batting average in those lawsuits is, in a word, horrific.

So, to recap: the ACC wants to add more games for more players, and then absolutely, unequivocally doesn’t want players to be treated as employees. Doesn’t want players to unionize, doesn’t want them to collectively bargain.

You have to give college administrators credit. They’re thinking outside the box in an attempt to generate more revenue. 

The problem is, they’re trapped inside a box of their making ― and the only way out is to share more money.  

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

To take final step in becoming a national championship program, Notre Dame must generate stronger quarterback play. Insert CJ Carr.
CJ Carr on the mend after elbow injury affected his true freshman season, when he was a backup.
CJ Carr and Steve Angelli top options to replace Riley Leonard. Carr offers higher ceiling.

Notre Dame’s college football future hinges on a hinge. An elbow, specifically. That elbow connects CJ Carr’s upper arm to his lower arm, and it’s on the mend.

The Fighting Irish need a healthy and effective Carr. How the redshirt freshman quarterback fares will shape Notre Dame’s national title potential in 2025.

The national championship game Monday night painted an obvious picture of the gap separating the Irish from the summit: They must become more threatening in the pass game.

Ohio State clinched its 34-23 triumph with a play Notre Dame couldn’t make. The Irish rushed seven defenders on third down, leaving Christian Gray on a man-to-man coverage island against Buckeyes star receiver Jeremiah Smith.

That’s an unfair fight.

Will Howard finished his dazzling postseason by tossing a beautiful 56-yard completion into Smith’s mitts. From there, you could prepare the trigger on the red and white confetti.

‘We felt like we had an advantage with Jeremiah,’ Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said.

They had an advantage with Howard, too.

REPORT CARD: College football season grades for all 134 teams

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

Notre Dame needs better than Riley Leonard to win it all

Howard completed his first 13 passes during a quarterback masterclass, spreading the ball around among the nation’s best receiving corps. By comparison, quarterback runs persisted as Notre Dame’s most reliable weapon.

No dig intended here at Riley Leonard, Notre Dame’s outgoing starting quarterback. His leadership, toughness, running skills and durability helped Notre Dame reach the season’s final game. In a show of grit, Leonard ran on nine of Notre Dame’s 18 plays during its opening touchdown drive.

To prevail on this stage, though, the Irish require a quarterback who’s a stronger passer, plus more dynamic wide receivers. That was true when the 2012 Irish finished as national runners-up, and it’s true today.

“We couldn’t run Riley every play,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “It’s not right for Riley, and it’s not going to sustain the success we needed offensively.”

Bingo. At some point, championship teams need a quarterback and wide receiver who can team up for a 56-yard chunk play.

Maybe, Carr will become that trigger man.

CJ Carr holds keys to Notre Dame’s future

Freeman declared in December that Notre Dame would not pursue a transfer quarterback this offseason. That’s either a show of foolishness or supreme confidence in Carr’s recovery and ability. Carr signed 13 months ago as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, complete with a four-star billing. He never threw a pass as a true freshman, before an elbow injury shelved him.

Carr told reporters a few weeks ago that he’s healing nicely. That’s a relief for Notre Dame. Never mind what you hear about a brewing competition between Carr and two-year backup Steve Angeli to be Leonard’s heir. Carr offers a higher ceiling. If the Irish plan to chase hardware next season, he’s the guy.

“CJ Carr, he’s a put-the-franchise-on-your-back kind of quarterback,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said recently on air.

The last seven national champions started quarterbacks who averaged at least 199 yards passing. Four of those seven averaged more than 250 yards passing, including Howard.

Compare that to Leonard, who averaged 179 yards passing and a modest 7.1 yards per attempt.

And Howard? He threw for more than 4,000 yards, 35 touchdowns and hit at a clip of 9.5 yards per attempt. That’s the stuff of a champion.

Freeman fosters the necessary culture and toughness for Notre Dame to be a College Football Playoff fixture, but it’s become a pitch-and-catch game, folks.

LSU and Alabama retrained us on what a national champion looks like in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, when Joe Burrow and then Mac Jones torched defenses with completions to receivers beyond compare. Even as Georgia built all-star rosters during back-to-back championships, Stetson Bennett averaged more than 275 yards passing for the Bulldogs’ second title team and stepped up in the biggest games.

Michigan won last season without an elite quarterback. J.J. McCarthy and his receivers were good, not great. The Wolverines’ fulcrum became run-and-tackle football, but after the playoff expanded to four rounds and 12 teams, it’s become more difficult to envision a champion without a top-shelf quarterback.

And the question lingers as to whether Freeman will produce one.

Notre Dame’s latest signing class finished without a blue-chip quarterback after Deuce Knight flipped his commitment to Auburn. Notre Dame’s top four recruits are an offensive tackle, a linebacker, a tight end and a safety. Sounds like the Irish, right?

Where’s the receiver who’s going to top 1,000 yards? Ohio State possessed two of them.

Jaden Greathouse finished with a crescendo. He’ll return to lead Notre Dame’s receiving group that includes Jordan Faison. That’s a start. It’s not enough, frankly. The Irish will need transfer receiver Malachi Fields of Virginia to thrive, and someone must get the ball in his hands.

Notre Dame taking that final big step to the top of the college football mountain hinges on an elbow healing, and a quarterback flourishing.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

Alysa Liu, back from retirement at age 19, sits in first place after the women’s short program at U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Thursday in Wichita, Kansas.

Liu was the bronze medalist at the 2022 World Championships before stepping away from the sport. The California native shined in her return to the U.S. Championships on Thursday, receiving a score of 76.36.

‘I almost cried before my name was even called,’ Liu said on NBC Sports.

She was near tears again following her routine that featured a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, double Axel and triple Lutz.

‘It was just the perfect moment for me,’ Liu said.

Bradie Tennell is in contention for her third national title after placing second on Thursday at 71.23. The 26-year-old from Illinois won the U.S. Championships in 2018 and 2021 and was twice the runner-up.

‘Nationals always feels a bit like coming home,’ Tennell said, according to NBC Sports. ‘I know I have a lot of people in the audience supporting me, and it just fueled my performance.’

Reigning champion Amber Glenn, a 25-year-old Texan, is in third place at 70.91.

‘Coming into this event, I have been a bit fatigued and just dealing with some issues off the ice that have been just exhausting, and I just didn’t get myself pumped up enough today,’ she said, per NBC Sports.

Sarah Everhardt (70.72) and Sherry Zhang (67.42) round out the top five.

The pairs short program was also held on Thursday, and reigning champions Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam got off to a strong start. They scored 77.19, putting them well ahead of the second-place duo of Spencer Howe and Emily Chan (69.10).

O’Shea, 32, became the oldest U.S. pairs champ a year ago, and now he’s trying to do it again.

‘I think they say something about fine wine, right?’ O’Shea said, according to NBC Sports. ‘It gets better with age. I don’t know. Maybe I’m smelly cheese. But we’re getting better. I can owe a lot to this one (Kam).’

Misha Mitrofanov and Alisa Efimova are in third place at 69.03, and they are followed by Daniil Parkman and Katie McBeath (62.92) and Balazs Nagy and Audrey Shin (62.06).

The women’s competition will conclude with the free skate on Friday, and the pairs free skate will be held on Saturday.

Ice dancing starts on Friday, and the men’s competition begins on Saturday. The event runs through Sunday.

March Madness is still a couple of months away, but the quest for quality victories is well underway for the men’s basketball teams hoping to participate in the NCAA tournament. In truth, it began way back in November, and of course it continues this weekend.

This week’s Starting Five features – stop us if you’ve heard this one before – a pair of top-25 showdowns in the SEC, including a top-10 clash with the No.-1 spot on the line. We’ll also look in on the ACC and the Big 12, with a Friday night tilt in the Big Ten getting the weekend off to an early start. Let’s dive in, shall we?

No. 7 Tennessee at No. 1 Auburn

Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

The current top-ranked squad hosts the former No. 1 in the weekend’s headliner, with both still very much in the mix for regional top seeds. Add in the fact that the Tigers are helmed by the former Volunteers coach and, well, things could get a little intense. Auburn did not have a midweek game, giving Johni Broome a few extra days to rest his sprained ankle. Whether he’ll be ready to return remains to be seen, though the performance of reserves like Chaney Johnson and Tahaad Pettiford in his absence has been encouraging. Tennessee’s defense can keep it in most games, that 30-point loss to Florida notwithstanding. Having veteran Zakai Zeigler running point helps, though the overall shooting can still be spotty at times.

No. 5 Houston at No. 11 Kansas

Time/TV: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

The main event in the Large Dozen-plus-four is this major road test for the Cougars, the last team in the conference without a league loss. The Jayhawks will be happy to be at home, though they lost their league opener in Allen Fieldhouse to West Virginia back on New Year’s Eve. Always known for playing physical defense, this year’s Houston squad relies heavily on the three-point arc, taking over a third of its shots from distance. Milos Uzan, who took over point guard duties after transferring in from Oklahoma, is handing out 4.8 assists while averaging just 1.2 turnovers a game. KU is still without senior forward K.J. Adams (shoulder), but freshman Flory Bidunga has filled in nicely in his first couple of starts.

No. 20 Michigan at No. 12 Purdue

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox

The good news for the Boilermakers is they don’t have to worry about keeping their home-court winning streak alive – because it ended Tuesday night when they squandered a big lead against Ohio State. Their concern now is preventing a rare losing skid at Mackey Arena. The Wolverines, however, have been shaky themselves of late, narrowly escaping Northwestern after taking their first league loss at Minnesota. Michigan’s twin-tower lineup with Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf has been beneficial in numerous areas this season, most notably helping the Wolverines enjoy a rebounding margin of 6.3 a game. That could be a significant advantage in the hostile environs at Purdue, which tends to sink or swim with Braden Smith’s three-point accuracy on a given day.

No. 2 Duke at Wake Forest

Time/TV: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Unfortunately, this game will not mark the courtside return of beloved ESPN commentator Dick Vitale as previously planned. But it should be worth a look nevertheless as the Demon Deacons, squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble near the midpoint of the conference schedule, hope to take advantage of this opportunity for a quality win on their home floor. The Blue Devils, however, have been running roughshod over the rest of the ACC home or away. Touted Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, a projected lottery pick if not the first overall, has lived up to his lofty billing. Wake counters with Hunter Sallis, an all-conference candidate in his own right putting up 19.2 points a game.

No. 16 Mississippi at No. 24 Missouri

Time/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, SECN

Like Georgia a week ago, life as a ranked team got off to a rocky start for Mizzou with Tuesday night’s loss at Texas. The Tigers hope this return home will help them avoid being one and done in the top 25. None of this matters to the Rebels, who are looking to snap their own two-game slide. Ole Miss will need a big day at the arc from Sean Pedulla and Jaylen Murray in order to both quiet the crowd and limit their exposure on the glass, not a strong suit for the Rebels as a team. The Tigers tend to be more selective with their three-point attempts, preferring to get their guard tandem of Mark Mitchell and Tamar Bates opportunities closer to the rim.

It’s one thing to be named an NBA All-Star.

It’s quite another to be appointed one of the 10 starters.

The players who will be on the floor for tip-off of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco on Feb. 16 were announced Thursday night on TNT, ahead of a doubleheader featuring the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

As always, there are players who made strong cases to start the game, or at least deserved very serious consideration. Still, with only five starting spots per conference, the margins between starting and appearing as a reserve are exceptionally thin. All-Star reserves will be announced Jan. 30 on TNT.

Here are the players who are 2025 NBA All-Star Game snubs:

Eastern Conference

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been a revelation and his play has sparked Detroit’s surge up the standings; entering Thursday, the Pistons were sitting in the No. 6 spot in the East — the final guaranteed playoff spot. Cunningham is averaging career bests in points (24.6), assists (9.4) and rebounds (5.6) per game, and he has been the catalyst for the Pistons (23-21) to surpass their wins total from last season by nine victories at the midway point.

Western Conference

Anthony Davis

Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis often is the anchor through which the offense runs, as much as LeBron James serves as a scorer and facilitator. Davis, though, stabilizes Los Angeles and provides a steady, consistent threat in the paint. So far this season, he also has helped space the floor with his 3-point shot, which he has embraced in recent games. Among players with at least 20 games played, Davis ranks fourth in player impact estimate (17.9), which is a statistic that measures a player’s comprehensive contributions (positive and negative).

Anthony Edwards

Despite a downtick in efficiency, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards remains the most explosive two-guard in the NBA, and one who can soar for powerful dunks. Edwards transformed his shot portfolio this season, leading the league in 3-pointers (184), and has the best 3-point shooting percentage (42.6%) among the top 25 players ranked by 3s attempted.

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama is the best defender in the NBA, and with increased responsibility offensively and defensively in his second year, he has improved over his Rookie of the Year season. He averages 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, a league-best 4.0 blocks, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and shoots 47.3% from the field, 35.4% on 3s and 84.5% on free throws. The Spurs are a better team and in postseason contention with his development.

Sunday will mark five years since Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant died, but his legacy in the NBA continues.

A group of young stars, some old enough to have had several interactions with Bryant, have been outspoken about Bryant’s influence and impact on their careers.

Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash the morning of Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California, as the contingent was on its way to an AAU basketball game Gianna was supposed to play in.

Bryant was 41.

Some of the players who consider Bryant an inspiration:

Jayson Tatum carries on ‘Mamba mentality’

Perhaps the player who most embodies this is Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.

On Tuesday night, Tatum appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where he was asked about how he idolized Bryant. He said Bryant mentored him after Bryant discussed Tatum’s game on the ESPN show “Detail”.

“After that (show), we connected and I got to pick his brain, I worked out with him, I met with him,” Tatum said during the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” appearance. “So, yeah, he was a big help to me. …

“Just like a full-circle moment. I was a kid in St. Louis growing up and the person that inspired me to chase my dream and going and being as great as I can was 3,000 miles away and 15 years later, he was a mentor and we got to talking. I remember the first time we worked out, he asked me a question, he was like: ‘How much does it mean to you?’ and that was such a powerful thing because you think of all the things he sacrificed and how hard he worked to perfect his craft, how much does it mean to you to be one of the greatest?”

On May 29, 2022, as the Celtics traveled to Miami to face the Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Tatum led all Boston players with 26 points in a victory that sent the Celtics to the Finals. During the game, he wore a purple armband with the No. 24 on it, an homage to Bryant’s jersey number with the Lakers. In fact, Tatum revealed that before the game, he texted Bryant’s old phone number with the message: “I got you today.”

In the past two Olympic games, Tatum has worn jersey No. 10 for Team USA, which was the same number Bryant wore when representing the U.S.

After Bryant’s death, Tatum got a tattoo on his left leg of the No. 24 in black Mamba snakes, which paid tribute to Bryant’s jersey number, and his Black Mamba nickname.

‘Be Legendary.’

In March 2016, then a rookie, Devin Booker of the Suns played his first and only game against Bryant. Booker scored 28 points in a Phoenix victory, and impressed Bryant so much that Bryant gifted him a signed pair of shoes with the caption: “Be Legendary.”

Booker, at times in his career, has drawn comparisons to Bryant for his scoring proficiency and easy jumper.

“He inspired me,” Booker said in 2019. “He changed the game of basketball. Changed the city of Los Angeles. Just incredible. The way he went out and got love on every road trip he went on. If you wouldn’t want to go out like that, I don’t know why you’re playing the game.

“So that always sticks in my head while I’m playing. When I’m done, I want to be remembered as someone like Kobe Bryant.”

Team USA stars see Kobe Bryant work ethic up close

Bryant was a key member of the 2008 and 2012 Team USA squads that won gold medals. In fact, Team USA did not lose a single game in which Bryant was a member of the team.

He served as a captain in 2008 and young stars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony all witnessed how maniacal Bryant was in his approach and preparation. In 2012 there were new players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Anthony Davis who also saw this.

“Kobe’s a brother to me,” James said during a pre-game speech before the first Lakers game after Bryant’s death. ‘From the time I was in high school and watching him from afar to getting in this league at 18 watching him up close, all the battles we had throughout my career, the one thing that we always shared is that determination to just want to win and just want to be great.”

‘Giannis literally changed after that meeting’

Because of Bryant’s immense popularity abroad during his playing days, aided in part because of Bryant’s experience living in Italy, he championed the growth and development of basketball in Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that players like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo looked up to him.

In fact, in Mirin Fader’s book ‘Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion’, she details a moment when Bryant pulled Antetokounmpo aside after a Lakers-Bucks game to give him advice.

The game was Feb. 22, 2016, when Antetokounmpo was in his third year. The Bucks started Antetokounmpo at point guard for the first time in his career that night, and he responded with his first career triple-double, scoring 27 points and adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The Bucks won, 108-101, in what would be Bryant’s last game in Milwaukee.

After the game Bryant sought out Antetokounmpo and counseled him for an hour, per Fader.

“Kobe gave him advice for about an hour,” Fader wrote, per Sports Illustrated. “He told him to work on his jump shot, get in the gym every day, and shoot a thousand jumpers a day. Kobe also told him about the mentality it took to be great. ‘Be serious until the last day you play basketball,’ Kobe told him, also noting the importance of recovery, of taking care of one’s body, of making sacrifices. …

“Giannis literally changed after that meeting.”

Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA MVP and Embiid has won the award once.

Follow NBA reporter Lorenzo Reyes on social media @LorenzoGReyes