Kobe charms Asia

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MACAO -- Cosmopolitan as he is, having grown up in Italy, Kobe Bryant is a natural favorite of the international press, which is not as adversarial as the one he puts up with on his day job.

For example, when Bryant takes questions at a Lakers practice, as he did at the U.S. team’s practice in Macao on Monday, the press people don’t ask to pose for pictures with him, as they did here. Bryant, who is far easier-going in international competition, obliged everyone who asked, happily.

Then there’s his wide-ranging knowledge of sports. Asked by a Brazilian journalist about that national team’s failure to qualify with Leandro Barbosa, Nene and Anderson Varejao declining to participate, Bryant answered in depth (‘It’s just a phase they’re going through. They obviously have a lot of talented players. Barbosa, he’s one of my favorite players in the league, Nene, and so forth. I know they have some coaching changes going on with the national team. It’s just going to take a little time.’)

Then, asked whether he knew any Brazilian athletes aside from basketball players, Bryant, who played soccer as a child in Italy, quickly threw out the names of Ronaldhino, Robinho and Kaka, noting: ‘They’re all famous athletes. I’m glad they’re playing soccer, not basketball.’ He added he intends to catch one of the Brazilian soccer games in Beijing.

Come back tomorrow to hear Kobe discuss Zsuzsanna Voros’ attempt to win another gold medal in the women’s modern pentathlon with the Hungarian press.

--Mark Heisler