A year ago now, when Sabrina Ionescu traveled to Los Angeles to collect the John Wooden Award for Best College Player, she received an invitation from Kobe Bryant. She wanted him to stay a few more days to train with his daughter Gigi's team, maybe run it for a couple of games. Ionescu was one of the idols of Gigi Bryant and Kobe's protégé, who in recent years enjoyed mentoring future stars. And of the new batch, none greater than Ionescu.

A year ago, Sabrina Ionescu could already be number one in the draft , but she wanted to stay one more season to settle two pending issues: finish the race and win the title that escaped her then. Oregon had won 31 of her 33 games - she even defeated the United States team in a friendly - and she continued to crush historical marks. Everything was on track until the coronavirus canceled the season.

And who is Sabrina Ionescu? "Since I was little I have only known one way to play basketball: fierce, with an obsessive concentration . I was competitive without regrets. I wanted to be the best. I loved working. Even if it was hard. Especially if it was hard."

They are the words with which Ionescu was presented at the funeral by Kobe and Gigi Bryant. And it is impossible not to see his reflection in them. " I wanted to be like him , love every part of the competition. The sacrifice. [...] And that's what I did. Wake up, work hard and improve. Wake up, work hard and improve."

Affinity was mutual. They spoke every week. Kobe gave him advice, showed him some of his moves, and took Gigi to watch his games. Ionescu trained with her last summer. Because Gigi was just like her father. "If I was the present in women's basketball, Gigi was the future. And Kobe knew it." Gigi and colleagues Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, also killed in the accident, were honored during the draft ceremony.

Flattery of legends

Sabrina Ionescu is the daughter of Romanian immigrants . His father left for the United States with the 1989 revolution, and at the age of six his mother and older brother joined. In 1998 Sabrina and her twin brother were born. He tried everything: soccer, volleyball, tennis, baseball, but he stayed with basketball.

Ionescu is base and collects flattery from legends. From Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi . From LeBron James to Stephen Curry. Among his idols he mentions John Stockton and Becky Hammon. Someday he would like to train in the NBA, although he hopes that before it has been Hammon, assistant to the San Antonio Spurs for six years.

He has had 26 triple-doubles in the NCAA , more than double than any college student in history. A few hours after participating in the funeral for Kobe and Gigi Bryant, she also became the first, male or female, to exceed 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in her career.

But he is afraid. The night before the games he cannot sleep. Sometimes he vomits , although that was never a sign of anything: it also happened to Bill Russell and he won 11 NBA rings in 13 years. Their fear, they say, is not living up to their expectations. So he gives himself to the only thing he can control. Work, work and work.

Again, back to Kobe. "He was very insistent on controlling everything you can. You cannot control your teammates. You cannot control how hard others work. It is you against yourself."

Nobody is going to demand more than her. This season, after another victory, he learned from a journalist that he had gotten another triple-double. His first reaction when checking the statistics sheet speaks of that requirement: "But six losses!".

Partnership with Curry

During these days of confinement, Ionescu has continued training at home. Potted squats, side scrolls with a ribbon tied to a tree, or weights with potato sacks. Well, he has also trained on a track with Stephen Curry, although keeping two meters away. Curry was trying to recruit her for Under Armor, but after four years playing in Nike's Oregon headquarters, he has signed on for the 'swoosh' brand.

Ionescu has been unanimously voted University Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Only the unreachable Breanna Stewart had managed to grab all the votes in 2016. Now she lands in the WNBA as number one in the draft to continue on her way with the New York Liberty. His new shirt sold out in less than an hour.

Ionescu has confessed that he has continued to send messages to Kobe Bryant's phone. "The rest is for you."

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