Ricky Rubio talks about his fondness for Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter crash Sunday. Arizona Republic
A young Ricky Rubio saw Kobe Bryant’s magic firsthand on the biggest global stage.
He witnessed Bryant take over in the fourth quarter of Team USA’s win over Spain in the gold medal game of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
It was the first of back-to-back Olympic gold medals for Bryant.
“He hit an 'And-1' to win the game and to win the gold medal,” Rubio recalls.
A year later, Rubio was taken fifth overall in the 2009 draft and squared off against Bryant several more times in the NBA before Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season.