BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kobe Bryant, the global ambassador for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, told Xinhua on Friday that team USA should learn from their double losses this week, and get ready for a better performance in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
"France is a great team. France has been on the verge for quite some time now, and now they've been able to finally break through. But they have a lot of young talents, great athleticism, and a lot of experience," said Bryant in a group interview in Beijing. "Hopefully our guys will take something out of this, learn from it, carry on to the next international experience," Bryant added.
"For me, play for my country is a huge honor," he said in regards to the withdrawal of some American players from this year's World Cup. The basketball legend expressed his passion for representing his country in an international sports event.
Bryant also watched China's game with Poland in the World Cup on September 2nd, saying that the Chinese men's team should get more experience in how to deal with the ball in crucial moments and how to "run the clock out when you are running the clock out." Bryant also expressed his confidence in China and said he believed that Chinese players "will be fine".
Looking ahead, Bryant says he will be focused on basketball teaching and training young kids to better understand the connection between sports and life, and to mentor them to learn how playing basketball can help them pursue their future goals.
