We sat down with each of The Second Coming athletes to talk about the game. Today: Kobe Bryant.

Check out Kobe Bryan’s video interview along with the rest of The Second Coming at nikebasketball.com.

On the game:
You know what? I just feel like it’s a blessing to be able to play basketball at this high level. As a kid growing up, I always dreamed about playing basketball, and never dreamed of basketball being able to take things to this level…going to other countries, inspiring kids and things of that nature. I’ve been truly blessed to have all of this take place around something I just love to do.

On tradition:
It’s an honor to be a part of it…they’ve inspired us, my generation and the generation before me, to play the game. It’s our turn to step up and represent for this generation. And it’s an honor to be a part of it.

Today, you see a carryover of what we’ve picked up from the guys from the 80s…A lot of the moves that you see now were revolutionary moves back in the 80s. We basically took what we saw on TV from them, the best of what we saw and what inspired us, and incorporated that into our game, so now it’s become part of our basketball culture. So it’s on us – hopefully we’re doing it currently – to take the game to another level. Then the next generation can then take our best and go from there.

On the future:
It’s all about just enjoying the game and taking it a day at a time, a game at a time, and just appreciating what I have. I feel like I’ve been blessed to play this game and blessed to be here. And I don’t want to shortchange that blessing. I want to make sure I go out there and maximize it to its fullest potential.