A Meeting of Number 10s: Kobe Bryant & Francesco Totti

Kobe Bryant headed back to his previous home of Italy for the second leg of his “Mamba Mentality” tour. Kicking off the day with a Q&A session at Nike’s Milan headquarters, the 37-year-old delved into some interesting topics, including his pregame rituals of listening to music from his early days, his take on Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors, and how his interest in fantasy and mythology provided inspiration for many of his sneakers. Adding to the excitement was an unexpected visit by Francesco Totti, the captain of A.S. Roma and one of Italy’s greatest soccer players of all time. Two legends in their own right, Bryant and Totti share common distinctions in dedicating their entire careers to a single franchise, while also donning the legendary number 10 for their respective countries. We were fortunate enough to witness the first meeting between the two sporting icons, and talk to them about playing for their countries and what it means to play for a single team throughout their careers.

Rarely do you see players spend their entire careers with a single team, especially in this day and age. Was this a goal both of you had from the very beginning, or something that became more apparent as you progressed through your respective careers?

Kobe Bryant: I was lucky with the fact that I was with a great organization, and [I] had the loyalty to go through the tough times and not just the great times. I was fortunate enough to spend my entire career with them. It wasn’t something that I planned or thought about, but it was really just a dream come true.

Francesco Totti: It has been our own choice to stay with the same team and this was the most gratifying thing for us. Trying to take home as many victories as possible with the team you love.

K: It’s hard to stay with the same team for so long because there are some seasons when you win a lot and some when you lose a lot. It would be the easy thing to do, to leave the team when you’re losing.

F: You probably could make more money if you changed teams. For me it has been an honor to always wear the same jersey, but in the world there are not many other players that might have the same idea about that. Today, it’s much easier to change teams rather than staying with the same club and falling in love with your team colors. I fortunately had the opportunity to always stay. Since the beginning, I’ve said that I would start here and die here, always with the same jersey.

Francesco you have worn the number 10 for both club and country for a long time. Kobe, you wore the number 10 for team USA. What is it like being able to represent your respective countries while donning the legendary number?

K: For me it was awesome because I always wanted to wear #10. It was 8 first and then 24, so when Team USA came around I said “I gotta take number 10” because all my favorite soccer players wore number 10.

F: I grew up wearing number 10. In Italy it’s a very important number that not everyone can wear. You need personality and character to don it. You definitely need a lot of self-belief.

Kobe, could you tell us about the when moment you realized it was time to end your career?

K: It was simple. I was thinking whether I had the drive to play another championship, during a traffic jam on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. It had to be for the right reasons and not just for the sake of playing.

F: I’m going to go there with my car as well to think this year.

Francesco, what do you expect from this final season?

F: I’m going to play if I deserve it. It’s not because it’s my last season that I always have to play. If I train well and feel good physically during the week, the coach will choose to play me more. I still have fun and have passion and this is what motivates me to continue working.

K: For me it was very different because I realized my passion and obsession was not the same as it was a few years ago. Before, my mindset was nothing else, it was just basketball and more basketball. Now it’s different.

F: I know for sure that when this year is done I will have more possibilities to do other things, but I don’t know what because I’m not at that stage yet. Usually when players retire they become coaches. It might be something I could consider doing.