Kobe: Hoops in Translation

ARTICLE-
Kobe Bryant documentary series hits China with two teams vying for the title of Kobe Mentu (Kobe's Disciples).

All over China The Call Came... Come train to be a disciple of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Basketball players from Shenyang, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai answered the call to try out for a spot in the 6-Part Chinese documentary “Kobe Mentu” which literally translated means “Kobe Disciples.”

30 finalists, chosen from hundreds of players, arrived in Beijing to see if they could make the final cut to 24 who would go to LA to train and play with Kobe. As soon as the 24 chosen ones, who ranged in age from 13 to 20 years old, landed in Tinseltown, they were given a taste of real athletic training with trainer Christopher
“CT” Thomas.

“It was a real eye-opener for those kids,” said CT. “An hour into it, the players were in full sweat, their faces were grimacing—this wasn’t made-for-TV training, it was the real thing. Culture-wise, they were definitely not used to being pushed like that.”

During the show, players were broken into two teams: Black and White. CT was assigned to the Black Team, and basketball trainer Jerry Powell worked with the White Team. Both teams also had a Chinese coach and a U.S. coach from Kobe Bryant’s training camps. Teams went through athletic training in the mornings, then had basketball training in the afternoon.

Life is drama, sport is drama, and the Kobe Mentu documentary captures it all. After each day’s workout, the teams would leave the gym while the coaches deliberated on the fate of each player.
“Those who weren’t cutting it were, well, cut.

“It was real dramatic,” said CT. “They’d get a close-up shot of the kid walking out of the gym, and they were literally on a plane back to China that night. It was a big deal to these kids— a lot of them were worried about dishonoring their families.”

Once the teams were down to eight players each, training became even more intense for the two teams. CT threw his toughest arsenal at the Black Team, taking them down to Malibu Beach one day for a grueling session that included running in the sand with parachutes, weighted vests, and medicine balls.

“It was torture,” laughed CT. “But they loved it.”

For the players, the culture shock didn’t stop at training. Because of China’s one-child policy, living together in a house where you had to take turns in the bathroom and share a bedroom was.

a new concept for many of the kids. Attending a high-school basketball game in L.A. also proved to be an eye-opening experience.

“They had no idea how intense high school ball is here in the U.S.,” explained CT. It made them
realize how much they had to improve. They definitely came to practice the next day all fired up.”

After almost two weeks of training, the teams went home to prepare for the final showdown in Beijing: a championship game between Black and White to be televised nationally on China’s equivalent of ESPN – CCTV5. At stake: the title of Kobe Mentu and some serious bragging rights.

Word is the Nike-sponsored championship had the feel of a rock concert, complete with dramatic lighting and cherry wood courts. CT was there to help his team prepare with some of the drills they’d learned in L.A. And in the end, all of China will see which team was the most prepared, most athletic and most of all, the ultimate Kobe Mentu.

“I think the experience really helped get the guys confident in their abilities,” CT explained. “That was a really high-energy atmosphere for the players, and the training they’d had allowed them to channel all that energy into athletic performance.”

The Kobe Mentu documentary series was originally scheduled to air in China starting May 18 (as you’ll see in the trailer on the following page). Due to the tragic earthquake the producers have postponed the broadcast. But it won’t be long until the 24 young ballers will take the court to show all of China what it means to be “Kobe Mentu.” If it’s successful, as Kobe usually is, we’ll be looking to see how Nike raises the stakes next time around – Kobe Mentu vs. Lebron
Mentu anyone?

By Willow Casella

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