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Kobe Blames AAU for Decline in Skilled Players

Updated 10 months ago on October 15, 2021

By Basketball Insiders

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Kobe Bryant believes European basketball players are more skillful than American basketball players, and says it’s a growing trend that can be blamed on the greed and coaching at the AAU level.

“I just think European players are just way more skillful,” Bryant said Friday night after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 109-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. “They are just taught the game the right way at an early age. … They’re more skillful. It’s something we really have to fix. We really have to address that. We have to teach our kids to play the right way.”

Bryant was quick to point the finger for the decline of skilled players in the United States.

“AAU basketball,” Bryant said. “Horrible, terrible AAU basketball. It’s stupid.”

via Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles