Bryant arrived that morning at Crawford Court with a man named Tom “Rev” Evans, one of Michael Jordan’s former trainers from his days with the Bulls. Badrtalei, a lifelong Lakers fan who grew up in Orange County, overheard them talking about the plan to work out at UC Irvine until he left for Chicago for training camp.

Five years after Kobe Bryant, 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., several women's basketball players reflected on what he meant to their game and how he championed it.