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NBA legend Kobe Bryant dies 2:09
(CNN) - Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant lent his voice to the calls so that women will one day be allowed to compete in the NBA, claiming there are female stars that could make the leap at this time.
Having been seen with his daughter, Gianna, in numerous NBA games recently, Bryant was questioned about whether one day there could be a future for her in the league where he became famous.
LOOK: Kobe Bryant: life and career, in data
Speaking exclusively for CNN, the Los Angeles Lakers legend said: “I think there are a couple of players that could play in the NBA right now honestly.
"There are many players with a lot of skill who could do it."
Bryant then named three stars of the WNBA (National Women's Basketball Association) who believes they could jump into the men's league.
“Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Elena Della Donne. There are many great players out there who can keep up, ”he said.
It is perhaps not surprising that Bryant has named Taurasi as one of his chosen ones to succeed in the NBA.
The first general selection of 2004 in the WNBA Draft, and the 2009 WNBA MVP, was the all-time top scorer of the women's professional league since June 2017, and participated nine times in WNBA All-Star ( Game of the Stars) and won three WNBA championships with Phoenix Mercury.
His nickname is White Mamba, a derivative of Bryant's own nickname 'Black Mamba', due to his habit of scoring in decisive situations.
Last October, Elena Della Donne took Washington Mystics to her first WNBA title, picking up her second MVP title in the league. The 1.95-meter wing also became the first WNBA star to join the 50-40-90 club.
To join the unofficial club, a player must shoot more than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point range and 90 percent from the foul line. It also had a percentage of 97.4, which is a record for a player with at least 100 attempts.
While Maya Moore sat in the 2019 season to focus on family and faith, she is also a winner of the WNBA MVP and won the award in 2014.
In addition, he had won four WNBA championships with Minnesota Lynx before his 29th birthday.
Bryant has four daughters. The second oldest, Gianna, is an avid basketball player and fan.
The five-time NBA champion says he has seen little basketball since he retired, but his daughter's love for the game sparked enough interest to train his team.
Gianna's basketball skills videos have gone viral despite being only 13.
NBA legend Reggie Miller was recently caught on camera trying to convince Bryant that his daughter attended Miller UCLA's alma mater for college.
However, his father insisted that Gianna is "determined" to go to the University of Connecticut, the alma mater of Taurasi and Moore.
Kobe Bryant