Minnesota Lynx guard Napheesa Collier has become one of the faces of the WNBA, and over the years, she has earned the respect of players league-wide. The former UConn Huskies standout, who entered the league in 2019, has built an impressive resume while also carving out meaningful relationships with prominent figures in the sport.
During the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend, Collier was asked who she considers her closest friend from the NBA in a video
posted by The Score on Monday. She named five-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
“ My closest NBA friend? I mean, I would say before it was Kobe, like, before he died,”
Collier said. “And I just, like, really tried to pick his brain on a lot of stuff. … It was about the game. Like, I asked him about how I did in the game, what he thought. He gave me his thoughts, like, what he thought I could do better. And so, he was always like that, just really willing to help, to make people better and to promote the women’s game.”
Bryant died in January 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. He left behind his wife, Vanessa, and three daughters and a career that is considered by many as one of the greatest in basketball history. Similar to Collier, his contributions to growing the WNBA and women’s basketball overall are considered integral to where the league is today.
Napheesa Collier pitched the Minnesota Timberwolves to LeBron James a day before his new team announcement
Along with Kobe Bryant, another all-time NBA great that Napheesa Collier discussed was four-time NBA champion LeBron James. The legend on Sunday signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal after he left the Los Angeles Lakers for free agency weeks ago. A day before the announcement, Collier pitched joining the Minnesota Timberwolves to James in another
video by The Score on Instagram.
“ Minnesota, beautiful, great team,” Collier said. “You have … one of the best players in the league with Ant, great young core. You can win a championship here. We’ve been on the up. We just need you. Come to Minnesota. … It’s the No. 2 place to raise a family; you have a family. We got lots of lakes, great food.”
Collier mentioned Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards in her pitch to James, considering James and Edwards experienced being teammates during the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA.
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