It is not at all surprising to see young sportsmen naming Kobe Bryant as their inspiration. Kobe has been a perennial source of motivation and determination for athletes, not only in basketball but beyond the boundaries of any sport. This time it is an American professional tennis player, Mackenzie McDonald.
For the second time in their careers, Mackenzie McDonald and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will square off in the National Bank Open quarterfinals. They will compete on Center Court in the coming days. Mackenzie is preparing for his matchup against Alejandro, and who better could he derive motivation from, than a basketball legend he grew up watching?
McDonald recently gave an interview to ATPTour.com, and he didn’t hold back while discussing his opinions about the former Los Angeles Lakers star. It happened after McDonald was asked to pick three famous people from around the world with whom he would like to have dinner. “I wish I could go Kobe Bryant. Kobe, Bob Marley, and John Wooden, UCLA legend,” the tennis player replied to that question.
“Everything. The guy is one of my favorite competitors of all time,” he added, on what he admires about Kobe. Kobe Bryant has long established himself as a legendary figure, not just in the basketball world but in the whole athletic world. Over the course of his two-decade basketball career, the former Los Angeles Lakers player surely captivated the hearts of many fans while collecting a lot of accolades and prizes.
Mackenzie McDonald would switch places with LeBron James if given a chance
Mackenzie’s admiration for basketball players was not limited to Kobe Bryant. It turned out that McDonald is also a LeBron James supporter. The interviewer asked him to name a person he would switch places with for a day, to which the athlete replied, “LeBron James.” Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are among the names that sportspeople around the world look up to.
Even LeBron James admitted that he had the utmost respect for tennis. “There’s times when I wished I was a tennis player, or a golfer when it was literally like, Look in the mirror, it’s you versus you,” LeBron once said. During the interview, James expressed his desire to foster a winning attitude among his teammates. LeBron and Mackenzie switching places can be a great experience for both athletes, as the respect is mutual.
As far as McDonald’s upcoming match is concerned, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Mackenzie McDonald will be facing off for the second time. Davidovich Fokina dominated in their most recent encounter, which took place in Stockholm’s first round, with scores of 6-2, 3-6, and 7-5. Davidovich Fokina leads their head-to-head matchup 1-0, although they have never engaged in a significant match before.