Bryant, who is in Manila to promote Lenovo mobile phones, told Gilas Pilipinas to continue to keep playing as a team.
"Just continue to play together," he said during a press conference at Resorts World Monday. "It's a team sport. It's about how individuals work together."
Bryant stressed that playing as a team will allow Gilas to hide some of their weaknesses as individuals.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, also advised the national team to "tune out the noise and the fanfare" and instead focus on the task at hand, which is the FIBA World Cup in Spain next year.
Gilas' second place finish in the FIBA Asia tournament allowed them to clinch a berth in the World Cup next year, marking their return to the world stage for the first time since 1973.
The United States have already qualified to the World Cup although it remains to be seen if Bryant will still play for Team USA.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
