Tag: azzi fudd

Reigning ALL-USA POY Azzi Fudd learns from Kobe Bryant

Azzi Fudd got the chance to workout with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and came away with valuable gems.

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Five days a week, St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) shooting guard Azzi Fudd wakes up at 5 a.m. to get to her physical therapy appointment for intense training to get her surgically repaired knee back in tip top shape.

Fudd tore her ACL and MCL while competing in USA Basketball’s 3×3 tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., in mid-April.

RELATED: ALL-USA Girls Basketball Player of the Year

“I’m taking my time with everything,” Fudd said. “I’ve started back practicing and working out on the court. My goal is to come back better than ever.”

She took big step in that regard “a few weeks ago” when she was in Los Angeles for the espnW: Women + Sports Summit; she carved out time to get in a workout with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who was running his daughter Gigi and her teammates through drills.

Photo: Kobe Bryant coaches his daugher Gigi's team at the MAMBA Sports Academy (Photo: @overtime/Twitter)
Photo: Kobe Bryant coaches his daugher Gigi’s team at the MAMBA Sports Academy (Photo: @overtime/Twitter)

“We did a lot of skill work; I wasn’t moving as much at the time, but it’s Kobe,” Fudd said. “Any time you get a chance to workout with one of the greatest players of all time, it’s big.”

Fudd formed a friendship with Gigi, who Fudd said has star potential.

“She’s young, but she’s really talented,” Fudd said. “She’s gonna just keep getting better and better. You can already see that having Kobe as a dad/coach makes her fundamentals and IQ really, really high.”

As for Kobe’s gems to her during the workout, Fudd said the former Laker taught her the importance of total body control.

RELATED: The Azzi Fudd Blog

“He told me I need to be able to separate movements in the top half and the bottom half of my body,” Fudd said. “That way the defender won’t be able to read me as well because it all looks the same. It made a lot of sense. He’s amazing. I know that I got better in just that one workout.”

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY

The Azzi Fudd Blog: Back on the court, well wishes from Kobe Bryant and more

Reigning ALL-USA Player of the Year Azzi Fudd blogs about working her way back from torn ACL, getting well wishes from Kobe Bryant, Thanksgiving and more.

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St. John’s College High School (Washington, D.C.) junior shooting guard Azzi Fudd is the No. 1 player in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100 and is the reigning ALL-USA Player of the Year. Fudd led the Cadets to the GEICO Nationals title game this season and is being pursued by nearly every high major college in the country. Now Fudd, who is currently working her way back from a torn ACL and MCL, has agreed to give USA TODAY exclusive access into her world by chronicling everything from his recruitment to his everyday life in a blog.

What’s up world, Azzi here, it’s been a few months, but I want to update you guys on what’s been going on.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd is the ALL-USA Player of the Year

Right now, I’m about five and a half months out of surgery and I’ve started practicing a little bit with my team. I don’t have a set return date, and I’m not rushing the process at all. I don’t know if I’m going to play this year or anything like that.

It’s all to be determined.

My first few practices back were really, really hard because biking and being on the elliptical are so much different than getting up and down the court. That was rough, but just being out there with my teammates made it all better because I’ve missed it so much!

I wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to go to physical therapy.

After that I go to school and later I have team workouts so there are days where I’m really tired and days where I go harder than other days so I have to just be careful with how my body reacts every day.

What makes it easier is having the support of my family; my younger brothers come to the gym and rebound for me when I need to get shots up and my parents help with whatever I need.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd leads St. John’s to the GEICO Nationals title game

That’s made this whole process so much better!

I’ve had a lot of coaches call and text me just checking in and encouraging me throughout the process so that’s been cool too.

I’m fortunate to be able to build a lot of cool relationships with people I look up to so before I went in to surgery Natasha Cloud, Elena Delle Donne and Kristi Tolliver all wished me well with my surgery. Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant wished me well too, so that was cool!

OK, so I’ve got to tell you guys that junior year is really hard in the classroom!

Haha, I’m making it, but the workload is tremendous! It feels like there’s so much work and not enough time.

I’ve worked really hard and right now I have all A’s and a few B’s so I’m proud of that.

I think my favorite class right now is Pre-Calculus. It’s hard, but it’s one of those things where if you get it, you’re good.

I’m really ready for Thanksgiving too.

A lot of people like to look past Thanksgiving for Christmas, but I love Thanksgiving too.

At my house we have a few Thanksgiving dinners; we’ll go to a family member’s house one day and then the next day we’ll have dinner at my house.

Of course, Black Friday shopping is fun too, so I’m looking forward to all of that!

OK, guys thanks again for reading but I have to go finish up this Pre-Cal homework.

I’ll be back soon with another update soon!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Don’t forget to follow Azzi Fudd:

Twitter: @azzi_35

Instagram: azzi35