Nearly 10 years after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, Vasa Pusica still remembers setting his alarm for 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning so that he could watch the games.
Pusica, now about to make his first NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior guard on the Northeastern men’s basketball team, was living in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia, at the time, which meant catching tip-off required an early wake-up call. But any lingering grogginess quickly subsided with the sight of five-time champion Kobe Bryant.
At 12 years old, Pusica, like many aspiring professional basketball players, was captivated by Bryant.