Image via Complex Original
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At this point in his career, we feel like we know just about everything there is to know about Kobe Bryant. He's been playing in the NBA for almost 20 years now and has done countless interviews during that time, so we've seen and heard him discuss it all. And yet, it feels like every interview that he does now is an event packed with more information about him. He's clearly done a lot of self-reflection over the last few seasons and has plenty of stuff that he wants to share with the world.
Last night, NBA TV aired a recent sit-down interview that Kobe did with Ahmad Rashad called Kobe: The Interview. And it was one of the better Kobe interviews that we've seen lately. From his relationship with Michael Jordan to his time with Shaquille O'Neal to his retirement, the Lakers superstar addressed a range of different topics. Here are the 8 Things We Learned About Kobe Bryant From NBA TV's Kobe: The Interview.
2.He used to ask Michael Jordan for advice in the middle of games.
Key Quote: "I learned a lot…a lot about how technically sound Michael was. It's one thing watching him play. It's another thing playing against him."
It's no secret that Kobe used to study tape of MJ and steal some of his moves. But according to him, he also used to pester MJ with questions when the two played against one another. During Kobe: The Interview, NBA TV even tracked down an old post-game interview that features MJ talking about some advice that he gave Kobe during one particular game.
3.He tried to learn the triangle offense long before Phil Jackson agreed to coach the Lakers.
Key Quote: "I called Tex [Winter]...when he was still with the Bulls and I talked to him for about an hour. I just wanted to pick his brain…I cold call people all the time. If I'm curious about something and I want to learn something, I'll call and I'll ask."
Trying to learn the triangle offense sounds like it'd be a huge headache. But Kobe actually went out of his way to try and learn about it before Winter and Phil Jackson agreed to come and coach him with the Lakers.
4.He wasn't friends with Shaquille O'Neal—at all—during their time together in Los Angeles.
Key Quote: "I'm obsessive and I believe we need to work night and day to figure out how to get to where we need to go, and he wanted to do it a different way."
The rift that existed between Kobe and Shaq is well documented. But it's kind of crazy to see how cold Kobe's face looks when Ahmad Rashad asks if he and Shaq were friends during their stint as teammates. "No," he says without batting an eye.
5.He struggled to become the leader on the Lakers after Shaq left the team.
Key Quote: "If you're going to be a leader, you're not going to please everybody. You've got to hold people accountable, even if you have that moment of being uncomfortable."
Leading the Lakers to their first post-Shaq championship wasn't easy for Kobe. And it wasn't simply because they had trouble replacing Shaq's production. To hear Kobe tell it, it was also because he had to work tirelessly to find a way to lead the Lakers on his own. "Leadership is lonely," he says, before breaking down the things he needed to do to get the Lakers back on the right track.
6.He wasn't sure he was going to be able to recover from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2013.
Key Quote: "The Achilles was…that was brutal."
Kobe is obviously a huge competitor. So no one doubted that he'd return from the Achilles injury. Except him. During Kobe: The Interview, he admits that he was almost beaten into submission a few times by the injuries he suffered in recent seasons. He also talks about how his most recent shoulder injury is starting to take a toll on him.
7.He sees a lot of himself in Russell Westbrook.
Key Quote: "He plays mean like I did. With an aggression, much the way I played."
Kobe Bryant = Russell Westbrook? The Black Mamba gives the Thunder point guard a major cosign during his NBA TV interview.
8.He doesn't think the Kobe Bryant era is over yet.
Key Quote: "The end of the Kobe era? I can't say it is the end. I thought the Spurs were done 20 years ago. Those guys are still winning."
Even though things aren't looking promising for the Lakers these days, Kobe refuses to concede defeat. He sounds uncertain about the future during his interview, but he stops short of saying that his era is over.
9.He isn't going to be around for awhile once he finally decides to retire.
Key Quote: "I wouldn't mind actually kind of just disappearing for a little bit and just resting and relaxing and chilling."
Kobe might be all over the place right now. But towards the end of his interview with Ahmad Rashad, he says that it's not going to be like that forever. In fact, it sounds like he's already planning on stepping out of the spotlight for a little while once he retires. So enjoy having him around while you still can.