1 00:00:05,839 --> 00:00:09,217 Best of luck for a happy and healthy future. 2 00:00:09,342 --> 00:00:12,803 You have the 100% support and love. 3 00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:18,475 It was a dream of mine to play for the Lakers 4 00:00:18,476 --> 00:00:21,354 ever since I was a little kid. 5 00:00:21,479 --> 00:00:23,023 I would watch Magic play. 6 00:00:23,148 --> 00:00:26,401 I'd watch Michael play. 7 00:00:26,526 --> 00:00:30,195 And I'd say, you know, can I get to that level? 8 00:00:30,196 --> 00:00:32,574 Hi, Kobe Bryant. 9 00:00:32,699 --> 00:00:35,868 I have decided to skip college and take my talent to the NBA. 10 00:00:47,797 --> 00:00:50,675 I want to be the greatest player that I could possibly become. 11 00:00:53,386 --> 00:00:54,387 He was fearless. 12 00:00:57,140 --> 00:01:04,021 His intensity was unmistakable and uncontrollable for him. 13 00:01:04,022 --> 00:01:06,482 It was a bumpy road. 14 00:01:06,483 --> 00:01:10,612 Kobe Bryant has been accused of sexual assault. 15 00:01:10,737 --> 00:01:15,075 To reinvent himself the way he did. 16 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,534 20 years, five NBA championships. 17 00:01:17,535 --> 00:01:20,537 17 All-Star selections, a League MVP award, and two 18 00:01:20,538 --> 00:01:23,249 Olympic golds, Kobe Bryant. 19 00:01:23,374 --> 00:01:26,127 It's like one of the most remarkable stories in 20 00:01:26,252 --> 00:01:27,587 sports history. 21 00:01:27,712 --> 00:01:32,592 How do you channel the villain to unleash the hero? 22 00:01:32,717 --> 00:01:36,805 How do you use darkness to create greatness? 23 00:01:36,930 --> 00:01:40,182 We are all mourning the loss of a legend tonight. 24 00:01:40,183 --> 00:01:44,104 People who may never even know what a basketball looks like 25 00:01:44,229 --> 00:01:48,524 felt his presence. 26 00:01:48,525 --> 00:01:51,693 It started with Joe, and it started with Pam. 27 00:01:51,694 --> 00:01:56,448 They're making sure that Kobe is able to live the dream. 28 00:01:56,449 --> 00:01:59,701 We need to tell that story of Kobe Bryant and his family 29 00:01:59,702 --> 00:02:07,418 before to really understand who this guy really was. 30 00:02:18,888 --> 00:02:22,809 I saw Kobe at 15, 16. 31 00:02:22,934 --> 00:02:26,979 He took two classes from me, English 2 and Speaking Arts 32 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:28,314 as a senior. 33 00:02:28,439 --> 00:02:29,815 I'm going to Speaking Arts. 34 00:02:29,816 --> 00:02:32,986 I'm about to give a oral presentation for 2.5 minutes, 35 00:02:33,111 --> 00:02:34,319 3 minutes. 36 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,823 He's just very quiet and very self-possessed. 37 00:02:37,824 --> 00:02:39,658 And he was doofy. 38 00:02:43,454 --> 00:02:45,122 He was dear, and he was doofy. 39 00:02:45,123 --> 00:02:49,668 I've admired a lot of people, people such as Magic Johnson, 40 00:02:49,669 --> 00:02:51,753 Michael Jordan, Emmitt Smith. 41 00:02:51,754 --> 00:02:53,589 But the two people that I admire the most 42 00:02:53,590 --> 00:02:55,216 are my mother and my father. 43 00:02:55,341 --> 00:02:58,760 He was very much moved by the fact that we spent a lot of time 44 00:02:58,761 --> 00:03:01,681 in sophomore year talking about Joseph Campbell and 45 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:03,098 The Hero's Journey. 46 00:03:03,099 --> 00:03:06,018 The idea of determining what it is that you really love 47 00:03:06,019 --> 00:03:09,355 and what it is that you want, and going after that 48 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,360 with every fiber, every part of your body and heart 49 00:03:14,485 --> 00:03:15,570 and soul and passion. 50 00:03:18,406 --> 00:03:19,741 Hearing the ball bounce. 51 00:03:23,703 --> 00:03:26,372 Feeling that you get out, making a great pass. 52 00:03:29,709 --> 00:03:31,501 Walking on the hardwood. 53 00:03:31,502 --> 00:03:33,879 Lacing up your sneakers. 54 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:34,756 I just love it. 55 00:03:34,881 --> 00:03:35,464 I love jumping. 56 00:03:35,465 --> 00:03:36,716 I love dunking. 57 00:03:36,841 --> 00:03:38,760 I love hearing the crowd going ooh and ah. 58 00:03:38,885 --> 00:03:42,222 The whole game is just tremendous. 59 00:03:42,347 --> 00:03:44,432 I love it. 60 00:03:44,557 --> 00:03:50,772 Starting lineup for tonight, number 24, Kobe Bryant. 61 00:03:50,897 --> 00:03:53,398 Lower Merion was not a great basketball school. 62 00:03:53,399 --> 00:03:56,568 It was a school known for its academics and kids 63 00:03:56,569 --> 00:04:00,405 going to Ivy League schools more than for producing superstar 64 00:04:00,406 --> 00:04:01,908 basketball players. 65 00:04:04,494 --> 00:04:07,663 They hadn't won a state championship since 1943. 66 00:04:12,543 --> 00:04:14,754 And when I started to talk to the team, I said, 67 00:04:14,879 --> 00:04:17,714 I'm here to help you win championships. 68 00:04:17,715 --> 00:04:22,094 And as I said that word, I could see Kobe kind of sit up. 69 00:04:22,095 --> 00:04:25,932 I locked eyes with him, and we had his attention then. 70 00:04:35,358 --> 00:04:37,609 He wrote a contract to himself. 71 00:04:37,610 --> 00:04:40,488 I'm going to work out with weights in the morning. 72 00:04:40,613 --> 00:04:42,657 I'm going to do my basketball stuff in the afternoon. 73 00:04:42,782 --> 00:04:44,284 He's the first one in practice. 74 00:04:44,409 --> 00:04:48,578 And every single practice, he was 110%. 75 00:04:48,579 --> 00:04:50,331 1,000 jump shots a day. 76 00:04:52,125 --> 00:04:55,752 Every single practice, when he played offense, 77 00:04:55,753 --> 00:04:58,172 he was going to attack you every time he got the ball. 78 00:04:58,298 --> 00:05:04,304 Like, every time he got the ball, doing suicides. 79 00:05:04,429 --> 00:05:06,639 You'll have guys that are the best on the team 80 00:05:06,764 --> 00:05:07,974 or the most talented on the team, 81 00:05:08,099 --> 00:05:10,643 and they're just like running with the pack. 82 00:05:10,768 --> 00:05:12,769 He will full out sprint. 83 00:05:12,770 --> 00:05:15,815 And I'm like, what is he doing? 84 00:05:15,940 --> 00:05:18,985 He had a contract with himself, and he's not 85 00:05:19,110 --> 00:05:20,486 going to break that contract. 86 00:05:24,324 --> 00:05:30,120 I grew up in West Philadelphia, also known as... 87 00:05:30,121 --> 00:05:32,081 affectionately known as “Wild West.” 88 00:05:34,584 --> 00:05:37,879 Kobe and I were friends. 89 00:05:38,004 --> 00:05:39,881 When I show up to the gym, 90 00:05:40,006 --> 00:05:42,632 he's like, I need you to tell me, 91 00:05:42,633 --> 00:05:45,720 like, what are they saying about me in the city? 92 00:05:45,845 --> 00:05:51,183 Lower Merion at that time was just seen as a suburban program 93 00:05:51,184 --> 00:05:53,186 compared to the city. 94 00:06:05,031 --> 00:06:06,823 What are they saying? 95 00:06:08,034 --> 00:06:10,660 Mm, “He goes to that white school in the suburbs.” 96 00:06:16,918 --> 00:06:20,379 That was something that he held on to for a little while. 97 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:23,632 And that's something that he used as fuel. 98 00:06:26,344 --> 00:06:30,723 I was really, really good at taking negative things 99 00:06:30,848 --> 00:06:34,727 and just refocusing them. 100 00:06:34,852 --> 00:06:37,354 There's nothing anybody can say that's really going to take 101 00:06:37,355 --> 00:06:38,647 you backwards. 102 00:06:38,648 --> 00:06:39,648 You know what I mean? 103 00:06:39,649 --> 00:06:42,610 Because you just use it all. 104 00:06:42,735 --> 00:06:46,071 My favorite game that season was a game against 105 00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:47,073 Haverford High School. 106 00:06:48,366 --> 00:06:53,203 Kobe is throwing up in the locker room, has the flu. 107 00:06:53,204 --> 00:06:56,958 So we come out, and they are like excited because they don't 108 00:06:57,083 --> 00:06:59,209 see Kobe. 109 00:06:59,210 --> 00:07:00,586 Warm up. 110 00:07:00,711 --> 00:07:03,088 We go back to the locker room for our final speech 111 00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:05,633 that Coach Downer is giving. 112 00:07:05,758 --> 00:07:07,009 Kobe comes back out. 113 00:07:09,637 --> 00:07:12,055 And you could tell the expressions from the other team 114 00:07:12,056 --> 00:07:16,936 went from super excited to like, here we go. 115 00:07:21,482 --> 00:07:23,901 Kobe is throwing up during the game. 116 00:07:31,409 --> 00:07:36,913 He ends up scoring like 45 points. 117 00:07:36,914 --> 00:07:38,457 Once you step on the floor 118 00:07:38,458 --> 00:07:39,959 you■re defending your self-pride. 119 00:07:49,218 --> 00:07:50,135 You go out there. 120 00:07:50,136 --> 00:07:51,471 You're not only representing yourself, 121 00:07:51,596 --> 00:07:52,513 but you're representing your family. 122 00:07:52,638 --> 00:07:53,973 You're representing your team. 123 00:08:16,162 --> 00:08:19,080 It drove me a lot more, having to follow that play. 124 00:08:19,081 --> 00:08:22,167 And my father always challenged me to become a better basketball 125 00:08:22,168 --> 00:08:24,837 player than him. 126 00:08:24,962 --> 00:08:28,673 Joe was an immensely talented basketball player who 127 00:08:28,674 --> 00:08:31,844 took his game to high levels. 128 00:08:31,969 --> 00:08:36,473 Mr. Joe Bryant is the master builder. 129 00:08:36,474 --> 00:08:44,272 He knew that his son was going to be a basketball legend. 130 00:08:44,273 --> 00:08:47,442 Miss Pam, she was very serious. 131 00:08:47,443 --> 00:08:49,195 Just a tough, strong Black woman. 132 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:50,946 Like, don't take no shit. 133 00:08:50,947 --> 00:08:53,241 These people are the ones that raise 134 00:08:53,366 --> 00:08:57,994 arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. 135 00:08:57,995 --> 00:09:00,539 They instilled that into him. 136 00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:03,626 His drive, that comes from them. 137 00:09:11,801 --> 00:09:14,719 My mother used to tell me stories that my father used 138 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,847 to play basketball on TV. 139 00:09:17,848 --> 00:09:19,349 And I would play, too. 140 00:09:19,350 --> 00:09:23,771 I have a little hoop in the living room where I play. 141 00:09:23,896 --> 00:09:26,189 Then they take a timeout, then I take a timeout, 142 00:09:26,190 --> 00:09:27,233 sit down, have some water. 143 00:09:27,358 --> 00:09:29,693 And then he start playing. 144 00:09:29,694 --> 00:09:30,861 Then I play again. 145 00:09:33,447 --> 00:09:38,578 I'm three years old, and I will do this for the entire game. 146 00:09:38,703 --> 00:09:42,247 Joe Bryant grew up in Southwest Philadelphia. 147 00:09:42,248 --> 00:09:45,251 He comes from a pretty tough part of town. 148 00:09:47,587 --> 00:09:50,839 Basketball was his outlet. 149 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,049 Joe began his career with his hometown team, 150 00:09:53,050 --> 00:09:55,928 with the Philadelphia 76ers. 151 00:09:56,053 --> 00:10:01,099 Joe Bryant was a very colorful player, had a big personality. 152 00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:03,811 He was showtime before there was showtime, as people like to say. 153 00:10:03,936 --> 00:10:05,604 He was just ahead of his time. 154 00:10:08,399 --> 00:10:11,611 In his rookie year, Joe had a little bit of a problem 155 00:10:11,736 --> 00:10:13,903 with the police, where he was pulled over. 156 00:10:13,904 --> 00:10:16,239 He's with a woman who is not Pam Bryant. 157 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,995 There's cocaine, and he ends up panicking. 158 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,080 And he actually leads the cops on a chase 159 00:10:24,081 --> 00:10:25,957 through the streets of Philadelphia. 160 00:10:25,958 --> 00:10:30,004 And it leads to one of the worst nights of his life. 161 00:10:30,129 --> 00:10:33,882 Joe's entire family is there at the trial. 162 00:10:33,883 --> 00:10:36,801 They were the original ride or die couple. 163 00:10:36,802 --> 00:10:38,970 And they were like, OK, let's figure this out. 164 00:10:38,971 --> 00:10:40,473 But I'm not leaving. 165 00:10:40,598 --> 00:10:45,686 The judge who handles Joe's case dismisses the charges. 166 00:10:45,811 --> 00:10:49,397 But this was an incident that followed Joe. 167 00:10:49,398 --> 00:10:51,566 It's not long after this that the Sixers 168 00:10:51,567 --> 00:10:54,069 trade him to the San Diego Clippers. 169 00:10:54,070 --> 00:10:57,490 And he's not in San Diego very long before they trade him 170 00:10:57,615 --> 00:10:59,074 to the Houston Rockets. 171 00:10:59,075 --> 00:11:02,161 And he's not with the Rockets very long before they say, 172 00:11:02,286 --> 00:11:04,997 “You know what, Joe? It■s time to move on.” 173 00:11:05,122 --> 00:11:09,167 It actually got so bad for Joe after his NBA career ended 174 00:11:09,168 --> 00:11:12,004 that he took a job as a car salesman. 175 00:11:12,129 --> 00:11:13,630 He wanted to be a superstar. 176 00:11:13,631 --> 00:11:18,677 And so, yeah, selling cars was worlds away from where he felt 177 00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:20,179 like he should have been. 178 00:11:20,304 --> 00:11:23,181 So Joe is seeking counsel about what he should do next. 179 00:11:23,182 --> 00:11:27,687 And one of those friends advises him, “Hey, go play in Europe.” 180 00:11:29,855 --> 00:11:34,193 So Joe takes that advice and moves to Italy. 181 00:12:19,822 --> 00:12:24,952 In Italy, Joe gets the love and appreciation and celebrity 182 00:12:25,077 --> 00:12:28,747 that he never got in America as an NBA player. 183 00:12:30,750 --> 00:12:35,296 He was a person, a player with a lot of passion. 184 00:12:35,421 --> 00:12:39,716 And he was able to transfer this passion to the people. 185 00:12:42,428 --> 00:12:46,599 We don't want just leaders without passion. 186 00:12:49,101 --> 00:12:51,353 Joe Bryant was that kind of player. 187 00:13:27,515 --> 00:13:30,308 I know that had to be jarring for the rest of the family 188 00:13:30,309 --> 00:13:32,019 because I don't know many black families picked up and moved 189 00:13:32,144 --> 00:13:34,270 to Italy. 190 00:13:34,271 --> 00:13:35,981 In that point, it wasn't as common. 191 00:13:39,109 --> 00:13:42,153 The courage that took for he and Pam to do that, 192 00:13:42,154 --> 00:13:44,698 to take their kids, to separate them 193 00:13:44,824 --> 00:13:47,201 from their extended families. 194 00:13:47,326 --> 00:13:51,162 It must have been very hard for them, but they did it. 195 00:13:51,163 --> 00:13:53,707 At the time, I was only six years old. 196 00:13:53,833 --> 00:13:56,584 And I was pretty much clueless about the whole situation. 197 00:13:56,585 --> 00:14:00,588 My parents basically told me, Kobe, you're 198 00:14:00,589 --> 00:14:01,840 going to an Italian school. 199 00:14:01,841 --> 00:14:03,342 We want you to learn a new language. 200 00:14:03,467 --> 00:14:05,844 And when you're young, you just basically do 201 00:14:05,845 --> 00:14:09,014 whatever your parents tell you to do with no questions asked. 202 00:14:21,318 --> 00:14:23,863 Every time I saw my father step on the court, I got happy. 203 00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:28,409 I got chills because everybody's going crazy cheering for him. 204 00:14:28,534 --> 00:14:30,369 And that's how I felt about my father. 205 00:15:03,694 --> 00:15:06,571 He's getting a master class in basketball 206 00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:09,742 at an age when most kids are worried about where they're 207 00:15:09,867 --> 00:15:13,077 going to get ice cream next. 208 00:15:13,078 --> 00:15:14,746 I remember asking him that question 209 00:15:14,747 --> 00:15:16,248 about his favorite gift. 210 00:15:16,373 --> 00:15:20,920 And I think it was a basketball he received for Christmas. 211 00:15:21,045 --> 00:15:24,422 I think once he got that basketball as that kid, 212 00:15:24,423 --> 00:15:27,343 he was never, ever, ever going to let this go. 213 00:15:30,930 --> 00:15:34,934 Basketball has the ability to take you places you don't know 214 00:15:35,059 --> 00:15:36,477 you could ever get to. 215 00:17:34,136 --> 00:17:39,224 Kobe believed in himself, even at the youngest possible age, 216 00:17:39,349 --> 00:17:43,395 to a degree that I think is hard to comprehend. 217 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,899 His parents believed in him that much, too. 218 00:17:50,652 --> 00:17:54,197 Joe plays for four different teams while he's in Italy. 219 00:17:54,198 --> 00:17:57,910 The family is constantly moving. 220 00:17:58,035 --> 00:18:05,666 Reggio Emilia was the last stage of his Italian life. 221 00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:08,669 Reggio Emilia is a very safe town, a small town. 222 00:18:08,670 --> 00:18:12,424 And you were very independent due to that. 223 00:18:52,422 --> 00:18:56,592 I remember this long afternoon playing in this court. 224 00:18:56,593 --> 00:19:01,097 Kobe didn't want to leave having lost the last game. 225 00:19:01,098 --> 00:19:03,517 Sometimes, he lost. 226 00:19:03,642 --> 00:19:05,268 And it was like no, no, no. 227 00:19:05,269 --> 00:19:06,687 Play one more. Play one more. 228 00:19:06,812 --> 00:19:07,311 I want to win. 229 00:19:07,312 --> 00:19:08,480 Play one more. 230 00:19:34,131 --> 00:19:37,009 My grandparents used to send me out all the tapes of all 231 00:19:37,134 --> 00:19:38,634 the games. 232 00:19:38,635 --> 00:19:42,514 So it was the Lakers, the Celtics, the Bulls. 233 00:19:42,639 --> 00:19:45,266 Her and my grandfather used to put a packet of tapes together, 234 00:19:45,267 --> 00:19:46,475 and he used to send them out to us. 235 00:19:46,476 --> 00:19:47,935 And I used to sit there at the house 236 00:19:47,936 --> 00:19:50,939 and just watch the games over and over and over again. 237 00:20:59,258 --> 00:21:00,174 That's where I grew up. 238 00:21:00,175 --> 00:21:01,635 That's where all my friends are. 239 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,221 And that's where I basically learned the facts of life. 240 00:21:05,222 --> 00:21:07,474 So that's my home. 241 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:08,642 My heart is there. 242 00:21:08,767 --> 00:21:10,393 My heart will always be there. 243 00:21:10,394 --> 00:21:12,646 So it's very hard. 244 00:21:12,771 --> 00:21:15,148 My father told us that he's retiring from the game 245 00:21:15,274 --> 00:21:17,776 of basketball, and that it was time for us to come back 246 00:21:17,901 --> 00:21:19,778 to America. 247 00:21:19,903 --> 00:21:21,655 I didn't want to come back and my sisters 248 00:21:21,780 --> 00:21:22,990 didn't want to come back. 249 00:21:31,665 --> 00:21:35,669 It was very hard getting adjusted simply because I had 250 00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:39,715 a lot of trouble understanding English and the slang. 251 00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:46,554 I wasn't invited to parties or friendly gatherings 252 00:21:46,555 --> 00:21:48,723 on the weekends. 253 00:21:48,724 --> 00:21:51,018 Fridays and Saturdays, I would go to my rec room 254 00:21:51,143 --> 00:21:55,229 with my basketball and basically dribble myself to sleep. 255 00:21:55,230 --> 00:21:58,065 And I think that that was the best thing that could have ever 256 00:21:58,066 --> 00:21:59,484 happened to me. 257 00:21:59,609 --> 00:22:01,736 Because during those lonely hours in the rec room, 258 00:22:01,737 --> 00:22:05,657 I discovered the hunger, the motivation, and the desire 259 00:22:05,782 --> 00:22:07,908 to be the best possible basketball player that I 260 00:22:07,909 --> 00:22:09,036 could be. 261 00:22:16,126 --> 00:22:18,961 My parents basically said to me, “Kobe, if you don't do good 262 00:22:18,962 --> 00:22:21,130 in the books, you're not going to play basketball. 263 00:22:21,131 --> 00:22:22,090 It's that simple.” 264 00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:25,843 I just kind of clicked. 265 00:22:25,844 --> 00:22:27,929 I said, “Hey, man, you're not taking basketball away from m”" 266 00:22:31,558 --> 00:22:34,728 Kobe took my Speaking Arts class as a senior, 267 00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:38,189 and that was a wonderful opportunity to talk with him 268 00:22:38,190 --> 00:22:44,528 a little bit about his interest in considering pro basketball. 269 00:22:44,529 --> 00:22:47,365 I was adamantly against it. 270 00:22:47,366 --> 00:22:51,035 Adamantly, adamantly against it. 271 00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:53,788 I was very worried about this young man going off 272 00:22:53,789 --> 00:22:56,083 into the snarls of pro basketball 273 00:22:56,208 --> 00:22:58,877 and all the glittery stuff that comes with it. 274 00:23:10,222 --> 00:23:13,349 If a high school basketball player wanted to get noticed, 275 00:23:13,350 --> 00:23:16,060 he would go to the ABCD camp. 276 00:23:17,521 --> 00:23:22,191 The ABCD camp was where the best players in the United States 277 00:23:22,192 --> 00:23:25,112 came together to compete against each other. 278 00:23:36,748 --> 00:23:39,793 When Kobe went to the ABCD camp, that really 279 00:23:39,918 --> 00:23:42,295 elevated him to be the number one player in the country. 280 00:23:42,421 --> 00:23:45,423 33 Kobe Bryant. 281 00:23:50,095 --> 00:23:53,347 Kobe was literally being recruited by every college 282 00:23:53,348 --> 00:23:54,766 there was. 283 00:24:03,984 --> 00:24:08,280 There was a change in atmosphere when I came back to watch Kobe, 284 00:24:08,405 --> 00:24:11,116 his senior year. 285 00:24:11,241 --> 00:24:14,785 Kobe has captured the hearts of fans all across America. 286 00:24:14,786 --> 00:24:15,954 Kobe! 287 00:24:16,079 --> 00:24:17,122 Kobe! 288 00:24:17,247 --> 00:24:19,958 Every game, the crowd grew larger and larger. 289 00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:23,461 And in each one, Kobe rose to the challenge. 290 00:24:23,462 --> 00:24:27,132 number 33, Kobe Bryant. 291 00:24:27,257 --> 00:24:29,967 Every game was sold out. 292 00:24:29,968 --> 00:24:34,306 number 33, Kobe Bryant. 293 00:24:34,431 --> 00:24:37,976 The hype was overwhelming. 294 00:24:38,101 --> 00:24:40,812 I just thought I was going to go in, have a great senior year 295 00:24:40,937 --> 00:24:44,065 and play basketball, have a good time, win some games. 296 00:24:47,903 --> 00:24:50,779 I really didn't expect all the hype that came along with it. 297 00:24:50,780 --> 00:24:52,365 But I'm enjoying it. 298 00:24:52,491 --> 00:24:53,533 I'm having a good time. 299 00:24:53,658 --> 00:24:56,286 number 33, Kobe Bryant. 300 00:25:00,832 --> 00:25:03,459 And Kobe Bryant. 301 00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:06,462 Yo, yo, that's a-- 302 00:25:06,463 --> 00:25:08,340 You're my idol. 303 00:25:08,465 --> 00:25:11,300 Remember me when you're in the NBA. 304 00:25:11,301 --> 00:25:13,469 Now, he's getting his own identity as a person. 305 00:25:13,470 --> 00:25:15,930 And now, people come up to me, “Hey, that's Kobe's dad.” 306 00:25:15,931 --> 00:25:17,181 And I'm like saying, hey. 307 00:25:18,975 --> 00:25:21,853 We will call the action for you as it happens here tonight 308 00:25:21,978 --> 00:25:25,147 in the PIAA Boys Quad A State Championship. 309 00:25:25,148 --> 00:25:27,692 The champion out of the west, Erie Cathedral Preps. 310 00:25:27,817 --> 00:25:30,861 The champion out of the East, the Aces of Lower Merion 311 00:25:30,862 --> 00:25:34,366 featuring the best player, many believe in high school 312 00:25:34,491 --> 00:25:36,158 basketball, Kobe Bryant. 313 00:25:36,159 --> 00:25:39,662 You see coming out onto the floor right now. 314 00:25:39,663 --> 00:25:42,332 The Aces [inaudible] high score. 315 00:25:47,837 --> 00:25:49,756 I was a bandwagon hopper. 316 00:25:49,881 --> 00:25:51,048 Yes, I'll admit it. 317 00:25:51,049 --> 00:25:53,218 And I went to the state championship. 318 00:25:56,638 --> 00:26:01,977 He was so bold and so loose. 319 00:26:07,899 --> 00:26:11,402 Number 33, Kobe Bryant, for 2. 320 00:26:11,403 --> 00:26:14,072 I love watching a body in motion. 321 00:26:21,580 --> 00:26:24,916 Has a focus, has a drive, has a destination, and gets there. 322 00:26:25,041 --> 00:26:28,919 Kobe Bryant with the slam. 323 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:31,590 And he was so good at that. 324 00:26:31,715 --> 00:26:33,507 Nate's going to step into a 3. 325 00:26:33,508 --> 00:26:34,425 Missed it. 326 00:26:34,426 --> 00:26:35,676 That's going to do it. 327 00:26:35,677 --> 00:26:36,761 It's over. 328 00:26:36,886 --> 00:26:39,221 Lower Merion has won. 329 00:26:39,222 --> 00:26:41,808 And there's a young man that has been so ballyhooed 330 00:26:41,933 --> 00:26:44,811 and has packed this arena tonight. 331 00:26:44,936 --> 00:26:48,772 It drove home to me that this was not just a high school 332 00:26:48,773 --> 00:26:51,067 adolescent boy's hopeless dream. 333 00:26:55,322 --> 00:26:57,657 The father, Jellybean Joe Bryant, son, 334 00:26:57,782 --> 00:27:02,202 Kobe embracing on the side. 335 00:27:02,203 --> 00:27:04,998 This was real. 336 00:27:05,123 --> 00:27:07,791 And he just said, “Mrs. Mastriano, you've 337 00:27:07,792 --> 00:27:12,296 got to understand, that's just the window's closing. 338 00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:17,636 The great teachers in the sport aren't going to be around 339 00:27:17,761 --> 00:27:19,804 much longer. 340 00:27:19,929 --> 00:27:21,306 I want to learn from them.” 341 00:27:23,725 --> 00:27:24,976 Something is burning. 342 00:27:25,101 --> 00:27:26,894 It's pushing me to improve and to find out 343 00:27:26,895 --> 00:27:29,730 more about this game. 344 00:27:29,731 --> 00:27:34,068 This is the guy who had really one dream in life. 345 00:27:34,069 --> 00:27:39,615 And that's to be as good as the greatest player 346 00:27:39,616 --> 00:27:41,451 to ever play the game of basketball. 347 00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:50,377 They had a press conference scheduled for the middle 348 00:27:50,502 --> 00:27:52,712 of the day in our gymnasium. 349 00:27:52,837 --> 00:27:55,548 There were hundreds of people there-- 350 00:27:55,674 --> 00:27:58,510 students, media, reporters. 351 00:28:01,054 --> 00:28:04,765 As he walked out, he had his sunglasses up on his forehead 352 00:28:04,766 --> 00:28:06,141 and a nice suit on. 353 00:28:06,142 --> 00:28:08,561 And Gregg Downer, who was the head coach, 354 00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:11,313 said to me, should I tell him to get those sunglasses off? 355 00:28:11,314 --> 00:28:12,399 They look terrible. 356 00:28:12,524 --> 00:28:15,025 And I said, Gregg, he's not our guy anymore. 357 00:28:15,026 --> 00:28:17,570 I, Kobe Bryant, 358 00:28:17,696 --> 00:28:20,824 have decided to take my talents to-- 359 00:28:27,330 --> 00:28:29,373 He was hamming it up because, like, he knew what he was going 360 00:28:29,374 --> 00:28:30,542 to say. 361 00:28:30,667 --> 00:28:33,211 No, I have decided to skip college and take my talent 362 00:28:33,336 --> 00:28:34,002 to the NBA. 363 00:28:37,841 --> 00:28:43,887 The immediate reaction was just like, backlash, hate. 364 00:28:43,888 --> 00:28:47,726 Wait a minute, what's a 17-year-old doing going 365 00:28:47,851 --> 00:28:49,060 into the NBA? 366 00:28:49,185 --> 00:28:52,439 He's great against other high school players. 367 00:28:52,564 --> 00:28:54,065 That's all he is. 368 00:28:54,190 --> 00:28:56,859 Well, I definitely think that these young players should go on 369 00:28:56,860 --> 00:29:00,613 to college and get some emotional maturity. 370 00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:03,198 Any doubt at all that he can make this transition? 371 00:29:03,199 --> 00:29:04,951 I don't have any doubt in my son. 372 00:29:05,076 --> 00:29:07,411 I think what Kobe has, I think he has that burning desire. 373 00:29:07,412 --> 00:29:09,413 And that's one thing no one can measure is your heart. 374 00:29:09,414 --> 00:29:10,748 They can see your talent. 375 00:29:10,749 --> 00:29:12,207 They can see whether you can shoot, dribble. 376 00:29:12,208 --> 00:29:13,917 But there's one thing you can't measure, that heart. 377 00:29:13,918 --> 00:29:16,253 And I've been with him for 17 years, and it's something. 378 00:29:16,254 --> 00:29:18,465 It's a look that he gets in his eye. 379 00:29:18,590 --> 00:29:19,506 Kid has heart. 380 00:29:19,507 --> 00:29:20,883 I'm very confident in my choice. 381 00:29:20,884 --> 00:29:23,594 And I'm going at it 110% all the way. 382 00:29:23,595 --> 00:29:24,512 No turning back. 383 00:29:29,184 --> 00:29:29,808 Hey, Dennis! 384 00:29:29,809 --> 00:29:32,686 Dennis! 385 00:29:32,687 --> 00:29:33,897 Dennis, over this way. 386 00:29:37,525 --> 00:29:41,570 By the mid 1990s, NBA stars have become giants within mainstream 387 00:29:41,571 --> 00:29:43,448 popular culture. 388 00:29:43,573 --> 00:29:46,450 You had Shaq doing rap albums. 389 00:29:46,451 --> 00:29:47,701 You had him doing movies. 390 00:29:47,702 --> 00:29:49,578 I am Kazaam! 391 00:29:49,579 --> 00:29:54,625 You're talking about Michael Jordan selling Gatorade, Scottie 392 00:29:54,626 --> 00:29:58,253 Pippen stopping traffic. 393 00:29:58,254 --> 00:30:03,258 So this is the world that Kobe is entering at that time. 394 00:30:03,259 --> 00:30:06,679 There were no automatic shoe deals coming out for high school 395 00:30:06,805 --> 00:30:08,473 students at the time. 396 00:30:08,598 --> 00:30:10,099 Kobe was different. 397 00:30:12,435 --> 00:30:15,479 Even though Kobe hasn't been drafted yet, 398 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:19,484 the Bryants signed a multi-million dollar shoe deal 399 00:30:19,609 --> 00:30:21,443 with Adidas. 400 00:30:21,444 --> 00:30:27,158 Joe himself gets a $150,000 annual salary as part 401 00:30:27,283 --> 00:30:30,370 of Kobe's deal with Adidas. 402 00:30:30,495 --> 00:30:35,415 Not bad for someone to be paid to be the father of a budding 403 00:30:35,416 --> 00:30:36,543 NBA superstar. 404 00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:38,169 Hip hop on and on till the break 405 00:30:38,294 --> 00:30:40,713 He's going to wear number 8. 406 00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:43,757 And Kobe, this is for you. 407 00:30:43,758 --> 00:30:45,592 Thank you very much. 408 00:30:45,593 --> 00:30:47,344 I was in the airport on my way up here. 409 00:30:47,345 --> 00:30:49,848 And people would come up to me and say, hey, 410 00:30:49,973 --> 00:30:51,057 do you play basketball? 411 00:30:51,182 --> 00:30:52,516 And I said, yeah, I play basketball. 412 00:30:52,517 --> 00:30:54,434 And they say, well, what team do you play for? 413 00:30:54,435 --> 00:30:56,563 I'm used to saying Lower Merion High school. 414 00:30:56,688 --> 00:30:57,689 So I'm there. 415 00:30:57,814 --> 00:31:00,607 I'm like, well, I play for Lower Merion High-- 416 00:31:00,608 --> 00:31:01,526 no, you know what? 417 00:31:01,651 --> 00:31:02,609 I'm a Los Angeles Laker. 418 00:31:02,610 --> 00:31:04,696 We're the number one team 419 00:31:04,821 --> 00:31:06,029 You're the number one fans 420 00:31:06,030 --> 00:31:08,198 We're in the number one city 421 00:31:08,199 --> 00:31:11,368 The Lakers weren't a run-of-the-mill NBA team. 422 00:31:11,369 --> 00:31:14,873 The Lakers were Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 423 00:31:19,752 --> 00:31:20,669 It was Hollywood. 424 00:31:20,670 --> 00:31:21,503 It was glitz. 425 00:31:21,504 --> 00:31:22,379 It was glamor. 426 00:31:23,882 --> 00:31:25,592 Golden jersey, baby. 427 00:31:29,762 --> 00:31:33,181 The whole family moved to Pacific Palisades. 428 00:31:33,182 --> 00:31:36,269 They were all under one roof, palatial house, 429 00:31:36,394 --> 00:31:39,564 the last on the hill of a cul-de-sac. 430 00:31:39,689 --> 00:31:43,317 Everything was white and big puffy couches. 431 00:31:43,318 --> 00:31:46,905 I think they had the same dream of superstardom. 432 00:31:47,030 --> 00:31:52,118 Two men understanding that this is a very special place. 433 00:31:52,243 --> 00:31:54,411 It's a rarified air that we're in. 434 00:31:54,412 --> 00:31:56,289 I didn't get it for very long-- 435 00:31:56,414 --> 00:31:57,415 Joe. 436 00:31:57,540 --> 00:31:59,667 But Kobe, you may have it for a very long time. 437 00:32:02,086 --> 00:32:07,091 I met Kobe shortly after being drafted out of high school. 438 00:32:07,216 --> 00:32:11,262 And it was so great for me because I came from a place 439 00:32:11,387 --> 00:32:14,222 where it wasn't mom and dad in the home. 440 00:32:14,223 --> 00:32:16,142 I felt like I was part of the family-- 441 00:32:16,267 --> 00:32:17,810 sat down and ate dinner together. 442 00:32:17,936 --> 00:32:19,103 His mom, great cooking. 443 00:32:19,228 --> 00:32:21,147 Oh, man, I enjoyed those times. 444 00:32:21,272 --> 00:32:25,776 I met him during the preseason practice and early games 445 00:32:25,777 --> 00:32:27,069 in 1996. 446 00:32:27,070 --> 00:32:28,154 He was living his dream. 447 00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:29,447 And you could tell he knew. 448 00:32:29,572 --> 00:32:32,325 This is what I've always wanted all my life. 449 00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:33,951 Just want to be very exciting for myself. 450 00:32:33,952 --> 00:32:37,664 When I walked out here, and I'm just trying to imagine the fans 451 00:32:37,789 --> 00:32:39,790 packing into the arena. 452 00:32:39,791 --> 00:32:41,834 I can't wait to finally walk out there and go 453 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:43,962 through the warm ups. 454 00:32:50,593 --> 00:32:52,719 I was Kobe's athletic trainer. 455 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:57,308 And with my experience with the Showtime Lakers, 456 00:32:57,433 --> 00:32:58,851 I just didn't see it. 457 00:32:58,977 --> 00:32:59,978 I just didn't see it. 458 00:33:00,103 --> 00:33:01,854 He was just too young. 459 00:33:01,980 --> 00:33:06,985 And I think we put maybe too much pressure on him initially, 460 00:33:07,110 --> 00:33:10,488 or he put too much on himself. 461 00:33:10,613 --> 00:33:12,490 Now, you got these 18-year-old kid. 462 00:33:12,615 --> 00:33:15,493 And when you know about the NBA, when you halfway 463 00:33:15,618 --> 00:33:18,578 through the season, guys are not really practicing hard 464 00:33:18,579 --> 00:33:19,830 like that. 465 00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:21,708 But you got this 18-year-old coming to practice, 466 00:33:21,833 --> 00:33:23,209 and he's full of energy. 467 00:33:23,334 --> 00:33:25,503 And he's trying to destroy everybody in front of him. 468 00:33:25,628 --> 00:33:27,880 These older guys are not going to appreciate that. 469 00:33:28,006 --> 00:33:29,549 Foul. 470 00:33:36,681 --> 00:33:42,519 There's rookies and everybody else. 471 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,231 There's that threshold where they get treated totally 472 00:33:45,356 --> 00:33:47,734 different because you are rook. 473 00:33:47,859 --> 00:33:50,861 Anything you've done in the past, no one cares about. 474 00:33:50,862 --> 00:33:56,200 No matter what you've won, where you won, what you did, 475 00:33:56,325 --> 00:33:58,285 you're back to the bottom of the totem pole. 476 00:33:58,286 --> 00:34:02,582 And he is not acquiescing at all. 477 00:34:02,707 --> 00:34:07,544 Like, dude, you can't feel that you're that special. 478 00:34:07,545 --> 00:34:11,549 He was so obsessed with his game that it didn't really leave 479 00:34:11,674 --> 00:34:17,220 a lot of room for friendships on the team or deep friendships. 480 00:34:17,221 --> 00:34:21,225 Because he didn't give a shit what they thought. 481 00:34:21,350 --> 00:34:22,560 He didn't care. 482 00:34:22,685 --> 00:34:25,896 He's about this basketball, about his craft. 483 00:34:25,897 --> 00:34:27,106 He's real serious about this. 484 00:34:27,231 --> 00:34:28,690 And all the time-- 485 00:34:28,691 --> 00:34:30,525 I mean, I used to hear, I'm better than Michael Jordan. 486 00:34:30,526 --> 00:34:32,570 He used to say that faithfully. 487 00:34:32,695 --> 00:34:34,072 “I'm better than Michael Jordan. 488 00:34:34,197 --> 00:34:35,573 Michael Jordan ain't got nothing on me.” 489 00:34:35,698 --> 00:34:39,619 And I was like, “This dude is insane.” 490 00:34:39,744 --> 00:34:40,661 I don't care. 491 00:34:43,081 --> 00:34:44,415 What are you going to do? 492 00:34:44,540 --> 00:34:45,458 What are you going to do? 493 00:34:45,583 --> 00:34:46,417 We're all people here. 494 00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:47,919 We're just different people. 495 00:34:48,044 --> 00:34:50,129 You're going to criticize me because I don't want to go 496 00:34:50,254 --> 00:34:51,798 to a bar? 497 00:34:51,923 --> 00:34:54,216 You criticize me because I don't want to go to a club? 498 00:34:54,217 --> 00:34:56,260 For what? 499 00:34:56,385 --> 00:34:58,386 What growth can I get from that? 500 00:34:58,387 --> 00:35:01,599 I was one of the people that he would speak to a lot. 501 00:35:01,724 --> 00:35:03,725 But I was still cool with all of his teammates. 502 00:35:03,726 --> 00:35:07,229 And they'd be like, “Man, look, if he wasn't such an asshole, 503 00:35:07,230 --> 00:35:09,774 we'd tell him he's the best player on this team.” 504 00:35:09,899 --> 00:35:11,441 And that's including Shaq. 505 00:35:11,442 --> 00:35:16,947 His life at that time was, “Every teammate on the Lakers, 506 00:35:16,948 --> 00:35:18,616 they don't get me. 507 00:35:18,741 --> 00:35:21,701 When I go home, nobody in my family gets me.” 508 00:35:21,702 --> 00:35:24,538 In his family's mind, he's still an 18-year-old. 509 00:35:24,539 --> 00:35:28,208 In Kobe's mind,“No, I'm a grown man.” 510 00:35:28,209 --> 00:35:31,462 As an 18-year-old, being an NBA player, 511 00:35:31,587 --> 00:35:33,588 you got so much coming at you. 512 00:35:33,589 --> 00:35:35,842 And it's like, man, how do you deflect this, 513 00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:39,637 and trying to figure out how to juggle family with being 514 00:35:39,762 --> 00:35:40,596 the money guy? 515 00:35:43,975 --> 00:35:45,685 He definitely felt isolated. 516 00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:47,602 As soon as that practice was over, 517 00:35:47,603 --> 00:35:50,815 he would get in that Mercedes Benz coupe, and he was gone-- 518 00:35:53,818 --> 00:35:58,197 driving around UCLA's campus at night, 519 00:35:58,322 --> 00:36:01,783 tinted windows so nobody can see it's Kobe Bryant, 520 00:36:01,784 --> 00:36:04,662 Watching the kids walking and having fun. 521 00:36:07,248 --> 00:36:09,833 I think he was searching. 522 00:36:09,834 --> 00:36:11,502 Whether he had people around him or not, 523 00:36:11,627 --> 00:36:13,795 he still feels like he's out here by himself. 524 00:36:13,796 --> 00:36:22,722 And nobody wants to take the journey alone. 525 00:36:24,974 --> 00:36:27,017 Kobe went through a period of his life 526 00:36:27,018 --> 00:36:28,935 where he wanted to be a rapper. 527 00:36:28,936 --> 00:36:32,857 I would say it probably started in ninth grade. 528 00:36:32,982 --> 00:36:37,777 I had an English teacher who used to make us write poetry. 529 00:36:37,778 --> 00:36:38,738 And he did it. 530 00:36:39,238 --> 00:36:43,366 He did a single with Tyra Banks called "K-O-B-E I L-O-V-E." 531 00:36:43,367 --> 00:36:45,203 Uh, what I live for? 532 00:36:45,328 --> 00:36:46,370 Basketball 533 00:36:46,495 --> 00:36:48,371 Beats and broads from Italy to the US 534 00:36:48,372 --> 00:36:49,331 Yes, it's raw 535 00:36:49,332 --> 00:36:50,874 It was fun to do it then. 536 00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:53,877 You see, the best thing that came out of doing that was I 537 00:36:53,878 --> 00:36:58,381 actually met my wife and doing a little video spot. 538 00:37:02,553 --> 00:37:04,054 And I tap on her shoulder. 539 00:37:04,055 --> 00:37:04,805 She turns around. 540 00:37:05,223 --> 00:37:06,723 And I say, “Excuse me, what's your name?” 541 00:37:06,724 --> 00:37:07,767 She said, “Vanessa.” 542 00:37:07,892 --> 00:37:10,269 My eyes got real big. 543 00:37:10,394 --> 00:37:12,897 And it was just like, phew. 544 00:37:13,022 --> 00:37:15,523 When he came back in the trailer, he said, 545 00:37:15,524 --> 00:37:18,318 I just met the girl that I'm going to marry. 546 00:37:18,319 --> 00:37:20,487 Nobody at home was really relating to him. 547 00:37:20,488 --> 00:37:23,198 He's got a disconnect with his team because he's too young, 548 00:37:23,199 --> 00:37:24,909 and they think he's arrogant. 549 00:37:25,034 --> 00:37:28,870 And Vanessa is very receptive to hearing him and taking him 550 00:37:28,871 --> 00:37:34,418 for who he's presenting himself to be, even as young as she is. 551 00:37:34,543 --> 00:37:39,590 That had to be a feeling of euphoria for Kobe. 552 00:37:42,218 --> 00:37:45,095 She was everything to him. 553 00:37:45,096 --> 00:37:49,934 She stopped going to high school because it became problematic. 554 00:37:50,059 --> 00:37:51,435 I mean, Kobe rolling up. 555 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,604 And I remember he had this white Mercedes Benz. 556 00:37:54,605 --> 00:37:57,774 And I'm like, you're going to her high school. 557 00:37:57,775 --> 00:38:01,112 They got engaged very quickly after they met. 558 00:38:01,237 --> 00:38:03,322 I think six months. 559 00:38:03,447 --> 00:38:06,074 Everybody in his world was very adamant 560 00:38:06,075 --> 00:38:07,493 that there should be a prenup. 561 00:38:07,618 --> 00:38:11,538 50% of marriages in the real world end in divorce. 562 00:38:11,539 --> 00:38:15,001 NBA is even higher. 563 00:38:15,126 --> 00:38:17,294 He did not want a prenup. 564 00:38:17,295 --> 00:38:18,796 He wouldn't do it. 565 00:38:18,921 --> 00:38:20,798 I think Joe was nervous about it. 566 00:38:20,923 --> 00:38:23,134 I mean, they thought that he was moving too quickly. 567 00:38:23,259 --> 00:38:24,635 They thought he was too young. 568 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,054 I think the first time any of us even knew about Vanessa 569 00:38:28,055 --> 00:38:30,640 was when he brought her in the locker room 570 00:38:30,641 --> 00:38:32,225 after the 2000 championship. 571 00:38:33,936 --> 00:38:36,062 The LA Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers to win their first NBA 572 00:38:36,063 --> 00:38:38,398 championship in 12 years. 573 00:38:38,399 --> 00:38:39,317 I'm so excited. 574 00:38:39,442 --> 00:38:40,400 I get two rings this year. 575 00:38:40,401 --> 00:38:41,943 Two rings. 576 00:38:41,944 --> 00:38:44,821 Yeah, two rings, a wedding band and the championship ring. 577 00:38:47,616 --> 00:38:49,951 Is that my dad? 578 00:38:51,620 --> 00:38:53,039 Turn around. Whoa! 579 00:38:53,164 --> 00:38:54,206 Turn around. 580 00:38:54,332 --> 00:38:55,541 That's what I'm talking about, bro. 581 00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:59,502 He wants his father to experience this. 582 00:38:59,503 --> 00:39:02,882 It hearkens back to the state championship 583 00:39:03,007 --> 00:39:06,009 that Kobe won at Lower Merion High School. 584 00:39:06,010 --> 00:39:08,428 He did exactly the same thing. 585 00:39:08,429 --> 00:39:11,514 Kobe would tell people close to him 586 00:39:11,515 --> 00:39:13,975 that one of his goals in his NBA career 587 00:39:13,976 --> 00:39:17,103 was to restore the Bryant good name. 588 00:39:17,104 --> 00:39:20,190 It's not just that Kobe has won a championship, his first 589 00:39:20,191 --> 00:39:21,483 in the NBA. 590 00:39:21,484 --> 00:39:27,198 He wants his father to experience this, 591 00:39:27,323 --> 00:39:31,451 to remind people, through his greatness, of how great 592 00:39:31,452 --> 00:39:32,828 his father had been. 593 00:39:35,998 --> 00:39:38,376 Ladies and gentlemen, the next man I'm going to introduce 594 00:39:38,501 --> 00:39:40,001 has it all-- 595 00:39:40,002 --> 00:39:46,550 youthfulness, talent, got lots of money, about to get married. 596 00:39:46,675 --> 00:39:48,386 Come on up, Kobe. 597 00:39:52,181 --> 00:39:53,015 Kobe! 598 00:40:01,065 --> 00:40:04,068 When I heard they got married, I think all of us were just 599 00:40:04,193 --> 00:40:05,236 like, what? 600 00:40:08,572 --> 00:40:10,950 It was very, very quick. 601 00:40:11,075 --> 00:40:13,743 Her family, a lot of her family was there. 602 00:40:13,744 --> 00:40:17,415 But for him, his family didn't attend. 603 00:40:17,540 --> 00:40:21,042 They couldn't see past what they felt like was a bad decision 604 00:40:21,043 --> 00:40:23,629 on his part. 605 00:40:23,754 --> 00:40:29,759 I think it was something that probably constituted a us 606 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:32,846 against the world framework inside of Kobe 607 00:40:32,847 --> 00:40:34,264 and Vanessa's marriage. 608 00:40:34,265 --> 00:40:36,850 There is a time where the child just wants to just 609 00:40:36,851 --> 00:40:38,518 to go out and be on his own. 610 00:40:38,519 --> 00:40:40,938 And that time came for me. 611 00:40:41,063 --> 00:40:42,731 And go, push! 612 00:40:44,942 --> 00:40:47,653 Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. 613 00:40:47,778 --> 00:40:49,195 Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick. Come on. 614 00:40:49,196 --> 00:40:50,781 Push, push, push, push. 615 00:40:50,906 --> 00:40:54,994 Joe, Pam, the two sisters, they stay around for a little bit. 616 00:40:55,119 --> 00:40:59,832 But at a certain point, they do move back to Philly because they 617 00:40:59,957 --> 00:41:02,126 don't really have that relationship anymore. 618 00:41:08,883 --> 00:41:12,845 It was just really devastating to see because I so admired what 619 00:41:12,970 --> 00:41:14,805 they had as a family. 620 00:41:14,930 --> 00:41:18,475 My mother and father, the people that are there, I can rely on. 621 00:41:18,476 --> 00:41:20,810 I can count on whenever I need something. 622 00:41:20,811 --> 00:41:23,438 And I love them with all my heart. 623 00:41:23,439 --> 00:41:24,523 My sisters as well. 624 00:41:24,648 --> 00:41:27,193 They've always been there for me. 625 00:41:27,318 --> 00:41:31,197 Ever since I was a little kid, they were like my shield 626 00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:32,323 in a sword fight. 627 00:41:32,448 --> 00:41:33,532 They've always been there for me, 628 00:41:33,657 --> 00:41:35,116 protecting me from right and wrong. 629 00:41:35,117 --> 00:41:38,119 It's like, well, how does that get fractured so quickly 630 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:41,414 because he gets married? 631 00:41:41,415 --> 00:41:44,168 How does that go away so quickly? 632 00:41:44,293 --> 00:41:47,838 This is the point where you start to see the people who had 633 00:41:47,963 --> 00:41:52,592 been in Kobe's inner circle start to fall away. 634 00:41:52,593 --> 00:41:56,847 Kobe wants to take control of his own life. 635 00:41:59,475 --> 00:42:03,520 He wants the opportunity to make his own mistakes. 636 00:42:03,521 --> 00:42:05,231 And he's going to end up making them. 637 00:42:13,864 --> 00:42:16,700 Charges were filed against Kobe Bean Bryant. 638 00:42:16,825 --> 00:42:19,245 In connection with the alleged assault of a 19-year-old 639 00:42:19,370 --> 00:42:20,246 hotel employee. 640 00:42:20,371 --> 00:42:21,539 Shock went through my mind. 641 00:42:21,664 --> 00:42:22,581 Like, for real? 642 00:42:22,706 --> 00:42:23,874 be blunt and ask you. 643 00:42:23,999 --> 00:42:25,166 Did you have sexual intercourse with her? 644 00:42:25,167 --> 00:42:27,877 I think he realized at that point 645 00:42:27,878 --> 00:42:31,757 that he was not invincible. 646 00:42:31,882 --> 00:42:35,051 That's when the switch was flicked in. 647 00:42:35,052 --> 00:42:36,010 LA wins again. 648 00:42:36,011 --> 00:42:39,681 Thanks to the Black Mamba. 649 00:42:39,682 --> 00:42:42,016 The Black Mamba was born.