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man: One of the most terrifying
dreams for me

was a dream of me being
on a basketball court,

stadium's full, and I'm
attacking the basket,

and I can't get off
the ground.

I can't jump.
Like, I'm stuck.

Like, I'm cemented

to the floor.

I was conscious of the fact
that I was dreaming.

And so now, I'm trying
to control my dream.

"You can jump
through it,

"you can push
through it.

"You can get to
that basket."

And no matter how hard I tried,
my legs were too heavy.

Can't jump.

[crowd cheering]

sports announcer:
A year that's given us

more than a share
of disappointment

has also provided us
with numerous thrills,

and Laker fans are looking
for more here tonight

with three games remaining
and destiny in the Laker hands

to get back into the playoffs
where they usually do well.

stadium announcer:
Are you ready?!

Bryant: Our warm-ups are
always just kind of

doing the mental check
of my body.

Like, what's tight?

What's pulling on me?
What's not pulling on me?

How do I loosen it up?
How to get things going.

And, um, my body
felt...

a little stiff.

announcer: Kobe's got four
seconds on the shot clock.

He spins, turns,
fall away...short.

Taken by Jarrett Jack.

Bryant: And I remember getting
loosed up, getting going,

and then finally, the game,
kinda working myself

into a lather, and, um...

my body felt good.

announcer: Here he comes.

Around the back, spinning,
shooting, scoring!

I had never worked so much
in my entire career

in terms of preparation

and getting my body
physically ready,

night in and night out,

and I'd been playing some
of my best basketball.

announcer: Bryant attacking
base line, and he runs into

a stone wall of Festus Ezeli,
and he's holding his left knee.

Battling through,
trying to make the playoffs,

playing all these minutes.

As he has it, spin it,
in trouble.

Oh, he's limping,
he's hurting.

Kobe's hurting.

These minutes might be just
absolutely adding up.

announcer 2: Oh, there's no
question they're adding up.

No question.

Bryant: What I always try to do
through injuries is

not think about it
because

when the game itself is
more significant

than the injury,

you don't feel
the injury.

The injury won't get
in the way because

it's not important
to you.

announcer: Kobe, 3...yes!

Big one, Bryant,
from outside.

107, 104.

Three-point game,
five minutes left.

Kobe, guarded by the rookie,
Harrison Barnes,

Kobe, one-one-one,
isolated.

For the tie...

he's got it!

It's 107, all.

The Mamba is looking
like the Mamba.

[crowd chanting]

Bryant again going
to work, falls down.

Again, he's struggling.

He's gonna stay down there
for a bit.

As soon as I need
to move,

[snaps]
I knew it.

announcer: I mean,
that's the Achilles.

I shouldn't say that.

That's a foot injury.

[buzzer]

It feels like the
shock absorbers

in the back of your foot
are just gone,

just nothing there.

So when you walk,
it's like...

it feels like your
calf muscle

is touching
the floor.

I could feel it
rolling up the back

of my calf as if it
was just kind of

slipping up further
and further.

I remember feeling
the silence.

I remember feeling
the fear.

Thirty-five years old,
17, 18 years in the league.

I'm like, "This could be
a wrap."

And that's what the
silence was.

It was like,

"This could really be
a wrap for you."

announcer: He could barely
make it to the free-throw line.

Bryant tonight
with 32 points,

five rebounds,
four assists,

and he is hurting.

But the Lakers
down by two,

and they want him
and need him

at the free-throw
line.

[net swishes]

Got it.

[crowd cheers]

[dribbling ball]

[ball bounces]

So Kobe Bryant
cannot continue.

[buzzer]

stadium announcer:
Metta World Peace
replacing Kobe Bryant

announcer: And the crowd...

[crowd cheering, applause]

the ovation, and I would
assume he'd go

straight to the locker room.

Bryant: My family walks in.

It's Vanessa and
our daughters,

and, um,

you know, I'm already--
you know, I've been crying.

and, um...

well, I had tears
in my eyes.

I don't think I was
crying yet.

I was more upset.

Like, this could be
the end.

In a locker room,
on the court,

around my teammates,

I've always tried
to be very strong

and be invincible.

Not be Clark Kent,
but be Superman.

And then your family
comes in,

and now that
is home.

That's where you
can be you.

And, um, I just
let it go.

I mean, I couldn't
hold onto it anymore,

you know?

And you don't,
you know--

Looking at my daughters'
faces, I mean,

they were genuinely
afraid, right,

because they had never--
they could feel something,

they could feel
the tension,

but they didn't really
know exactly why.

And as a parent,
the first thing

that comes to your mind when
you see your kids afraid

is you want them
to not be afraid.

Right? You wanna
give them strength.

You wanna give
them courage.

You wanna reassure
them.

And the only way
I could reassure them

is by telling them,

"Hey, Daddy's okay,"
you know?

"It's going to be
all right.

"It's a little setback,
but we'll be fine."

Right?

"This is what we
talk about all the time.

"You know, you have a bump
in the road, you fall,

"you get back up, and you
go after it again.

"Right? That's what we do."

And so, even at the time
I didn't believe it myself,

I felt like it was important
to say that to them

because I felt they
needed to hear that.

And as a parent, you can't just
talk the talk,

you gotta walk the walk,

and you gotta be brave,

and, uh,

in these types of situations,
if not for yourself,

then for your kids.

reporter: Kobe, are you
convinced that--

They told us probable
torn Achilles,

they're gonna do
an MRI.

Are you pretty convinced
that's what it is?

Yeah.

reporter 2: If anyone's
gonna get through this,

it's probably you, right?

[subdued laughter]

Bryant: [sighing]
Oh, man. Shit.

reporter 3: You've had tons
of personal and

professional challenges
in your career.

Is this at the
top of the list?

Yeah, you know,
um,

but it's fueling me,
it's fueling me.

I can feel it
already.

You know, I can
feel it already.

It's just,
you know,

players at this stage
of their career,

you know, they pop
an Achilles and,

you know, the pundits say
they never come back the same.

So, I can hear it
already,

and it's pissing me
off right now

just thinking about it
right now, so...

reporter 4: So, this isn't
the last game

that we'll see
you play.

Really?

I'm just asking.

Well, no, I'm not
trying to be rude.

Really?

I'm sorry.

I'm just trying--

It's appropriate that you ask
that question from down there.

[laughter]

Bryant: This injury
was Mount Everest
for me, personally,

because I knew what the long
road was gonna be.

So at that point,
you have to make a decision.

You have to make
a choice.

Doctor: Oh, it looks
beautiful.

It goes up there,
it goes down below.

Doctor 2: Can I have
a suture-removal?

Doctor: It's fabulous.
No swelling, huh?

Doctor 2: Nice tension
in it.

Doctor: Yeah,
great tension.

Kobe, the tension
is just perfect.

Bryant: It is?

Oh, yeah.

Doctor 2:
Beautiful.

Doctor:
Yeah, it's beautiful.

Doctor 2: Can you feel me
touching you here?

Yeah.

That's sural nerve.

Doctor: Yeah.

Yeah.

Even his healing--

He's got good healing
capabilities.

[talking indistinctly]

He's got this
medial nerve.

Doctor 2: This looks
absolutely beautiful.

Doctor: Yeah.

Beautiful.

Doctor 2: If you could
just hold that.

Okay, and then that,
just open up the Kling.

Point your whole foot up
towards the ceiling.

That's it.

And relax.

Up.

Good.

Looks pretty
good.

Push it up.

Just hold it
up there.

Hold it up,
hold it up,
hold it up.

Go ahead and
move your finger.

Let him hold
it himself.

And let
it relax.

Doctor: Wow.

Bryant: Shut these naysayers
up once and for all.

[laughter]

announcer: Bryant puts it
on the floor,

gets inside...oh!

[indistinct commentary]

Jellybean!

He made like
Darryl Dawkins.

Bryant arms the
building-shaker.

Look at this,
way up there.

He slams it down.

Look at his body,
how high he is
in the air.

That's incredible.

Bryant: He used to be
really sore from playing.

You know?

So, he would have his kids
walk on his back,

which I thought was
really fun,

standing on your
father's back

and you're cracking his back
as you're walking on top of him.

I always thought that
was pretty, pretty cool.

I used to walk on his
hamstrings and stuff.

He's a ball-handling guard
at six-ten

that can shoot
the long ball.

And he had all
the skills.

He had all
the skills.

Fans loved him.

He could do virtually
anything.

[announcer speaking in
Italian]

Bryant: So, he played in
the NBA for eight years,

and decided if he wanted to
further his career

and play the way
he wanted to play,

he should make the transition
to play overseas and play in
Italy.

So, he took us
with him.

[speaking Italian]

I was six, and at six,
you just go with the flow.

You're moving to a place
where you don't

speak the language
at all.

You have friends there,
and now, after two years,

you bounce to
another city.

Now, you have to
start again.

And then two years later,
it repeats itself.

Two years later,
that repeats itself.

And now, you really don't
know anybody,

and you have to figure things
out all over again.

I was more than happy
just to tag along,

just to be around
that atmosphere,

be around the game
and be a ball boy,

just kind of be
in the mix.

I would sit under the basket
the entire game,

and I would have one of those
big, like, sweeper,

like, court-sweeper
things.

Something happened on
the court,

somebody slipped
on some sweat,

I was really anal about
making sure I got

every little,
every last drop up.

It was rush to
be that close.

I used to try to sleep
with my clothes on.

You know, if he needed
to get to practice,

I didn't want to make him
feel like I was

gonna make him late
or something.

I mean, they would do,
like, two practices a day

and that sort of stuff,
and I'd wanna go.

I'd beg to go, but he
wouldn't let me go.

So, I would disappear

and go play
basketball.

The thing that was always
the most constant
was the game.

And that was my
refuge.

That was the place
where I could go

and have complete familiarity
no matter where I was,

whether it was Rieti,
Reggio Calabria,

Reggio Emilia, Pistoia--
it didn't matter.

Whether I got along
with kids,

didn't get along
with the kids,

didn't matter because
I always had my ball.

So, I can always pick up
my basketball,

I can always
hop on my bike,

I can always go
to the park,

and I can always
shoot.

Right?

And, um,

that gave me a great
source of comfort.

announcer: Twenty-foot
jumper's not hot enough,

and the rebound
to Scott,

Scott to Magic Johnson,

Magic in the front,
good transition.

Bounce down
the middle!

Slam dunk!

It's gonna be stolen,
I think, by the Doctor.

Yes, he's got it.
Here he comes.

Hey, rock the baby to sleep
with slam dunk!

Herridge back out
to Dennis,

Dennis looks
for Gaines,

gives it to him,

over to Bird.

Bird's three-pointer
and away...good!

[crowd cheering]

My mom's father,
Grandpa Cox,

he used to record
all the games.

And he used to
box them up

and send us copies
of them.

And I would sit there
at home

and watch these games
over and over and over

and over and over
and over and over.

announcer: Beautiful defense
for the Lakers...

The pass to Magic...
Kareem slams!

[indistinct commentary]

And gets it away
to Jordan!

Underneath, and he's in!

One second left!

Bryant: I saw NBA game.

I saw other players
around him.

Everybody was there,

and I could see it
clear as day.

It was a place that
I could go to

and not be alone.

announcer: Right down to
the base,

he shoots,
he scores!

And he's back.
Sixteen by Battle.

Bryant: I remember I realized
that I had to learn

how to go coast-to-coast
because that's

what John Battle from the
Atlanta Hawks did.

John Battle.

Most people probably don't
know who John Battle is,

but I do because from watching
him get a rebound,

go coast-to-coast with
his left hand,

even though he was
right-handed,

"Whoa, I need to
do that."

announcer: Battle left to
right...

Perpetual motion, he is
difficult to stay with.

Moves left, moves right,

gets himself open
for the shot.

I want to do what
those guys do on TV.

It was this, like,
mythical thing.

announcer: Three-point...

Oh, Battle gets
it away!

He made it!
He made it!

He made it!

[indistinct commentary]

...and this game
was history.

John Battle...

an on radio: Six to nine months
is the very earliest,

and in all probability,
it's a year,

and the real
question,

which you hit on is:

will he ever be
the same?

And many of our best
basketball players,

Isaiah Thomas, Shaq,
Barkley,

all retired after
this injury.

[balls continuing
to drop]

Bryant: The game for me has
always been about passion

until probably about
the age of...

age of thirteen.

So, it was all about,
kind of, love.

It was fun, you know.

I went out and played
and just had a good time.

Once we moved back
to America for good,

when I was thirteen
years old,

I kind of moved in
about November or so

in the school year,
Bala Cynwyd middle school,

and it was different.

I mean, I didn't
understand the slang.

I was a little
Italian boy.

I didn't understand
the fashion.

And I couldn't
spell.

So, the teacher told my mother
that I was probably dyslexic.

It was like somebody
took me and dropped me

in a bucket,
in a tub

of ice-cold water 'cause it
shocked the shit out of me.

I didn't know anybody.

Very awkward,
skinny-looking,

barely spoke.

Sitting at a lunch table
all by myself,

no friends.

And I was upset that
I had moved.

And I had all this,
you know,

resentment and anger
inside of me

that I hadn't really
let out.

It was never
viewed as,

"I'm going to control
this thing."

It was more like,
"You know what?

"I'm just gonna

"delay the eruption.

"I'm just gonna
push it to the side

"and then use it
to my benefit

"for what it is
that I love doing,

"which is playing
the game."

[buzzer]

And once I
discovered that,

everything about
the game changed...

because now I understood that
I could really lose myself

through the game.

And no matter what
affected me,

no matter what
happened in life,

I could always step
on the basketball court

and let my game
speak to that.

You know, step on
that court and

just absolutely erupt.

[crowd cheering]

announcer: ...Kobe Bryant.

Bryant: And that feeling of
playing with that rage

was new to me.

But I fucking
loved it.

There's a choice that we
have to make as people,

as individuals.

If you wanna be
great at something,

there's a choice that
you have to make.

We all can be masters
at our craft.

But you have to
make a choice.

What I mean by
that is,

there are inherent
sacrifices that

come along with that,

family time,

hanging out
with your friends,

being a great friend,
right?

Being a great,
um, um, um...

son, nephew, whatever
the case may be.

There's sacrifices that come
along with making it.

[crowd counting down]

announcer: Counting it down.

It is over, unfortunately,
for the Cathedral Prep players.

Lower Merion prevails and
wins the state championship

by the final score
of 48 to 43.

The celebration is on
for the Aces.

Look at the media chasing
Kobe Bryant.

They want a shot
of him because

this game just
may be

this young man's
last game

before heading
to the NBA.

interviewer: In your
heart of hearts,

do you think you're
good enough right now

to play in the NBA
next year?

[laughs]

Uh,

it's good to have
self-confidence.

Bryant: I wanna learn
how to become

the best basketball
player in the world.

And if I'm gonna
learn that,

I gotta learn
from the best.

Kids go to school to be
doctors or lawyers

and so forth
and so on.

That's where
they study.

That's the place
for them to study,

My place to study
is from the best.

[crowd cheering]

I, Kobe Bryant,
have decided

to skip college and take my
talent to the NBA.

[loud applause]

I knew that I was not
going to be stopped.

So at the age
of eighteen,

this was my life.

Right?

So, you can't possibly
become better than me

because you're not spending
the time on it that I do.

Even if you wanna spend
the time on it,

you can't because
you have other things.

You have other
responsibilities

that are taking you
away from it.

So, I already won.

man: Been a
long road?

Bryant: Yep.

I bet.

I love the comment
that you made

that you're starting
to feel almost

like you did in the
very first year,

some of that
education.

Of course.

It's gotta be

one of the
hardest times

you've ever
worked out.

I bet.

Well, I have a ton
of respect for you.

Hope to see you
back out there.

Thank you.

Soon. I know I will.

[laughs]

man: Jerry? Have Jerry
come up for us.

Jerry: Excuse me.

We'll put the rich guy
in the middle.

[laughter]

[reporters talking,
cameras flashing]

Bryant: Growing up
in Italy,

I was such a
big Laker fan.

Like, a massive
Laker fan.

I knew everything
about them.

I was obsessed
with Magic.

I used to work
on my sky hook

every single day.

And then--
To be like Kareem.

And then, I worked on the baby
hook to be like Magic.

And, uh, I worked
on my runners

to be like
James Worthy.

My left-hand
hook runners,

right-hand hook
runners,

my pull-up jump
shot in transition

like Byron Scott,

and scoring 40, 50,
60 points, 80 points.

I'd have those
dreams.

And so, a hundred
percent of the time

when I imagined
these things,

I had on a Laker
uniform.

Golden jersey,
baby.

This was, like,

dream come true.

announcer: Elden Campbell
back on the floor

with Rooks and Kobe Bryant
making his first appearance

in Madison Square
Garden.

Eighteen years of age,
and he'll go

to the free throw line.

Now, let's give you
some perspective.

This is the third
game of the season.

A year ago at this time
in his third game for
Lower Merion High School,

Kobe Bryant was leading
the Lower Merion Aces

to victory over
Haverford High School.

There is his first point
in the NBA.

And it comes at the age

of 18 years, 2 months,
and a couple of days.

All season, I was just
waiting and waiting

for my opportunity
to come.

I wanted to prove that
I was better than

they thought I was,
you know?

I wanted to prove
to myself

that I'm better than
they think I was.

And I was mentally
preparing myself

and visualizing the moment
that would come where,

you know, I'm--

I lead the Los Angeles
Lakers to a victory.

announcer: Knight comes
off the back

to Shaq for the rebound.

[indistinct]

Kobe, don't
do that.

You know you're gonna
wear out your pants

if you plan on
doing that.

There are times I'd
sit the bench

for seven straight
games and then play

the last twenty
seconds of a game

and then look around and see
other players in the league

that are out there playing
and performing

and setting the
league on fire.

announcer: ...the crowd
is into it...

Yes!

Comes the way out
and goes right down
the middle...

I knew I could play
with these guys

because I had seen
them up-close.

I knew I could

compete with them,

but I wasn't getting the
opportunity to show it.

announcer: There's Kobe on
the bench,

itching, itching
to get in.

One of the things
I always used to do

is get in my car and drive
around the campus of UCLA.

I'd see kids hanging out
at fraternity houses

and just walking
around.

I just wanted to
feel that.

You know?

Just wanted to
feel that.

And then I'd
even wonder,

"Fuck, did I make
the wrong choice, man?

"Did I fuck up?

"I could be going to college
and laughing and hanging out

"with these kids, man,

"and having a good time
and enjoying it.

"But, no, here I am."

announcer: It's game five
in the best of seven,

Western Conference
Semi-final.

The Utah Jazz leading this
series three games to one.

Lakers do not have
a time-out.

Eleven-point,
three to play in regulation.

You see the storm...

Before each series,
we got a binder,

and it had all the plays and
the players and their
statistics,

and I mean, I really
studied it.

Like, I really
studied it.

And I didn't know most
of the players

took the books and,
you know,

just kind of left them
in their rooms or whatever.

But I really
studied them.

Like, I knew the sets,
I knew the percentages.

I knew, you know,
and

I just tried to be
as prepared as possible

because this was,
like...

I didn't wanna
mess up.

announcer: This has been
a game for Los Angeles.

that, obviously,
they need to win.

A loss and they're eliminated
from the playoffs,

and here we go.

Kobe Bryant will
take it.

Bryant right
by Russell,

five seconds left.

Four, Bryant drives...

shot on the way.

No good.
We go to overtime.

announcer 2: I've gotta say
this, for an 18-year-old

to take this shot when it's
on the line,

let's give him some
credit for that.

Fisher wide open
to Kobe Bryant.

[indistinct commentary
and crowd cheering]

Let's see how strong
he is because

that hurts confidence,
both in Kobe

and his teammates
running the ball.

He has shot two
air balls in a row.

He's got to come up and
play like it's nothing.

You just missed a shot,
that's all that happened.

Van Exel straight
away to Bryant.

Bryant for three...

it's short.
Air ball.

Three times he
shot air balls.

Bryant: I'm just gonna
keep on going,

no matter what.

You can fail ten times,
and that eleventh time

is when you're
great.

You fail eleven times
and the twelfth time

is gonna be great.

But eventually,
it's gonna happen.

announcer: Fifteen seconds
to go, a chance to tie.

Van Exel with it.

Bryant for the tie...

another air ball!

It's over,
it's over.

I do believe
it's over.

It's all over.

Bryant: We flew back
to L.A. that night.

And I got home,
it was probably,

like, three in
the morning.

And I went down
to the high school,

which is down the
street from my house.

And the janitor let
me in the gym,

and I shot
all day.

All day.

I mean, all day.

And this was right after
that playoff game.

And, um, I didn't
leave the gym.

I just kept shooting and
shooting and shooting

and shooting and shooting
and shooting

and practicing
and practicing.

And I got a chance to
let out the steam of

disappointing my teammates
and millions of fans.

I got a chance to
let all that out

instead of bottling
it up

and envision that moment
over and over and over

and over and over.

That was a huge summer
for me because

I felt like everybody had
written me off

after those air
balls.

I was really excited when
the schedule came out

and I saw we had Utah.

announcer: Tonight in the
season opener,

the Los Angeles Lakers
host the Utah Jazz.

The ball to Kobe,
comes underneath,

lays it up and in
with a 360 curve.

The hips were flying,
the feet were moving,

the arms were going,
and he put in a flutter ball.

Kobe with the ball.

He just made a great
move a second ago.

[indistinct commentary]

He went underneath
and brought it back

with the left hand,
did he not?

announcer 2: Yes, he did.

announcer: 87-77.

announcer 2:
That's called
being ambidextrous.

I came from really
big in the clutch,

really big in
the clutch.

And I remember just
feeling like,

feeling really,
like, vindicated.

Like, for me, it was
a really big deal.

For the veterans, they probably
didn't give a shit about it.

It was just another regular
season game.

But for me, it was
a big deal.

announcer: Yeah, count it.

Basket is good.

announcer 2: Did you see
him finish that play, Chick?

Chick: Yes, I did.

You have come
so far in one year.

That's because you work
so hard in the summer?

I definitely did.

I was a student
of the game.

I tried to understand
things that

I wasn't doing very well
last season

and try to add them
to my game.

And it's difficult
because you have to

break habits,

so that was the
hardest adjustment.

But this year,
you're getting
more minutes.

Obviously, a guy can
play better when he's
not looking

over his shoulder to see
if the coach is gonna
take him out.

Well, when you play
more minutes,

you naturally
get better

because that's experience
out there on the court.

You're gonna get
all kinds of
endorsements,

which you're
already getting.

You gotta get somebody
that sells toothpaste.

You've got
beautiful teeth.

Oh, thank you
very much.

Appreciate it.

Chick: Well, he might
be only 18 years and
five months old,

but this guy can do
everything that the
veterans can do

and do it better,
perhaps, yeah?

Here we go,
change of direction.

Slam dunk!

How good is
this kid?

Bryant: The most important
this is you must put everybody

on notice that you're here
and you're for real.

I'm not a player that's just
gonna come and go.

I'm not a player that's gonna
make an all-star team

one time, two times.

I'm here to be an
all-time great.

[crowd erupts in cheers]

Once I made that
commitment and

said, "I want to be one
of the greatest ever,"

then the game became
everything for me.

announcer: Kobe Bryant
is guarded by Michael Jordan.

Pulls away from Michael,
oh!

Kobe Bryant.

Even Michael Jordan
will tell you that

Kobe Bryant is the
future of the NBA.

You realize how
good he is.

He's actually in his
second year of college,

and certainly,
he's learned
a lot.

He's certainly gonna
learn a lot more.

He's gonna be a lot better
if he keeps improving.

He's been voted by
the fans to start

in next Sunday's
all-star game,

making him the
youngest player in

NBA all-star
history.

announcer: He's got the
ball in his hands again.

To Garnett,
back to Kobe!

You ever seen a
young man

like Kobe Bryant,
so confident

at his age
and so mature?

No.

No, never.

I think that

he'll show you
things that

a lot of--you're talking
about a 19-year-old--

a lot of the guys, 25 and 30,
35, can't even do.

announcer: Faked the
wrap-around,
Pete Maravich.

He faked a wrap-around
pass behind his back

and sets the crowd
on fire.

It's like that scene in the
movie where everything just

magically happens
the right way.

announcer: Bryant...

to Shaq!

Everything was
clicking.

You know, playing the
best basketball

of my career, the physical
aspect, the mental aspect,

starting my family--

everything's just
rolling.

announcer: Kobe!

Here's Bryant,
six on the shot clock,

Reggie defending.

Kobe, five seconds.

Off to Kobe Bryant,

both teams battling for
their collective lives.

Kobe's outside hitter!

[crowd cheering]

And the Lakers are
the 2000 NBA Champions!

[whooping, hollering]

Bryant: I can remember
winning the championship

and kinda being
like,

"Okay, now what?

"What happens now?

"What happens now?

"Holy shit, that champagne
burns like a motherfucker."

[laughs]

"All right, let's celebrate.

"Let's wave the champagne
bottles around,

"just don't drop it."

[laughs]

Seriously, somebody
would drop it.

And then outside
of that,

it was like,
"Okay, now what?"

announcer: Back-to-back
titles

for the Los Angeles
Lakers.

Kobe Bryant is just
22 years old.

There's nothing
he can't do.

He already has
the total package.

Shaquille O'Neal,
unprecedented what
he has done.

Here's a guy who
is dominating,

maybe more than any
player in NBA history.

And the beautiful
thing is that

they're just
getting started.

We're gonna get another
one next year...again!

Back-to-back-
to-back!

[loud cheering]

When you make a
choice and say,

"Come hell or high water,
I'm going to be this,"

then you should not be
surprised when you are that.

You should not be
something that's...

that feels intoxicating
or out-of-character

because you had seen
this moment for so long.

That played in your mind
for so long that

when that moment
comes,

it's like,
"Of course it's here,"

because it's been
here the whole time

because it's been up here
the whole time.

That's what it
feels like,

at least for me.

announcer: The Los Angeles
Lakers

have made it three
straight championships.

They are a team
for the ages.

man on TV: Seven hundred and
fifty dollars. Good luck.

Donna?

Donna: 2100.

man: Actual retail price
is...

2,999!

Donna!

[Donna screaming]

Oh, my God!

[laughs]

She's having an
exorcism.

woman on TV: Everyone loves
a delicious baked potato,

but cooking them in the oven
takes 45 minutes.

And when you cook them
in the microwave,

they come out mushy
and dry.

Introducing Potato Express,
the fastest, easiest way

to cook perfect
baked potatoes

in just four minutes.

physical therapist:
Does it hurt?

No, it feels a lot
better.

[inaudible]

No.

When I wake up in
the morning, though,

it's tight right at
the attachment

of the tendon and
the calcaneus.

physical therapist:
Down there?

Bryant: Yep.

I don't even know how
to spell "calcaneus,"

but I know what the
fuck it is.

[laughs]

You gotta be able
to communicate

what the hell's wrong
with you.

[indistinct talking]

[laughter]

man: Go and...

Playback!

[rap music starts]
rapper: Come on.

Right.

Uh, uh-huh.

What's happening,
y'all?

Welcome to my first
video shoot.

♪

For those that don't
know,

yes, I had a budding
music career

as a rapper.

It, uh...

um...

didn't last long,

but I did

make a video.

And on the video
set is where I first

met Vanessa.

We've got these
lovely young ladies

that I haven't even
met yet.

How you
doin'?

Hi.
Kobe.

How are you?
Nice to meet you.

Trinidad.

Trinidad.
How you doin'?

Tomasina.
Tomasina.

And...
Vanessa.

Hi.

I wasn't some big-time
basketball player

at the time, either,
so it was like, you know,

"It's a pleasure
to meet you."
[laughs]

[music playing]

It was a two-day
video shoot,

and I was always
looking for her.

Like, I wanted to know
where she was.

And I would finish a take
and then go to my trailer,

but I'd wonder where
she is the entire time

and then come out of the
trailer and just wanna

talk to her some more
in between takes

and stuff like that.

And she wrote her
phone number down

at the the time where you
still had to write

phone numbers down,
and, um,

I called her the
very next day,

and we talked
for hours.

Vanessa, say "what's up"
to the camera.

Hello.

She was just...
beautiful.

And we literally did
everything together.

Everything together.

And I thought I was a big
dork because I loved,

I loved Disneyland.
[laughs]

I love the Disney movies
and things like that,

but I never really had a chance
to go to the park much,

and she was a big
Disney fan, too.

And we used to hang out
at Disneyland,

we used to go
to Magic Mountain.

She became my
best friend, you know?

And for me, it was
very different

to have somebody that
I was so close to

because I had been
so used to growing up

in isolation, really,
and moving around

from place to place

and making new friends
all the time.

So, I never really

opened up to anybody
because I knew

I was just gonna
inevitably move.

But now, being in
Los Angeles

and feeling like I'm gonna be a
Laker for the rest of my life,

and I just met this
beautiful woman

that I just see the world
the same way with,

we decided
to get married.

I proposed,
she said "yes."

We're both so young,
right?

So, I'd wake up,
and I'd go train,

and I'd come back,
and she'd still be

in the bed sleeping,
like 18-year-olds do, man.

She'd sleep 'til, like, 12,
1 o'clock in the afternoon, man.

And then I'd lay down
with her,

and I'd go to sleep
again, too.

And then, uh,
we'd wake up

and just, you know,
do what kids do,

do what kids do.

I'd take her to
the batting cage,

we'd go hit
some balls.

And we'd play
miniature golf.

You know?

Go to the movies.

We'd go out
to eat.

It was just--It was
a beautiful time, man.

We had Natalia,
it was like,

such a beautiful moment.

You know?

Because we were starting
our own family.

And I found so much
enjoyment in just being with

our baby girl.

It was great putting
together the nursery,

and you know,
the crib,

and all those weird
Baby Einstein

Baby Mozart videos where

you're kind of just
hypnotizing your kid.

Like, we went through
all of that, um,

all of that stuff,
and...

and, um...

You know, when you're
young,

you really have the tendency
to think about

your own personal
journey.

And for us,

it was about taking
two young people

and trying to
figure out

our journey together

and try to
grow together,

which is a
challenge.

But when you
have a kid,

then it becomes even
bigger than that

because now you have
the responsibility of

this little life that
you have to mold.

Going through this time

made me ask a lot
of questions.

Um...

and really try to figure out
what's important in life

and what's...

You know, everything that
I've kind of been holding

as significant,

the championships,

the endorsements,

um...

maybe that's not the
most important thing.

I lost sight of

what is the most
important thing

and that's family.

It's a man's job
to protect your family.

It's the man's job to look out
for your family.

It's the man's job
to always be

the anchor of stability
for the family.

And, uh...

in that aspect,
I failed miserably.

I'd wake up in the
morning and

not know if, like,
today's the day

where, like,
I lose my family.

Is this the day
where it's a wrap?

You know?

Like, she's just had
enough.

One of the things
that she said,

she said, "You know,

"during that time,
I hated your guts.

"But it wasn't
about you.

"It was about Natalia.

"It was about
the fact that

"I didn't want--

"I wanted to do everything
possible to try to

"figure this thing out because I
didn't want her growing up

"in a broken home."

And things would have
been really easy for her

to leave, actually,

especially during
that time.

It would've been
much easier to leave.

You leave, you take
half the money,

you have your
daughter,

life's, life's--

She's good.

But she didn't
do that.

We were expecting,
and, um,

um...

expecting our second
child during that time.

There was just
so much,

so much stress.

Um, she actually,
she, um, you know,

she, uh...

we actually miscarried.

And, um,
you know...

and, uh...

you know...

that's something...

I have a real hard
time dealing with that,

you know, because

I felt like it was
just my fault.

You know what
I mean?

Like, we should be
building our family.

Because of my mistake...

because of this
tough year,

um, we're not, um,

we lost a baby,
you know?

And...

um...

it's, uh...

um...

we, uh,

try to justify
the fact that,

you know, it's,
uh...

you know, realize how common
miscarriages are

and, like, these
things happen,

and, like,

um...

it's part of
the process,

but the reality is it
happened because of me.

That's the reality
of it.

And, uh,

that's something I have
to deal with.

That's something I gotta
carry forever.

At two o'clock, three o'clock
in the morning,

I would drive.

I'd leave the house
and I'd go to the park.

And I'd just sit
in the court.

I'd just sit there.

I was sitting
on the basketball,

and I was just
looking out.

I was looking up
at the stars,

I was looking
at the basket

and just kind of
looking around.

And, um,

and then I saw
myself.

I saw myself,

eight-year-old self
sitting in front of me

on a ball.

And then I thought,

"What would I
say to me?"

Knowing now

all the pain

that I would
go through...

that my family
would go through,

I don't know
if I'd

keep playing
the game.

man on radio: Even despite
his great competitive nature,

his will to win,
his work ethic,

you can't expect him
to be the same

dominant force at
36 and 37

as he was at
26 and 27.

As Mark Jackson always
said to me,

"Father Time is
undefeated."

And it's the truth.

[groans softly]

In 2003, I went
from a person that

was at the top
of his game,

had everything
coming

to, a year later,

having absolutely
no idea

where life is going,

or if you're going to
be able to even

be a part of life as
we all know it.

[crowd chanting,
"Kobe sucks"]

I hear everything that
the crowd is saying,

and I hear, um,

I hear it.

So, it's like this
place where

it was my refuge

is now being
bombarded with

all kinds of things
that they would say.

And I had to
separate myself

because going through
that time

I felt like there's
so many things

coming at once and just
becoming very, very confusing.

I had to organize
things.

So, I created the
"Black Mamba."

announcer: Kobe...
got it at the buzzer!

Mamba, as he's known as,
the killer black snake,

has the killer look
in his eyes right now.

So, Kobe has to deal
with these issues,

all the personal
challenges.

The Black Mamba

steps on the court and
does what he does.

announcer: Kobe, three,
at the buzzer !

The Mamba.

See the venom that
he's spewing.

Bryant: I mean,
it was...

fuck everyone.

I'm destroying everybody
that stepped on the court.

announcer: Kobe with it,
guarded by Patterson,

staying outside the arc,
dribbling.

Patterson keeps his feet.

Kobe...oh!

He made it!

He threw it in!

He's torching whomever...

One second remaining
in the regular season.

Out to Kobe...

Oh! What a way
to play!

Are you kiddin' me?!

And the Lakers have won
the Pacific Division title.

I had all this
pent up

frustration that I just
needed to let out.

It was an avalanche,
man.

And, you know,
there was nothing

that was going to
get in the way.

There was nothing that
was gonna stop me.

announcer: Kobe Bryant!

It's the battle that's
going on within me

that I'm carrying with me
to these games competitions,

so it's not about you.

It's not about anybody
else.

You're not making
me go.

I'm driving this thing,
man, and you just so happen

to be a person that's in
the way that's, you know,

that may get demolished
in the process.

[indistinct
commentary]

announcer: Kobe's got
57.

Sixty-seven
points!

Yes!

That makes
seventy.

[cheering,
commentary]

And an 81-point
game!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
you have witnessed

the second-greatest
scoring performance

in NBA history.

Some people sit
there and say,

"Y'all keep talking
about Kobe

"being the greatest player
in the game today.

"Y'all don't realize that
Kobe trying to be

arguably the greatest
ever."

Your response?

I gotta get a couple
more rings.

host: Mmm-hmm.

Are you
going to?

You know what?

I won't rest
until we do.

I wanted to prove
to myself

that I could win
under, you know,

a different role,
so to speak.

Looking at these incredible
teams that have been assembled,

and there's always
a dynamic duo.

And when that duo
went separate ways,

one was never able to
win without the other.

And I just felt like
it was really important

for myself, as well as for the
challenge from others,

just to prove that I can
lead this team my way.

I can put my DNA
on the team

and carry them
to a championship.

announcer: The buzz is back
in Boston.

Celtics fans have
waited 21 years

for this moment,
a chance to play

for their 17th championship.

[chanting "Beat L.A."]

But look who's standing
in the way,

the NBA's MVP,
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

The greatest rivalry in the
history of the sport

is ready for its
next chapter.

commentator: Kobe's led the
league in scoring,

he's won all-star MVPs,

he's won championships.

But he's different this
year, Magic.

What's the best advice
you gave him

before the season?

Well, I pulled him
aside and said,

"Hey, if you wanna be
considered like
Michael Jordan,

"you have to now make
your teammates better,

"you have to become
a better leader,

"and then you have to
trust your teammates."

He's taken the guys
out to dinner

three or four times
this year.

He never did
that before.

No, never did
that before.

Look at him now.

That's why they're
in the championships.

announcer: Gets inside,
and the finish.

Bryant: We weren't naturally
assholes.

We ran into a team that
was, though.

They were just
much, much tougher,

much meaner,
much nastier.

And they whooped
us pretty good.

[buzzer, cheering]

announcer: After a 22-year
absence,

the Boston Celtics are
NBA Champions once again.

[cheering, music]

I overcompensated
for how I

drove my teammates.

It was, um,

thinking maybe I was
too hard on them,

and so, throughout
the course of the year,

I didn't challenge
them enough.

It was just about not being
as gregarious,

putting my arm around
you even when you fuck up,

"Oh, you're doing great,
you're doing great."

That's just not me.

reporter: Kobe, you won
the MVP,

you led the team to
the finals.

How do you characterize
this season?

Well, I mean, the goal was
to win a championship.

It wasn't to win MVP
or anything like that.

It was to win a
championship,

so from that aspect,
we failed.

If I'm gonna go down,
I'm gonna go down my way

and leading my way.

And this team is gonna
have my personality,

they're gonna have
my grit.

They're gonna have
my fight,

they're gonna have my will and
my competitive spirit.

So, when we step on
that basketball court,

you're not facing me and
just my competitive fire,

but you're facing, you know,
twelve of those.

And the challenge became:
how do I get that done?

For me, it is that ferocity or
that anger, rage,

and I can carry
that with me.

Now, I have to instill this to
the rest of my guys

and to the rest of
my teammates.

Using the darker
emotions,

the anger or resentment
or frustration and

sadness and using that
as a weapon,

using that as a
form of offense.

It's a scar.

It's pain.

It's a bad memory.

Some people are
probably afraid

to tap into that
side of them,

but it's such a
powerful thing.

Because once they
own it themselves,

then the sky
is the limit

because they're going
to drive themselves

and pull it from
who they are

and all of their
life experiences

and things that
have motivated them.

[indistinct argument]

I just started
driving them,

needling them.

Right?

Pushing them.

announcer: The smoke has
cleared

and two remain
standing.

the Lakers and Magic tipping
off the '09 NBA Finals
in L.A.

announcer 2: Kobe Bryant
as focused

as I have ever seen him
in his entire career.

You talk about a guy
with one mindset,

that's to win.

[clicking with
his mouth]

Pau.

Pau: Yo. What's up?

Ready?

announcer: Bryant looks inside,
finds Gasol.

Gasol...count it!

They had to embrace
the villain nature

that's in all
of us.

It gave them a platform
to unleash.

announcer: Another steal.
Odom to Gasol,

back to Odom.

Up and under and
banks in.

What a run
for the Lakers.

...spins it away.

Beautiful pass.
Gasol!

Right-hand dunk.

87-84.

Derek Fisher with
another clutch 3!

The buzzer sounds,
it's official:

The Lakers are NBA
Champions once again.

Congratulations,
Kobe Bryant,

your fourth NBA
Championship.

How are you different
as a man and a player

than you were seven
years ago,

the last time you
won a championship?

I think you just
get better,

you just grow as a person,
you grow as a man,

and, you know, you just
try to figure out

the best way to
lead these guys.

announcer: The most storied
NBA rivalry, renewed:

the Lakers and Celtics.

Kobe Bryant, hungry for
title number five, personally,

but number sixteen
for his franchise.

The Lakers have kind of
played flag football.

They better get ready for
tackle football tonight

because the Boston Celtics
are gonna hit them.

How are the Lakers
going to react?

Pierce and Artest already
battling.

It took 27 seconds for
these two to go at it a bit.

The proposition of losing
to these guys in the finals

again and knowing what
that means as a Laker fan

and having watched Jerry West
lose to the Celtics

over and over and
over again

and the duel between
Magic and Bird,

and now I am part of
this incredible rivalry

and what's gonna be
said about us,

this team, is that we lost
to the Celtics twice.

I don't think so.

announcer: Artest,
that's a 3.

Bam!

[crowd cheering]

Lakers by six with
a minute to play!

[indistinct
commentary]

The Lakers win
back-to-back titles!

The L.A. Lakers are
the 2010 NBA Champions.

After we did that,
we have a bond now

that unites us
forever.

Forever.

We have a bond that'll
never be broken because...

the lion looked us
in the face,

and we looked back.
[laughs]

The challenge was not
only to win one,

but it was to win
multiple wins

and to be able to sit at
the same lunch table

with my muses,

Michael, Magic.

I wanna be able to sit down
at the same table with them

and belong there.

And I'm very proud to be
able to say I can do that.

commentator: I do think with
Kobe there is

a whole lot of pride in it,
just as there's pride

in a lot of players,

but that if his level dips,
and he's just another guy,

eh, I don't think he wants any
part of that at all.

[grunts in frustration]

Ah!

It's constant stretching,

it's constant ice baths,

it's constant modalities
and

massage and eating
the right things,

drinking the
right things.

It's a lifestyle,
you know?

It's a full-time
commitment.

And, you know, I'm no
spring chicken.

You know?

But that's okay.

I can figure my
way around it.

commentator: This is going
to be, for all intents
and purposes,

the first time we have
seen Kobe Bryant

since tearing
the Achilles.

This is, hopefully,
the foundation

for Kobe moving
forward,

recovering from
that injury,

and as he will
tell you,

he is stoked out of his mind
to be there.

Bryant: I can feel
energy in the building,

the sounds of the
cameras flashing,

the smell, the popcorn,

the sounds of people
walking around,

preparing for the game.

You can feel the intensity
in the air.

Whoo!

Bryant: There's an energy that
you can tap into,

like a frequency that
you can tap into.

What time is it?

others: Game time!

all: Whoo!

Bryant: And once you
feel it,

then everything
becomes you

and you become
everything.

[cheering and yelling]

stadium announcer:
And the other guard,

here's number 24.

Six-six, 19 seasons,

from Lower Merion
High School...

Kobe Bryant.

Bryant: I love
what I do.

It's as simple
as that.

There's...

I get so much
enjoyment

from it.

The game has made me
a better man,

a better husband,
a better father,

you know, a better friend,

you know, a better teacher.

It's helped me figure
out who I am.

[fans yelling for Kobe]

Hes been my confidante,
he's been my best friend,

psychiatrist, everything.

It's the seed that started
everything for me.

Everything grew
from this ball.

[coach talking
in the background]

announcer: In his 19th year
in the NBA,

that man right there,
Kobe Bryant,

stands at 32,291 points,
one behind Michael Jordan

for third all-time
on the scoring list.

The crowd on its feet.

[crowd cheering]

Step aside, MJ,

the Mamba has moved
right on by you.

Kobe Bryant has passed
Michael Jordan,

and is now number three

on the NBA's all-time
scoring list.

Bryant: As I sit
here now,

when I take off my shoe
and I look down at my scar,

I see beauty
in it

because I see all
the hard work,

all the sacrifices.

I see the journey that
it took to get back

to this point of
being healthy.

And I see the beauty
in that struggle.

That's what makes
it beautiful.

announcer: Kobe!
Don't ya know,

as he goes base line.

Wow, yeah, that
right arm.

It's just there.

That's on his
shooting shoulder.

But it's just a sore
right shoulder

is what the Lakers
are calling it.

Kobe has gone back
to the locker room

with the help
of Ryan,

and that will be the
topic of conversation

throughout the next
day or so...

[indistinct
conversations]

Let's see what kind of
strength you have here.

Go ahead and
slip that off.

That's where the
damage is to
your cuff.

Let me see you
raise it to
the side.

Don't let me
rotate it down,
resist me.

Any pain?

Uh-uh.

And keep your
elbow pointed

out towards me.

Now, I wanna feel how
much pressure you can put.

Push in on your
arm, good.

All right.
Good, good, good.

Okay.
[laughs]

This dark area here,

that's the rotator
cuff cable.

It's not attaching
to bone here.

So, there's only
direction that

this tear's
gonna go.

It's gonna
get worse.

This is not
gonna get better.

This tear's a pretty
big tear already.

Your normal daily
function, you know,

aside from basketball,
you know, raising your arm,

doing activities of
daily living,

certainly lifting,
lifting your kids,

you know,
playing around,

that sort of thing
with the arm

in this position
is gonna get tougher.

I think that this is
gonna need to be fixed

because it will cause
a problem for you.

And we like to try
to fix these things

when you're younger
and the tear is smaller.

And what's best for
your shoulder is

to get is fixed
soon.

Bryant: Oh, my God,

I just don't know
if I wanna deal

with another fucking
nine months of some shit.

No, I know.

I know,

and it seems that,
you know,

with the way your
injuries have happened,

your...

the second part of
your season

and your off-season
has been dominated

by rehab
and....

[inaudible]

Bryant: At what point
do you feel like

you're holding on,
holding on, holding on

to something that's
not there?

At what point do your
determination and your drive

become unreasonable?

Or something that's
just not possible?

When do you know?

Like, when does
that moment happen

when you know now
is the time to let go,

this is the moment
to walk away?

Do you ever truly
know that?

I mean, I don't think,

I don't know
if you do.

I don't know if there's
ever a moment

which is the
right moment.

I don't know if that
moment ever comes.

Who determines when
it's up for you?

When we say,
"This cannot be
accomplished,

"this cannot be done,"

then we are shortchanging
ourselves.

My brain,

it cannot process
failure.

It will not
process failure

because if
I have to--

If I sit there and
have to face myself

and tell myself,
you know,

"You're a failure,"

I think that's
a worse--

That's almost worse
than death.

♪

♪ Your love is bright
as ever ♪

♪ Even in the
shadows ♪

♪ Baby, kiss me
♪

[both laughing]

♪ Before they turn
the lights out ♪

[talking and
laughing]

♪ Your heart is glowing
♪

♪ And I'm crashing
into you
♪

♪ Baby, kiss me ♪

♪ Before they turn
the lights out
♪

♪ Before they turn
the lights out ♪

♪ Baby, love me lights out
♪

♪ In the darkest night hour
♪
[laughing]

♪ I search through
the crowd ♪

♪ Your face is all
that I see ♪

♪ I'll give you
everything ♪

♪ Baby, love me
lights out ♪

♪ Baby, love me
lights out ♪

♪ Baby, love me
lights out ♪