1 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: Diversion podcasts. People give you closer for you now. You know, 2 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: that's kind of funny too. What people who are rich 3 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: don't have to buy things because everybody wants them to 4 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: endorse their clothes. They'll give it to one for free. 5 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: The people w are poor, they try to raise the price. 6 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying as that's weird. That kind 7 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: of tripped me out because I think, you know, I 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: have money, I'm going to be buying all these sneakers 9 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: and shorts and tank tops and he'll figure and Polo 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: and guests and now they're like, oh please wait this 11 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: where this? What kind of what do you want? Okay, 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: what kind of sneaking you want? Yeah? No, give them 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: to you for free? Yah? Then what you do endorse 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: their products? Like could you wear this? If you want, 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: we can give you this or just ask for something. 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: Since the start of the pandemic, I've spent more time 17 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: in my home office than I have anywhere else. In 18 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: one corner is a big bookcase. In another corner is 19 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: my desk. That's where I did much of the research 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: and reporting and just about all of the writing for 21 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: my book about Kobe Bryant. I could make phone calls, 22 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: I could search online databases, and as much as I 23 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: love my wife and two sons, I could close the 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: door on them so I could get some work done 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: in peace and quiet. Early on in my writing process, 26 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: I reached out to someone who twenty five years earlier 27 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: had also tried to write a book about Kobe. It 28 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: was Jeremy Treatment. You've heard a lot about him in 29 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,559 Speaker 1: this series. I called Jeremy, knowing his own Kobe book 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: project had been scuttled at some point, but also knowing 31 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: he was still in touch with several of Kobe's coaches 32 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: and teammates from Lower Merion High School. Jeremy kept transcripts 33 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: from his interviews with Kobe from and he handed over 34 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: a cardboard box full of those transcripts and other material. Later, 35 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: when he found the tapes of those interviews, he gave 36 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: those to me too. I kept the tapes in that box, 37 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: and I kept that box right next to my desk. 38 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: I had easy access to the tapes there in case 39 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: I needed to listen to them or read over the 40 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: transcripts as I was writing the book. And I have 41 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: to admit that sometimes I just pick up the transcripts 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: and page through them, reading Kobe's words, trying to put 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: myself there, listening to him speak, imagining what it must 44 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: have been like to know him, that a seventeen or 45 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: eighteen year old kid who knew exactly what he wanted, 46 00:02:53,720 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: and what he wanted was immortality. Here's the sample, chapter four. 47 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: Here's how the chapter would have started out. The build 48 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: up before the draft was a very exciting and scary 49 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: time for me because I really didn't know what was 50 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: going to happen. All I knew is that my dream 51 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: was about to be answered. I just didn't know where 52 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: I was going to live my dream. That was from 53 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: one of the chapters that Jeremy had written from Kobe's perspective. 54 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: There were three or four chapters like that in that 55 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: cardboard box, each of them about ten pages long, preserved 56 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: for a quarter century. I've listened to the tapes sometimes too, 57 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: to get a feel for Kobe, for his voice. It 58 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: was like my own little space of living Kobe history, 59 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: right there in my office. The thing is, Jeremy didn't 60 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: even listen to the tapes before he let me have them. 61 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't until I met him on Long Child in 62 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: August several months later, and I played him a bit 63 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: of them that he heard them for the first time 64 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: in more than twenty years. When was the last time 65 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: you heard any of these? Day Kobe got rid of 66 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: his family today assault ended. Two thousand one was the 67 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: year that Jeremy's relationship with Kobe changed, because Kobe's relationship 68 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: with his family changed. Two thousand one was the year 69 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: that Kobe married his wife, Vanessa, which led to a 70 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: falling out between him and his parents, Joe and Pam. 71 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: There's been a lot of speculation about why the Bryant 72 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: family fractured as it did. From what I gathered and 73 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: talking to people who knew Kobe well back then, the 74 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: problem came down to this. Kobe felt like he was 75 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: ready to move fully into adulthood to get married, and 76 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 1: his parents thought he was too young. That separation marked 77 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: the moment symbolically and practically that Kobe he left much 78 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: of his Lower Marian life behind, not all of it. 79 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: He kept in contact with Greg Downer, and he visit 80 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: his old high school every year or so, but for 81 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: the most part he had become a Laker, fully engaged 82 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: in his NBA career, in his life on the West Coast, 83 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: and in Los Angeles culture, of beautiful weather and famous people. 84 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: He got used to the public adulation, the love from 85 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: the fans. The wonder and naive te you heard in 86 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: that opening clip I played for you at the beginning 87 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: of this episode, slowly disappeared. He got used to getting 88 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: clothes for free, more and more lower Marian and the 89 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: friends he had made there were receding into Kobe's past. 90 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: For example, after he entered the n b A, he 91 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: stayed in touch with his former teammate Guys Stewart for 92 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: a while, but just a while. I think the first 93 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: tour three years, we talked pretty frequent whenever he would 94 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: come to play the Sixers or you know, when the 95 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: season was over, he would be home and we would 96 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: hang out. And then I think, you know, as the 97 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: bigger he got, he worked even harder, if even if 98 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: that was even possible, because he wasn't the type of 99 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: guy that was just going to get to the league 100 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: and be like, all right, I'm in the league, that's 101 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: that's okay. No. He he wanted to get to the league, 102 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: and he wanted to dominate the league, and he wanted 103 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: to be the best ever. Um So he worked like 104 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: it and with your work ethic your schedule becomes crazier, 105 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: and you know, you just naturally drift apart. You know, 106 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: I'm in school, I'm studying, and I'm kind of doing 107 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: my own thing, and he's doing his own thing. But 108 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: it was never any love loss. It was whenever we 109 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: got together or talked on the phone, it was great. 110 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: It was like we never missed a beat. So for 111 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: the first three years we talked pretty pretty frequent, and 112 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: then it kind of doing go down a lot more 113 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: um the years after that, Jeremy's relationship with Kobe evolved, 114 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: if that's the right word for it, in the same way. 115 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: And remember he hadn't been close just to Kobe. He 116 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: had been tight with the entire Bryant clam If there 117 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: wasn't a clean break between him and Kobe. As Kobe 118 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: moved on from Lower Marian and progressed in his pro career, 119 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: there was certainly more distance between them. But during that 120 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: day Jeremy and I spent together on Long Beach Island. 121 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: This year, I could tell that listening to the tapes 122 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: closed some of that distance. For Jeremy. It had been 123 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: nearly thirty years since he met Kobe. It had been 124 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: twenty five years since he was there on the aces 125 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: sideline celebrating a state championship with Kobe. It had been 126 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: twenty years since he heard the tapes, but that special 127 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: period of time was fresh in his memory. Kobe had 128 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: been dead for a year and a half, but he 129 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: was alive in Jeremy's mind and heart. It wasn't about money, 130 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: was about fame. I wanted to be a part of 131 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: Copy's life. I absolutely I love the kid, I love 132 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: the family. I loved him. I'm Mike Sealsky and from 133 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: the Version podcasts, this is I am Kobe the West 134 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: settle to Create Myself, Create Yourself, Stay nice on Create Yourself. 135 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: Got a lot of really great mass, but we gained 136 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: last sets Getting Time Episode nine, The Bond that Broke. 137 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: Before he joined Greg Downer's coaching staff at Lower Merion 138 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: High School in the fall of Jeremy already had gotten 139 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: to know Kobe and the rest of the Bryant's pretty well. 140 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: He and Joe had met when they were both coaching 141 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: at a Keba Hebrew academy, and that connection allowed Jeremy 142 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: to enter Kobe's inner circle. But it wasn't until Lower 143 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: Marian's Christmas time trip to Myrtle Beach for the Beach 144 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: Fall Classic that he and Kobe really bonded. They had 145 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: to bond on that trip. They were roommates for it. 146 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: The team stayed in Myrtle Beach for five nights, and 147 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: the players and coaches had modest accommodations in town at 148 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: the Swamp Fox Motel, not far from the city's convention center, 149 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: where the tournament was being helped. The original plan was 150 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: for Kobe to room with Greg Downer's brother Drew, who 151 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: you'll remember from episode four was one of the team's 152 00:09:55,040 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: assistant coaches, but that plan changed. Here's Jeremy. Kobe did 153 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: not want to room with True Downer. So I guess 154 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 1: Gregg on tent was, I'm gonna have my biggest enforcement 155 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: guy at room with Kobe and make sure he's safe 156 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: and make sure nobody messes with him. And I think 157 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: Kobe said to me, like, you know, I want to 158 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: room with you up there. I'm like, fline with me, 159 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: and then Toby go tell Greg and he did. Why 160 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: do you think he wanted to room with you? I 161 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: think he wanted to room with me because we were close, 162 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: and because it's this one adult on the entire trip. 163 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: That would keep secrets. It would be me. And so 164 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: what if everybody thought he was sleeping but he was 165 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: out being a girl, or if he was out playing 166 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: or Mr Curfew, I wouldn't tell him. I would have 167 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: to say that's true, and I would have to say 168 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: I had zero problem with it. I was flattered and honored, 169 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: you know, to be rooming with him. At this point, 170 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,959 Speaker 1: Jeremy already he had approached Kobe and his parents with 171 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: the idea of writing a book about him. They loved 172 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: the idea and thought he was the perfect person to 173 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: do it. Now he and Kobe would have plenty of 174 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: time together to talk. Their sweet had two bedrooms, a 175 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:16,599 Speaker 1: smaller one in the front and a larger one in 176 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: the back. Jeremy figured that as the coach and as 177 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: the adult, he would take the bigger rooms. Seemed natural, 178 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: So I put my stuff in the back bags put 179 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: back on the first. Bet He says, why don't you 180 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: stay here? And then you know, then you can hang 181 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: out with being come out sometimes and hang out with 182 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: the bean in the back. He said to Bet. He 183 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: never said the bean to me, ever, he was charming me. 184 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,319 Speaker 1: He said, why why you let me stay back here? 185 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: I'll come over here well, and then you can come back. 186 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: Sometimes you can hang out with the bean. We could 187 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,599 Speaker 1: talk about stuff, we could work on the book. The 188 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: setup seemed ideal for Jeremy to get to know the 189 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: best high school player in the country even better than 190 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: he already did. There was just one thing that worried. 191 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,719 Speaker 1: I was only nervous about getting the bathroom wet and 192 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: having him slipped and causing the end of Kobe Bryant's career. 193 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: And that's the neurotically Jewish man in me, because I 194 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: come from a family where my older brother would splash 195 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: the bathup so bad we'd all come in there, go 196 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: fly in. And I was I was honestly nervous about that. 197 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: I was almost afraid to take a shower because I'm 198 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: known to just let the water fly all over the place. 199 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: And I'm like, Nope, my roommate's Kobe Briant. I can't 200 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: do that. Hey, this is Mike Sealsky, host and writer 201 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: of I Am Kobe. This podcast project came out of 202 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: my work on a related book called The Rise Kobe 203 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality. If you want to 204 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: explore other parts of Kobe's story. Check out the Rise. 205 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: It's not just a book version of the podcast. I 206 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: dive deeper into some of the topics covered in the series, 207 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: and even some that we don't cover at all. Kobe's upbringing, 208 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: his family, his identity, his effect on his friends and teammates, 209 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: his journey into the NBA, and his earliest days with 210 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: the Lakers. The Rise Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of 211 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: Immortality is out now. Just head over to the Rise 212 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: of Kobe book dot com and you can buy it 213 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: from any of your favorite retailers. That's The Rise of 214 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: Kobe Book dot com. Thanks. I've spent a lot of 215 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 1: time in this series diving into the crucial moments in 216 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: Kobe's early life. Well, this was a crucial moment for Jeremy. 217 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: He was realizing that he didn't really want to write 218 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: for a newspaper anymore, that he didn't want to be 219 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: on the outside when it came to sports. He didn't 220 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: want to write about the games. He wanted to have 221 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 1: a direct hand in the games. He wanted to coach them, 222 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 1: set up and schedule them, promote them. He wanted to 223 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: be on the inside. And I can understand why when 224 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: he was a kid growing up in Lower Merion Township. 225 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: Just like Kobe, Jeremy had always been on the outside 226 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: of things. His family was one of the first Jewish 227 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: families to move into his neighborhood in the nineteen seventies, 228 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: and he had jumped up a grade in school. So 229 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: even though he was as smart or smarter than all 230 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: the other students in class, he was younger and smaller. 231 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: That's a tough spot for a kid. And Jeremy told 232 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: me that back then he dealt with a lot of bullying, 233 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: a lot of teasing, and a lot of behavior that well, 234 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: let's just say, the kids who weren't Jewish weren't getting 235 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: treated as harshly as he was. But he had been 236 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: accepted by Kobe and the Bryant's. That meant a lot 237 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: to him, and now he had a chance to learn 238 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: as much as he could about Coupe, to get to 239 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: know him on a more personal, intimate level, and to 240 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: help tell his story in their book. He didn't get 241 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: that chance because he was a reporter for a big newspaper. 242 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: He got it because he was part of the Lower 243 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: Marian program and part of Kobe's life was it at 244 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: that point more important to you to be on the 245 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: inside with Kobe than on the outside covering him. Definitely, 246 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: I definitely felt like it was a great opportunity be 247 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: on the inside. I did know that he was going 248 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: to be jumping. I'm I'm almost positive because I do 249 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: remember Joe also called me saying, well, I wanted you 250 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: to be on the staff. And they had both discussed 251 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: with me that it's going to go from high school 252 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: the NBA. And I had this idea my freshman year 253 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: in the NBA by Kobe Bryant with Jeremy Treatment, and 254 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: they both said absolutely, just such a novelty. He was 255 00:15:55,120 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: just such an unbelievable story at the time. There's no arts, 256 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: There's no well educated person who didn't need money jumping 257 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: in the NBA in the history of the NBA. And 258 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: it was a unique story. A kid who didn't grow 259 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: up here, who appealed to everybody. I mean, he was 260 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: just clean cutter, marking kid that you know, every everybody 261 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: was falling in love with. That was one of the 262 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: big reasons that Jeremy thought people would go gaga for 263 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: a book about Kobe. There was just enough of an 264 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: edge to him that he would be intriguing Kobe Bryant 265 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: decided to see my talents to uh No, I have 266 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: decided to skip Collins and my talents in NBA. Thanks 267 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: to the trade that the Lakers made but the Charlotte 268 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: Hornets to get him, he'd be playing for one of 269 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: the NBA's premier franchises, maybe it's most prestigious franchise as 270 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: Magic ever, Consul, do you ever told you anything about 271 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: the game? Um? Not really. We really had really had 272 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: an opportunity and saw so far this season. But I'm 273 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: definitely looking forward to having some conversation with him and 274 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: his background. His upbringing in Italy and in Lower Marian 275 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: His father's playing and coaching careers set him apart from most, 276 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: if not all, of his peers. One time, Jeremy showed 277 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,959 Speaker 1: me a list he had made of all the topics 278 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: he wanted to cover with Kobe in their book. The 279 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: list went on for several pages, because I don't think 280 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 1: it funny something years ago. Yes, smiles on the academic, 281 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: but he wasn't allowed to play basketball unless you's done 282 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: his homework. Kenney. He had toy stories like that, so 283 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: I know I know he got his homework on. I 284 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: know he his work seriously, and I think that. I 285 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: think the background in Italy, where school was important um 286 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: properly really helps in that. Plus, Jeremy had access to 287 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: Kobe and had earned his trust at a pivotal time 288 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: in Kobe's life. Kobe had been well known in the 289 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: Philadelphia area and in basketball circles, but now that he 290 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: was a professional athlete, he was starting to experience a 291 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: different kind of existence. It was one thing to take 292 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: Brandy to the prom a is a pr move, and 293 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: have some of his classmates resent him for it. It 294 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: was another thing to have strangers know you were a 295 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: first round draft pick and a multimillionaire and to have 296 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: them think you owed them something. Here's one example Kobe 297 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: told Jeremy about after the Lakers had traded for him, 298 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: he went to a house party in West Philadelphia. I 299 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: don't believe it is We'll tell you that one time. 300 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: This flash party. You pay to knowledge to get here 301 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: in West Philadelphia. I know, whatever side for a little bit, 302 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: come out, We walk around. This girl comes up, a 303 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: good looking girl, you know what I'm saying. Comes to 304 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: He's like be around, like, yeah, can you near me? 305 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: Ten dollars? I was like uh huh. You're like, I 306 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: don't have any money. I want to I really want 307 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: to get this blast body blocks, but I'm like, you 308 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: got all this money he was to dollars. I'm like, 309 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: if I know, I'm be like, look, this is my 310 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: damn money. And then I'm saying I work for this money. 311 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: I just like, um um, She's like, bro, I'll pay 312 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: you back. I'm melingant down to the Lakers. I'm saying. 313 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, can you believe I'm not believe I'm hearing this. 314 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: I cannot believe it. I was just like I finally 315 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: came up with something. I said, I'm sorry, I only 316 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: have plastic. Like all that money, you can't be carrying 317 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: around in cash. I only have plastic. They take plastic 318 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 1: and then they take visa mask. I'll hook you up. 319 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: They don't. You can't think that for you. It's like, 320 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: you know you got money, you got plastic. You want 321 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: me to do break the plasket? You know what I'm saying, 322 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: So I'll made it's in the Lakers, look right National Bank. 323 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: It was those kinds of funny personal anecdotes that Jeremy 324 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: thought would make the book appealing first to publishers. And 325 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: then to readers, I have to say, my freshman year 326 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: in the n b A isn't a bad title, and 327 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: the idea of an inside look at Kobe's last year 328 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,880 Speaker 1: of high school and first year of pro ball definitely 329 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: had some allure. But the book couldn't be something that 330 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: Jeremy worked on whenever he felt like it or whenever 331 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,360 Speaker 1: he had a free moment. He would have to make 332 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 1: a major commitment of effort and time. So would Kobe, 333 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: and Jeremy wondered how the project might change the nature 334 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: of their relationship. I certainly was curious about it. I 335 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: mean I certainly thought I was, you know, I was 336 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: hoping that I was gonna have a role or hoping 337 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: to be out in Los Angeles because, uh, the dad 338 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: said he wanted me to be around him, you know, 339 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: stay around him, whether it was with the buckle or 340 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: anything else. So you know, I was. I was invited 341 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: there many times. I mean I think I was out 342 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 1: there eight eight times or so the first couple of years, 343 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: and he was getting good stuff. It took some prodding 344 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: and coaxing, but once Kobe started to live in NBA life, 345 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: he gradually got more open with Jeremy more revealing. You 346 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: listen to these tapes and you really do get an 347 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: inside look at what Kobe was thinking when he was 348 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: eighteen nineteen years old. Here he is talking about how 349 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: he approached his entrance to the NBA and the expectations 350 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: that people would have him. I didn't want to come 351 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: in like the shaquillo, like maybe I could press weapon. 352 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: Why has all these expectations? Ryan noys him? And even 353 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: if you're performing great, still not good enough. It's never 354 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: gonna be thesplicating people for kind eat and then sneak 355 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: up more people. Nexting people are saying, oh great, you 356 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 1: know that. That's how I always want to down people, 357 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: more people, kind of like a shark. That's a fascinating 358 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: piece of tape. I had never thought of Kobe as 359 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: sneaking up on anyone when it came to basketball. He 360 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,159 Speaker 1: struck me more as being like Nukeluloche, the hotshot pitching 361 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,119 Speaker 1: prospect played by Tim Robbins in Bull Durham. I always 362 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,400 Speaker 1: felt like Kobe wanted to announce his presence with authority. 363 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: I was a little Mary and I'm a lad No. 364 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: I was kind of surprised and shot at first, but 365 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: you know now, I was just like, Okay, now I 366 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: don't want to win a championship. I'm not stepping in 367 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: there saying okay, I just want to have a next 368 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: movie season. If you get a championship five, if it 369 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 1: wasn't kinda five, not like that. I want to give 370 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: this championship I want to get. And now it's gonna 371 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: be like that every every year. I won't tell me 372 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: ship next year. Next year, I'm coming back and say, look, man, 373 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: I'm wanna get a chimpship. A cam say shot, come on, man, 374 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: let's go. Let's get this. Get another one Michael got 375 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: for Let's get five. Man, come on, let's go. And 376 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: I'm saying, so that's how it's gonna be from this 377 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: point where you can hear how much deeper Kobe's voice 378 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: is here compared to the earlier tapes. He doesn't sound 379 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: like a kid anymore, and no one's treating him like 380 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 1: a kid anymore. Take the first time he met Magic Johnson. 381 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 1: Kobe described the entire encounter to Jeremy. The circumstances were 382 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: exactly what you would have expected. They met in a 383 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: gym and played pick up at first steps jenneral you 384 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: said ratter and he comes and walk through the door. 385 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: I looked back on the steps and I still welcome 386 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: to the man. He comes up to me, have you 387 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 1: left my mom? I'm doing I'm doing good. So out 388 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: of seats on sneakers and temptops. So he's playing. I'm like, alright, cool, 389 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: I can go over against Magic. So the first couple 390 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: totally leaves game. Just pick up games. I first THI 391 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: the games were the same team. Then I have to 392 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: we against each other. That were like three games they like. 393 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: So he comes back like the Newt's day. And when 394 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: it was like three games, you know, he's now whatever. 395 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: We're talking trash each other. Um. Sometimes sometimes sometimes you 396 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: would come out like I can remember one time we 397 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: had to picking a rule and I feel we forced 398 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: him to switch out so I had to win. So 399 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: we got as isolation somebody related with magic. So I'm 400 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,959 Speaker 1: looking right, I'm not really playing that much attention. I'm like, man, 401 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: hold up, I got Maggie baby. You take him to 402 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: the hut. Do you take him to the rule some 403 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: bank or go to the route and I going for 404 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: for laver on one side, so you try to found it. 405 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: Another guy comes up and steps up from the baseline, 406 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: So I hang and I go to the other slide, 407 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: scooped it, laid off the glass and I was like 408 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: yeah and one oh, okay, okay, okay, that's move. That's 409 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: move for me. This was one of the coolest and 410 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: most revealing aspects of listening to Jeremy's KVIE tapes. He 411 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: had captured a moment in time, a fleeting period before 412 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: all the familiar narratives about Kobe had begun to unfurl. 413 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: The triumphs, the feuds, the grudges, the mistakes. Take his 414 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: biggest nemesis with the Lakers, literally and figuratively, Shaquille O'Neil. 415 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: For years, those two superstars battled over who was the 416 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: team's real alpha dog. It was the NBA's answer to 417 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,280 Speaker 1: General Hospital for All My Children, a soap opera that 418 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: went on and on and on. Conversation during the Shack years, 419 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: were you guys friends? But listened to Kobe here talking 420 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: to Jeremy about his early relationship with the big flat 421 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: man that has been my older brother than Big went 422 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: since he got called me in the balls by at 423 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:15,159 Speaker 1: my house and we talked a little bit. He's like, 424 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: d called me up. I'll adopted and you know it 425 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: was rut. But that's got like a older brother. You know, 426 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: they went when you just had the jury. You know, 427 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: I told him if you need to come to the house, 428 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: so he'll get awayful get away from me any day. Uh, 429 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 1: you know all Kavi may or whatever me up. So 430 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: who had they went? Kobe did not say the same 431 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: thing about his first coach with the Lakers, Del Harris. 432 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: Because Kobe spent so many years with Phil Jackson and 433 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: won those five championships with him, people sometimes forget that 434 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: Harris was Kobe's first pro coach. He was a veteran 435 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: of the league, white haired, very personable, and they had 436 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: a backstory together. Amazingly, Harris had coached Kobe's dad, Joe, 437 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: during Joe's only season with the Houston Rockets back in 438 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 1: eighty three. Then Harrison Kobe met during one of Kobe's 439 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: predraft workouts with the Lakers before Jerry West pulled off 440 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: the trade to get it Pray Carson and said, you 441 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 1: know we're gonna make some move gets you And he 442 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: didn't do that, all right, whatever what I'm saying. And 443 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 1: we had closed my father and that's basically good first 444 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 1: and President of eyes. I just laid back sounds anocuus right, 445 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: like hed get along with Harris okay right, Nope. After 446 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: his first season with the Lakers was finished in Kobe 447 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: sat down with Jeremy for another session with the tape 448 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: recorder and he unloaded on his coach, Jenny Keny says 449 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: each other. Then I get him there, I'm playing a game. 450 00:27:57,920 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: I'll make a move, I said. I get to the 451 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 1: room and she was a little pulled up the drop shot. 452 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: I miss it. So I'm going back to the times 453 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: like you can't do these moves in the NBA, he 454 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: went the hostel don't work here. I'm like, ship, it's 455 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: gonna be a lnge season. That's gonna be a long mass. 456 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: I can see you sucking. He's in preseason game, the 457 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: first Pieceason guy, one of them, one of the needs 458 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,120 Speaker 1: here against against the old thing I'm doing, and comes 459 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: to the league in the first place. He's just looking 460 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: at every little thing. Shoot me, don know what I'm saying. 461 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: The holds the old season helping down. It's kind of 462 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: funny because the people, even people don't want to see 463 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 1: what's going on, but they don't know who's going on. 464 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: But I think it's impossible not to see who's going 465 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: on because it's the same gay as I stopped and 466 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 1: like nothings down. I don't play that or what I'm saying, 467 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: So it's it's kind of red. But I've just been like, 468 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: you know, overre, I just if you're playing, I gank 469 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: you went do the things I've been doing. The idea 470 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: that Kobe should haved just his game at all, that 471 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: he should I don't know listen to his coach doesn't 472 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: even enter his mind. I don't know whether to admire 473 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 1: it or shake my head at it. No, I don't 474 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: even care. I don't even think about it. I knew, 475 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: I knew where he was at, I knew when he 476 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: was doing. I've just been like, all right, suck it. 477 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: God didn't play and do my thing. You're gonna pull 478 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: me out and pull me out. Sat it on a 479 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: couple of times. You know, going there and do your thing, 480 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: play your game. If the game come to you, but 481 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: God didn't do your thing. If he pulls out, he 482 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: pulls you out, it you're gonna pull you out anyway. 483 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: I knew it was coming, and I'm saying it's inevitable. 484 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: He's always always looking for for the time to sit 485 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: me down inside, try to get me frustraed off because 486 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: he came out of pro problem. I think it's maybe, man, 487 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: I don't even care. Jeremy was feeling pretty good about 488 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: how his book project with Kobe was shaping up, and 489 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: I don't blame him. I know I would have felt 490 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: good if I had heard Kobe rip his coach on 491 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: the record like you just heard. That's a natural feeling 492 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: for any author. During the research portion of writing a book, 493 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: you realize you're getting good stuff, stuff no one has 494 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: heard or read before, and all you can see in 495 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: your head is people paging through the book saying to 496 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: their friends or the people next to them, can you 497 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: believe what Kobe says about Del Harris? You see everyone 498 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: reacting to the book exactly like you want them to, 499 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: and you see yourself selling a million copies. But Jeremy 500 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: had a few factors working against him. For instance, we 501 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: might forget that although Kobe was well known around the 502 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: country at that point, it was only because he was 503 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: such a young player and had skipped college and went 504 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: straight to the n b A. He wasn't a superstar yet, 505 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: he wasn't at the level of Michael Jordan's or Chemola 506 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: Juan or Patrick Ewing. So how many people would really 507 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: buy the book? Not very many. Apparently Jeremy was working 508 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: with rn Telling, Kobe's basketball agent, and Kobe's talent reps 509 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: at the William Morris Agency to try to drum up 510 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: interest from publishers. Nothing seemed to be happening, and no 511 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: one seemed to want to publish it. And all the 512 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: while you're trying to find the publisher for the book. 513 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: How was that going? Um? Well, I left out in 514 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 1: the hands of arn Tellent and the william Rs agent, say, 515 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: and they had a manuscript of mind, and I think 516 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: I gave me example chapters or something. Uh. They told 517 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: me if I couldn't get an offer or a good 518 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: enough offer, I'm not sure which, So it was just 519 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: put It was just put on hold so that you know, 520 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: and Josa, don't worry, we'll do it. We'll do it 521 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: at another time. What were your expectations made? No, I 522 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: never did anything like that before. I thought I was 523 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: gonna be good. I mean I thought it was. I 524 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: certainly was surprised. I thought, well, maybe maybe it was me, 525 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: Maybe my writing wasn't good. Or maybe I didn't have 526 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: a name, or maybe you know, maybe they wanted, uh 527 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: a bigger name. I was just happy that at the 528 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: time Kobe said, no, nobody else hasn't in this but you. 529 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: So that was nice to hear. I'll never forget, you know, 530 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: he said that. He said that more than one occasion. 531 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,719 Speaker 1: Jeremy had to love that. It had to fill him 532 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: with confidence and optimism that the two of them would 533 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: finish the book and it would be great. But Jeremy's 534 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: admiration and affection for Kobe were the source of his 535 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: other problem. What was the nature of their relationship? Now? 536 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: They weren't roommates anymore. They weren't coaching player or pr 537 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,520 Speaker 1: reppin player. They were writer and subject with the requisite 538 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: distance between those roles. Were were they when Jeremy and 539 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: Greg Downer came out to l A and hung out 540 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: with Kobe and the Bryant family in Kobe's whirlpool? Were 541 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: they writer and subject? Then? Sometimes? I mean, you're right, 542 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: it was sub times I was like, Okay, you might 543 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,719 Speaker 1: here's his friend and if hears a lower marine guy, 544 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: you might where am I here as somebody doing a book. 545 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: I was sort of all great, and it was definitely, uh, 546 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: a gray area. Did you get any sense that he 547 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: was pulling away from Laura Marian from you, from that 548 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: stage of his life and moving on to whatever Los 549 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: Angeles and the NBA who's gonna have in store for him? 550 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: Not in an unnatural way. I'm just in a progressive 551 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: life way, I think. Yeah, yeah, I think this focus 552 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: was on Lakers for sure. I didn't. I didn't feel 553 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: he was leaving anything behind though. You know, it was 554 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: a living with his parents, living with this one sister. 555 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: We had a lot of his friends from Winwood came 556 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: out to l A the first couple of years. I 557 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: thought he had an agenda, and I thought he was 558 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: private about it. I I noticed the privateness about him. 559 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: He just there's a workout in Maniac would tell me 560 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,719 Speaker 1: the schedule, you know, the words. Kobe was growing up, 561 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: he was living in the tunnel that was his pro 562 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: basketball career. He had less time to devote to sitting 563 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: down with Jeremy for the book, and as his game 564 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: improved and his celebrity grew, it was natural for him 565 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,360 Speaker 1: to be less inclined to make time. Jeremy had written 566 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: those few chapters, but he didn't have enough material from 567 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,800 Speaker 1: Kobe for a full manuscript, and in time he realized 568 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: he wasn't going to get enough. If a publisher had 569 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 1: given him and Kobe a half million dollar advanced for 570 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: the book, it's probably a safe bet Kobe would have 571 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 1: made time for it, but no one did so it 572 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,320 Speaker 1: would have been understandable with Kobe drifted away or lost interest. 573 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: How big a disappointment was it that the book set 574 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,759 Speaker 1: my disappointment? I mean, I was disappointed that it never 575 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,240 Speaker 1: never got it to the shelves. But I never felt 576 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: any wrongdoing by the Bryant's. They were very good to me. 577 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: Um Kobe and Joe sponsored my company the first three 578 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: years in the league. They're very gracious hosting me. I 579 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: never thought it was that at any there was. I 580 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: trusted Arn't Tell and told me it just didn't sell 581 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: what and then things changed with the family dynamic and 582 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: Arn't Town wasn't staging anymore and just kind of fell apart. 583 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: Kobe and Tell them ended their professional relationship during the 584 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: two thousand, two thousand one season. Was there ever a 585 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: falling out, a distancing between you and Kobe at any point? No, nothing, No, 586 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: Jeremy remained loyal to Kobe publicly and privately throughout Kobe's 587 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: entire twenty year tenure in the NBA. If they had 588 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: a falling out, you never knew it from talking to Jeremy. 589 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:23,359 Speaker 1: Even during the darkest times of Kobe's life, even when 590 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: Kobe put his very freedom at risk and in the 591 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 1: eyes of many people, became a villain forever, even when 592 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: he was charged with sexual assault in two thousand three 593 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: and two thousand four, Jeremy supported him. In fact, Jeremy 594 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: went on national television frequently to defend it. Wait a 595 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: pushy o our sense of entire ever just never just 596 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: the opposite. In fact, you know, the first two or 597 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: three years, even when it was in Los Angeles, I 598 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: was still remember the press then had press passes, been 599 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: in the locker room, and I saw I saw girls 600 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: of women try to get to him, and he wouldn't 601 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 1: have anything to do with it. It wouldn't have anything 602 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,359 Speaker 1: to do with it. Was always very polite, just kept 603 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: walking by, gave a smile. I mean, he didn't fall 604 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: for any of that at all. All right, Jeremy, thank 605 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:10,239 Speaker 1: you very much. I was very upset that people who 606 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,839 Speaker 1: didn't know Kobe were being interviewed every night, and Kobe 607 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: Bryant was this pride that was being talked about every 608 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,439 Speaker 1: single night. I have no idea what happened. I never 609 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: discussed it with anybody. I don't know, but all I 610 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: know is I wanted to get let anybody. I mean, 611 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: I got millions of calls to come on, as did Greg, 612 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: as did Lakers, as the tons of people and and 613 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: and people didn't do those interviews. So who ends up 614 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: being on the CNN S and Box and MSNBC s 615 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: and CBS is every night professor from so and so, uh, 616 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: woman from sexual assault thing over here, and and and 617 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,879 Speaker 1: just listen to these talking heads, just talk talk, talk talk, 618 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: And do do you know Kobe Bryant? Have you ever 619 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 1: met him? Do you know? I mean that you know? 620 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: And I saw him getting dissed every night for hours 621 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 1: and hour was an hour. So whenever a network reached 622 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 1: out to him for an interview, Jeremy had three conditions 623 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: before he would agree to appear. One, the host wasn't 624 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: allowed to call him coach. Two, the host could not 625 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: bring up whatever happened in Colorado. Jeremy didn't know what 626 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:23,319 Speaker 1: happened in Colorado, And he wouldn't comment on it. And three, 627 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,879 Speaker 1: the host couldn't ask Jeremy about anything Kobe had done 628 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:32,560 Speaker 1: or said since two thousand one because Jeremy hadn't had 629 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:37,279 Speaker 1: a relationship with him since two thousand one. Kobe never 630 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 1: cut him off formally or officially. There had been no 631 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:44,240 Speaker 1: cold and abrupt halt in their relationship, just a gradual 632 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:48,360 Speaker 1: distancing as Kobe progressed with his life and Jeremy progressed 633 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:52,279 Speaker 1: with his. It was similar to what happened with Jeremy's book. 634 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:57,839 Speaker 1: It just kind of went away. Jeremy missed Kobe, of course, 635 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:00,279 Speaker 1: but he didn't blame him. He just it what he 636 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 1: had always done. He stood by it in public, in private, 637 00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: and on and TV. One thing I can't do is 638 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 1: I can tell the truth about how great I think 639 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: this guy is and how great a person he was 640 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 1: and a student and respectful person he was. And I mean, 641 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: I can talk about what I know, and I have 642 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,479 Speaker 1: only nice things to say, and I'm tired of singing 643 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,360 Speaker 1: people trash him all other place. So that's why I 644 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:29,800 Speaker 1: did it. Look, let's be real here. Superstar athletes have 645 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,479 Speaker 1: hangers on. They have people who follow them around ready 646 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,920 Speaker 1: to satisfy their every win. Kobe had people like that 647 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: around him too, but Jeremy wasn't that. He wasn't one 648 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: of those people. This devotion to Kobe wasn't conditional if 649 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,680 Speaker 1: teammates or coaches or media members were criticizing Kobe. The 650 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,399 Speaker 1: essence of what I said has covered in the book 651 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: and was basically that I don't think I can coach 652 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 1: Kobe anymore. I can't reach him. And if you want 653 00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 1: me to continue on with this ball club, then the 654 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 1: change has to be made. And if you want Kobe 655 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: on this ball club, then I have to go. Even 656 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: if Kobe was deserving of that criticism, check it. You 657 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,279 Speaker 1: know how I blas me. Kobe couldn't do without me. 658 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 1: You know how lasswe Kobe could do without me. Jeremy 659 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 1: was going to stand up for him no matter what. 660 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 1: And I think it's noteworthy that Jeremy doesn't just defend 661 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,320 Speaker 1: Kobe as this superstar player, he defends him as a 662 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:36,320 Speaker 1: great person. Yes, Kobe was a rare and exceptional athlete, 663 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:40,239 Speaker 1: but Jeremy always talked about how polite and smart he was, 664 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 1: what a good teammate he was, how much he enjoyed 665 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 1: the time they spent together. Jeremy really thought highly of 666 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: Kobe as a young man. What you do for a friend. 667 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:56,840 Speaker 1: Other people are sick up when people didn't stick up 668 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: for him for making his decision to go to the draft. 669 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: From people who stick up for him, how good he was. 670 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: And I think I told you this before. One of 671 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 1: my friends wanted to go fist to fist when we 672 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:08,799 Speaker 1: got in a fight whether he was better than Curry 673 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: Kettles as a high school player, and I said he's 674 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: better than Curry girls right now, and they were That 675 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 1: got pretty heated. I'm like, you'll say, you'll see said 676 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 1: because I believe him, Kobe. I believe him as as 677 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:42,040 Speaker 1: a person. He's a good many. But I have to 678 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: just stop here and ask an important question, was he 679 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:50,800 Speaker 1: was Kobe Bryant a good man? And what does that 680 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,920 Speaker 1: really mean? I've spent more than a year and a 681 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 1: half digging into the first half of Kobe Bryant's life, 682 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 1: reading everything I could about it, listening to people tell 683 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: stories about him, pouring over these tapes for hours. There 684 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:06,759 Speaker 1: are a few people I know well enough to say 685 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:10,600 Speaker 1: for certain, yes, he is a good man. When it 686 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,640 Speaker 1: comes to Kobe, I know this. I know that he 687 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: was a complex man. I know that he was a 688 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: driven man with a passion and determination that are extremely rare, 689 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:24,720 Speaker 1: and that he was willing to live with the consequences 690 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 1: and costs of that drive, the consequences of a deep 691 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 1: thirst for excellence. In our next episode of this series, 692 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:38,760 Speaker 1: I'll do my best to take a measure of his legacy, 693 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 1: especially in the wake of his untimely death. He knew 694 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:46,080 Speaker 1: that eventually I would become a great He knows that 695 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:52,000 Speaker 1: I would not have anything. But right now I haven't 696 00:42:52,040 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 1: grown upon my hand, and you don't produce. Things been happening, 697 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:02,239 Speaker 1: and maybe I'll loose it. I'm really don't care about that. 698 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:14,759 Speaker 1: That's next week on I Am Kobe. I Am Kobe 699 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:17,840 Speaker 1: is a production of the Version podcasts in association with 700 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:21,279 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. This season is written and hosted by 701 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:25,600 Speaker 1: me Mike Sealsky. It's produced by Jacob Bronstein and directed 702 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 1: by Mark Francis. Story editing by Jacob Bronstein, with editorial 703 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:34,040 Speaker 1: direction from Scott Waxman, Editing, mixing and sound design by 704 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:38,480 Speaker 1: Mark Francis. Stephen Tompkins is our production assistant. Our theme 705 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:42,880 Speaker 1: music is Create Yourself by Grover Brown. Featuring Justin Starling 706 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 1: find Create Yourself wherever you stream music. Music supervisor is 707 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:53,640 Speaker 1: Scott Velasquez for Fressan Sinc. Executive producers are Mark Francis 708 00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:57,840 Speaker 1: and Scott Waxman. Join the conversation about I Am Kobe 709 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:01,279 Speaker 1: on social media on Twitter and the Gram. It's at 710 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:05,920 Speaker 1: the Version pots thanks to Rain Rosenbaum, Susan Canavan and 711 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:10,360 Speaker 1: Jeremy Treatment. I Love I rise before the sun. They 712 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:12,799 Speaker 1: don't understand when I said the grind is fun. Never 713 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,040 Speaker 1: clock you out even when my work is done. If 714 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: they're trying to block me, I might hurt someone through 715 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:20,360 Speaker 1: the blood sweat and says, we perseverit, stay killing in, 716 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:22,359 Speaker 1: let it, keep the horses. And then if they don't 717 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:25,439 Speaker 1: believe in themselves, gave revert to fit, not the Tampa's head. 718 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,399 Speaker 1: So I'm telling them, ask my am, this the reason 719 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 1: why my work so damn different to the negatives. I 720 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 1: can't listen see me at the time. You can't listen 721 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:38,680 Speaker 1: where I'm a vote to play like cash is see 722 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:41,839 Speaker 1: I pay my dudes because taxes gotta work. I thinking 723 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: briand ahead of his time. Someone saying that they made you, 724 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 1: don't tell them you create yourself the best Finn watch us, 725 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: but that time you gotta stay clock then break clock 726 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:59,560 Speaker 1: break we create ourselves, watch me, question, watch Steve create 727 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: my hell exact signs up, create yourself? Say nice, ain't 728 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,080 Speaker 1: so hard to create yourself. You gotta learn from the 729 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,440 Speaker 1: great minds. No, we ain't lying. To tell them next 730 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 1: any time. This time wasn't giving it was made the future. 731 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 1: Any time I could change better. Tell them that I've 732 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,200 Speaker 1: made it back home. As I walked through the hearts 733 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,560 Speaker 1: of the fame, I came from the valley of the shadow, 734 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:28,319 Speaker 1: with death waiting for us. Some spoons don't hold your breath, 735 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 1: sat Town, sat Train. But I did it with less. 736 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 1: I know them that to be so there's nothing to guess. Yeah, 737 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,160 Speaker 1: there's nothing to guess. It's our times. Tell them we 738 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 1: up next. We don't got any regrets. I did it 739 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,440 Speaker 1: with my soon hands, and we never forgets my a. 740 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:45,600 Speaker 1: This the reason why my im working so damn different 741 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:49,000 Speaker 1: to the negatives. I can't listen see me at the time. 742 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:54,440 Speaker 1: You can't listen for where rebuild, reach shape, give me 743 00:45:54,520 --> 00:45:57,200 Speaker 1: your eye. You got to risk take do it now. 744 00:45:57,280 --> 00:45:59,360 Speaker 1: When I'm saying why Braves, I was saying that they 745 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: mayn't get. Tell them you create yourself around the best 746 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:07,560 Speaker 1: you finnel watch us by. It's by that time. You've 747 00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:10,840 Speaker 1: gotta snake clack, then break black break we create yourself, 748 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: watch me Qua, watch leave, create myself, exac Clie black Clie, 749 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:22,839 Speaker 1: signs up and create yourself. Tell you say nice, ain't 750 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: go on? Create yourself. Gotta line from the great minds, 751 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: so we ain't lyne Tell them next anytime. Diversion Podcasts