1 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Diversion podcasts were welcome to the Quest of Palestrium. When 2 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 1: we first walked into the gym, we saw them people 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: outside waiting for takes, and I got I got chills 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: because it's starting to know that you came such a 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: long way and people are all here to watch you 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: play and watch you show your skills. And they gave 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: a lot of jilling and but I got I couldn't 8 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: really think about it. I just had to calm myself 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: down because if I came out with too much energy, job, 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: you're messing up. And turned the ball to narrable and 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: and then like that. At the intersection of thirty third 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: and South Streets in West Philadelphia, on the campus of 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: the University of Pennsylvania, stands a rectangular brick building that 14 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: is one of the most famous and revered sports arenas 15 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: in the world. It's the build in that Kobe Bryant 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: was talking about in that tape you just heard. The 17 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: building is called the Plestra. It was named appropriately by 18 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: a professor who taught Greek. It opened ninety four years ago, 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: and depending on what religious terminology you prefer, it is 20 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: usually referred to as the cathedral or the temple or 21 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: the mecca of college basketball and especially of Philadelphia a 22 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: basketball actually, by the standards of modern sports arenas, the 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: Polester is pretty tiny. It holds fewer than ten thousand 24 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: spectators eight thousand, seven dred and twenty two to be exact. 25 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: That's regarded as a magical and unforgettable number in Philly hoops. 26 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: Because the Polester is so small, Because everyone's on top 27 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: of each other, the building can get humid and it 28 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: can get loud. It's an electric place to see a game. 29 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: It's the home of the Penn Quakers. It's the home 30 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: of Philadelphia. Is Big five, all of them Division One 31 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: basketball teams in or around the city with storied local rivalries, Penn, Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph's, 32 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: and LaSalle. This tape from a seven matchup between Temple 33 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: and Saint Joe's paints a vivid image of the heat 34 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: and energized crowd at the Polestra could generate again. You're 35 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: looking live but the Plestra, a freezing rain has been 36 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: falling all day outside of Philadelphia. But they may not 37 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: need any money for great magnus. There may be enough 38 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: peat generated right there in the Plestra day to melt 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: all the ice and Philadelphia please devolved, whether they're ready 40 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: to get after one another again? Temple coming again, five 41 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: minity of an ay ten Saint jos to the four 42 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: and one who up the battle for the spot in 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 1: the leg race at the Rage the midway one of 44 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: the season, they are jammed in there. That remodels the 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: Palestra this year that now see that, I don't think 46 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: there's an MP seat end the place. The Polestra became 47 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: a very special place for Kobe, and we'll get into 48 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: why it was so special to whom in later episodes. 49 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: But the Briant family's connection to the Polestra actually started 50 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: a generation before Kobe. It started with Kobe's dad Joe, 51 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: I'm might seal see and from diversion podcasts, this is 52 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: I am Kobe. I write Wright State, create myself up, 53 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: Create yourself, say nice on, create yourself. You gotta learn 54 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: from the great minds. No, we ain't tell them that's 55 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: getting time. Episode two. The Bryant Family Legacy. If you 56 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: want to get to the heart of the Kobe Bryant story, 57 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: you have to start with the Joe Brian story, and 58 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: that means you have to start in the city where 59 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: Joe grew up, Piladelphia. One of the pieces of Kobe 60 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: story that tends to get glossed over is that his 61 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: dad also played in the NBA. It's treated as trivia. 62 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: It's true Joe Bryant spent eight years in the league, 63 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: but throwing out that fact and then moving on doesn't 64 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: capture the full picture of Joe's career because long before 65 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: Kobe Bryant was a high school legend around Philadelphia, Joe 66 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: Bryant was a high school legend in Philadelphia, and his 67 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: legend was every bit as grand as his sons. We 68 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: always thought that Joe was um. He was a one off, right. 69 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: He was a six nine guy who could dribble and 70 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: shoot it and pass. That's Mo Howard. He and Joe 71 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: have been friends for years. They've known each other since 72 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: high school when they were maybe the two best teenage 73 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: basketball players in Philadelphia. Mo on to play college ball 74 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: at Maryland and have a brief career in the NBA. 75 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: We always thought like, as we got older, we would 76 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: compare j b to sort of like Magic Johnson, right, 77 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: because at that time, big guys played near the basket. 78 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: But Joe had a very unique skill set because again 79 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: he was six and nine does a very very proficient 80 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: dribbler and passer, and he could shoot the ball, so 81 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: he was he was extraordinary as a high school player 82 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: because there were not many six nine guys like him. 83 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: To learn the full story of Kobe Bryant's father, you 84 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: can't just pop the name Joe Bryant into Google and 85 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: then wait half a second for the Internet to spit 86 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: some links and post set. You have to do what 87 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: I did one day during the summer. You have to 88 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 1: go to the library at Temple University in North Philadelphia 89 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: and its urban Archives. The library has hundreds of articles 90 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: from the Philadelphia Bulletin, which back in the nineteen sixties 91 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: and seventies had the largest circulation of any afternoon daily 92 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: newspaper in the country. The library had these newspaper clippings 93 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: and tiny Manila envelopes, and they were yellowed and fading 94 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: in brittle. I had to handle them gently because I 95 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: was afraid they would fall apart in my hands. But 96 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 1: in those clippings were details that showed just how much 97 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: Joe and Kobe had in common. There were some foreshadowing, there, 98 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: some connections and similarities. If you were willing to look 99 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: hard enough. I thought Kobe was a little more hard 100 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: and Joe, Joe were more of the smiling of canna 101 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: basketball player. This is Julius Thompson. He writes amazing novels 102 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: about basketball and basketball players now, but he started out 103 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: as a sportswriter. He spent ten years covering high school 104 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: sports at the Philadelphia Bolton in the nineteen seventies and eighties, 105 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: which means he covered Joe Bryant's entire career at Bartram 106 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: High School in southwest Philadelphia. I can see the one thing, 107 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: the agility and the quickness and the size. Now I 108 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: only the call I tell Kobe Joe Joe's sixtent. I 109 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: know that he was he plut six tent. Kobe made 110 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: a little smaller. But you can see the same talent. 111 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: You can see the same we'll want to be excellent. 112 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: You can see the same quickness, and you can see 113 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: the same move So so sometimes I watched Kobe, I 114 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: could almost see Joe, a little shorter virgin of Joe 115 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: on the on the on the court. Um shoot if 116 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: you can't wait to shoot the shoot, can shoot it 117 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: from going to the basket, hard, play strong. When he 118 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: had to and one thing I should people realized determination. 119 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: That's the thing I think, and that that will is 120 00:07:54,760 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: to be the best. And I saw that in the vote. 121 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: Philadelphia has had a share of young groups phenots. Of course, 122 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: before he scored a hundred points in one NBA game, 123 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: Wilt Chamberlain scored ninety in a game for Overbrooke High. 124 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: Tom Gola was the king of the city at Lassal 125 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: High School and at Las South College, where he won 126 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: a national championship. Into Golda still holds the n c 127 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: A record for most rebounds in a career. Earl top 128 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: of the gig road, right, what hey, what a player. 129 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: And then there's the legendary Hall of Famer Earl Monroe, 130 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: who proceeded Joe Bryant and far from high he could 131 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: have handled the ball like it was on a string. 132 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: Monroe became one of the most skilled guards the NBA 133 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: has ever seen. That clip of the pearl on MSG 134 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: net was just one of many highlights he would have 135 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: on a nightly basis. He was part of a generation 136 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: of players who brought the flare of street basketball to 137 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: the pros who made it mainstream. He also had maybe 138 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: the two coolest nicknames in basketball History, Black Jesus and 139 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: the poem. Here's Mo Howard. Back at that time, the 140 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: men who played on the seventies sixers and the pros 141 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: from Philadelphia played in the Baker League, and uh, prior 142 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: to any of the Baker League games, we had sunny 143 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: year games and were very approachable, right, I mean at 144 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: everybody in Philadelphia wanted to be any played basketball anyway, 145 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: wanted to have at least Earl spin move, right, you know. 146 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: I mean those guys influenced all of us, not just 147 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: in the basketball part, but you know as being part 148 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: of our community as well. You know, these guys, as 149 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: I said, with very approachable. They were very visible and 150 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: present in our community. So there were a few guys 151 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: that you know, we sort of kind of looked up to. 152 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: But I would have to say from my era it 153 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: was Earle Pearl Monroe and Joe Bryant grew up in 154 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: the same neighborhood and it was a pretty rough neighborhood. 155 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: There was crime, there were gangs. Joe once got stabbed 156 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: in the leg with a knife during a fight. But 157 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: his father, Joe Sr. Was tough and protective, and Joe 158 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: found solace in sports, football, track, and especially basketball. If 159 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: you could play on the playground courts of Philadelphia, you 160 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: could play just about anywhere. It was a lesson Joe's 161 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: son would learn too, because at that time he had 162 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: to understand there was gangs and there was a lot 163 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: of negative things going on in the community, and so 164 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,319 Speaker 1: this was a way for kids to express themselves. And 165 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, when I first started covering high 166 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: school sports in Philadelphia, there were no night games allowed 167 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: in the public League. Everything had to be on Tuesday 168 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:10,439 Speaker 1: afternoon and on Thursday afternoon, and you had to have security. 169 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: Fans were not allowed. They gradually they brought the fans 170 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: come to the game, but it was kind of difficult era. 171 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: But then when the athletics started really exploding and people 172 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: started to get interest, there was a lot more people 173 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: going to the games, and the Polester with just the 174 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: ultimately you played the Polester. That was an incredible, incredible experience. 175 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: When Joe Bryant was a kid, Earl the Pearl was 176 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: his hero, his biggest basketball influence, which made Joe different 177 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: from just about every Philly high school star who had 178 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: come before. And see the Pearl was six ft three. 179 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: Joe wanted to play just like it. And he could, 180 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: and he did. Joe put the ball behind his back. 181 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: He worked on his spin moves. He aspired to be 182 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: as creative and flashy as the pearl. There was one 183 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: big difference though Joe wasn't six ft three, he was 184 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: six ft nine, and six ft nine players didn't do 185 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: the kinds of things that Joe could do. I'd like 186 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: to do stories and do picture stories, and so I 187 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: went and brought them, uh and I and I saw 188 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: him playing. I was just amazed at the agility and 189 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: did quickness, and the size and talent and multiple of 190 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: the personality, the great personality. He could just charm anybody 191 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: with the smile. As a senior in nineteen seventy two, 192 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: Joe average more than twenty seven points at seventeen rebounds 193 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: a game. He scored fifty seven points in one game 194 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: and had forty points and twenty one rebounds in another. 195 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: The newspapers in Philly, The Daily News, The Inquirer, the 196 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: Bulletin covered him like he played in the NBA already. 197 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: When Joe was in high school, they played a team 198 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: called Germantown High School with Mike Sojoona. Germantown was the 199 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: biggest team i've ever seen the high school basketball we 200 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: called the Johnny Green Giants. The shortest guy was six ft, 201 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: the only six points six five six seven six nine 202 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 1: seven seven one their only botch of had Joe and 203 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: another kid to call Maddy dog a rebound. Joe want 204 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: to term to win the game, and people said, they bought, 205 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: you can't win botcham can't do they botch of just 206 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: two Freeland. It was that's old McDonald's hall pat house. 207 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: Joe scored over forty points, took over the game, took 208 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,199 Speaker 1: over the game. And that's that same determination to steely 209 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: when he had to be and I see that moreent. 210 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: Kobe Thompson is getting at something really important here, the 211 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: difference between Joe and b b between father and son. 212 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: Joe ratcheted up his competitiveness, his will to win only 213 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: sometimes when he absolutely had to. But of course this 214 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: is the quality that Kobe is probably most well known for. 215 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: He was at that peak level all the time, so 216 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: that steely kind of attitude, I'm gonna be the best. 217 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: Joe didn't have that all the time, but when he 218 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: did get it, like a net game. That's why he's 219 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: publicly champion. Because she said this is mine. I'm gonna 220 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna win this, and he's stunned the Philadelphia basketball 221 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: I'm he absolutely stunned it. That's how fame worked back then. 222 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: There was no sports center, no Twitter, no social media 223 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: scuttle butt. There was just one newspaper headline after another 224 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: proclaiming that Joe Bryant was the next great Philly player. 225 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: The guys on the playgrounds gave him the nickname based 226 00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: in an old Big band lyric, must bid love Ja, 227 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: That's who Joe was now jelly Beans. He even brad 228 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: to a reporter that he ate four pounds of jelly 229 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: beans a day. Was it true, didn't matter, It just 230 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: added to the legend I knew of Joe. Brody was 231 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: the same high school classes of me. And the only 232 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: game I really saw as the City championship came that 233 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: year and I went down to the Fluster to see it. 234 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: It was just it was just so exciting. It was 235 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: a packhouse. That's aren't tell Him, a native of West 236 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: Philadelphia and one of the most powerful sports agents of 237 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: the last half century. NBA stars Tracy McGrady, Anthony Davis, Russell, Westbrook, 238 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: Derek Rose, tell him represented all of them during his career. 239 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: He was also Kobe Bryant's first age tell Him and 240 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: Joe Bryant grew up not far from each other. Tell 241 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: Him had read about Joe in the local papers, had 242 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: heard about this kid who could play anywhere on the floor, 243 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: and he just had to see him for himself. When 244 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: Bartram met St. Thomas Moore in ninety two for Philly 245 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: High School Hoops Supremacy, tell him and moved out of 246 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: the city by then to Lower Merion Township, but he 247 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: made sure he was at the Palestra that day for 248 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: that game. And even though Joe and Bartram lost, tell 249 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: Him was fascinated by him. I just remember watching Joe. 250 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: The thing that struck me about Joe was that he 251 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: was a player that with his size, that could play 252 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: from any team, and I've never really seen that before. 253 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: Usually the the tallest guy on the team are one 254 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: of the biggest guy team was not bringing the ball 255 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: off the part. And what struck me about Joe orgists 256 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: as unbelieable skill level as a player from guy that size. 257 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: He know, he was a guy that was actually playing 258 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: point guard, you know, for his team. Joe was such 259 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: a brilliant high school player that he was selected to 260 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: play in the Dapper Dan round Ball Classic, an all 261 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: star game in Pittsburgh that pitted the best prospects from 262 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: Pencil Vania against high school standouts from the rest of 263 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: the country. It was the McDonald's All American Game before 264 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: the McDonald's All American Game, and it was founded and 265 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: organized by a former school teacher from Western Pennsylvania who 266 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: had turned himself into a basketball recruiter and promoter, Sonny Vacaro. 267 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: We'll hear more about Sonny later in Kobe's Story. Hey, 268 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: this is Mike Selsky, host and writer of I Am Kobe. 269 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: This podcast project came out of my work on a 270 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: related book called The Rise Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit 271 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: of Immortality. If you want to explore other parts of 272 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: Kobe's story, check out The Rise. It's not just a 273 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: book version of the podcast. I dive deeper into some 274 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: of the topics covered in this series, and even some 275 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: that we don't cover at all. Kobe's upbringing, his family, 276 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: his identity, his effect on his friends and teammates, his 277 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: journey into the n b A, and his earliest days 278 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,959 Speaker 1: with the Lakers. The Rise Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit 279 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: of Immortality is out now. Just head over to the 280 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: Rise of Kobe book dot Com and you can buy 281 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: it from any of your favorite retailers. That's the rise 282 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: of Kobe book dot Com. Thanks. Nowadays, high school superstars 283 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: leave their hometowns for big national college programs all the 284 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: time Duke Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky. That didn't happen as 285 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: much in the seventies. A great player was more likely 286 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,080 Speaker 1: to stay local, which is exactly what Joe wanted to 287 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: do and exactly what he did do. He decided to 288 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: go to Lasau College. It would be comfortable, his family 289 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: would be able to see him play all his home games, 290 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: and the Lossale Explorers coach Paul west Head had his 291 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: team play a wide open style that suited Joe's game. 292 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't quite as open as Barge from his running 293 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: gun style, but it was close. Here's west Head well, 294 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: Joe Briant was a multifaceted basketball party. He was, you know, 295 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: in modern terms, he was the six ten point guard 296 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: Jose Slemma was. When you were six ten back in 297 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: the seventies, no one saw you as a point guard. 298 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: But but Joe could handle the ball. Joe was a 299 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: great pass or a great shooter. He had vision for 300 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,959 Speaker 1: the game. So his biggest asset was just give him 301 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: the ball and leave him alone and he will create 302 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: for you. He fought his whole career. I think you 303 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: not so much with me, but his whole career. People 304 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: didn't want to give him the ball. They wanted them 305 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: the position up either in the posts or down on 306 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: the baseline and then hopefully score for you. But he 307 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: wanted to be a handler. He was. He was a 308 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: player way ahead of his times. What were some of 309 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: the negatives, drawbacks, shortcomings he might have had as a player. Yeah, 310 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: he need to have a lot of shortcomings. I mean, 311 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: when when you can score it well, when you can 312 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: drive and jump over top of people, when you can 313 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 1: hit the outside shot, I mean he had some drawbacks. 314 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: I mean the years Ico show, the sal they banned 315 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: dunking because they were ruining brims that stopping games. So 316 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 1: the s C Double as a note, said no dunkings. Well, 317 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: Joe had a propensity to dunk the basketball. So his 318 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: shortcoming was he just couldn't resist a good dunk once 319 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: in a while. And and uh, but you can't call 320 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: them for that. Who was personality like Joe was about 321 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: as outgoing and as gregarious as you could finding a 322 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: basketball player. He was friendly, courteous, engaging. He easily put 323 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: his arm around team Mason. Hey, don't worry about that, Chad. 324 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: You okay, Maybe next time get me the ball and 325 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: I'll make the shot for a game. So so, Joe 326 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: always had a smile on his face. I don't ever 327 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: remember seeing Joe uh in an unhappy or unpleasant mode. 328 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: Joe didn't qualify academically to play as a freshman, so 329 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: he sat out a year to pull his grades up. 330 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: In his first college game in the fall of three, 331 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: he established himself immediately as the team's best player. His 332 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: debut was incredible. He had nineteen points and fifteen rebounds 333 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: and made three behind the back passes. He did a 334 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: little bit of everything, and LaSalle won by fifty. But 335 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,880 Speaker 1: that game, the first of a double header at the Palestra, 336 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: was significant to Joe for another more lasting reason. Villanova 337 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: was playing in the doubleheader's nightcap and had a freshman 338 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: guard named John Cox who had grown up near Joe's neighborhood. 339 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: And John Cox had a sister, Pam Joe had had 340 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: a crush on Pam when they were younger, and when 341 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: they said hello to each other again in the palestra 342 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: that night, that was that they got married the following summer, 343 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: as they were entering their junior years of college. Their 344 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: personalities complimented each other. Joe was fun, loving and carefree. 345 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: Pam was strong will protective of Joe and her family. 346 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: She had been raised a devout Catholic. Those polarities would 347 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: to a great degree, come to define their son's life. 348 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: Joe and Pam's plan was to have Joe finish up 349 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 1: at LaSalle then entered the NBA after graduating. He had 350 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: pretty much proved by now that he was the best, 351 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: most talent player in the Big Five, and some people 352 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: believed that if Joe stayed in school through his senior year, 353 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: he would be the top pick in the nineteen NBA draft. 354 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 1: Here's writer Julius Thompson again, Joe was like poetry, emotion, 355 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: and he could hold the ball. He he was before 356 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: his era. Joe should have been the era and there 357 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 1: where you could have people, even the big guys, hand 358 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: the ball. At that time, you were told to take 359 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: you a big lankey behind get down on the block, 360 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,360 Speaker 1: you know, put your back to the bad catch the ball. 361 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 1: But Joe said, Joe was a rebel. Joe could hound 362 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: the ball, he could run the offense, he could free land, 363 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: he could shoot, but only being Joe didn't like to do. 364 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: Joe did not like to rebound. He didn't like to 365 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: get down there and ball the big guys. He want 366 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: to be outside. He wanted to be pretty boy. And 367 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: everybody's lap at Joe being the pretty boy because he 368 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: he would just but he was absolutely fantastic to watch. 369 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: I cannot think of a player today that big and 370 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: that quick. I just came with a different era. He 371 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: had been ruling today. Everybody would have thought, he wow, 372 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: big man, can handle the ball, could do all kinds 373 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: of things. But Joe's dad, Joe Bryant, Sr. Fell and 374 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: broke a bone in his back, which many couldn't work anymore, 375 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: which meant Joe and Pam's plans had to change. After 376 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 1: LaSalle lost in the n c A Tournament, Joe withdrew 377 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: from several of his classes and lost interest in the 378 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: other ones. He got approval from the NBA to enter 379 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: the draft early. It didn't take much. He had to 380 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: show that he was what the league called an economic hardship, 381 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: which was pretty much a rubber stamp. The Golden State Warriors, 382 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: who had just won their first championship, took Joe with 383 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: the fourteenth pick in the first round. He was off 384 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: to the West Coast. He was going going gone, or 385 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: so he thought. The Warriors had a problem. They had 386 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: neglected to tender Joe a contract by the league's September 387 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: one deadline. It was a clerical error, but it was 388 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: a costly They had lost his rights. He could sign 389 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,400 Speaker 1: with any team he wanted, and he wanted to sign 390 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: with the Sixers and stay in phil so he did. 391 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: The Sixers had been a pretty good team the year before, 392 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,119 Speaker 1: and Joe figured he'd come in and play right away. 393 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 1: It didn't quite work out that way. Before the season began, 394 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: the team spent six million dollars a fortune at the 395 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: time to sign superstar Julius Irving, and Dr Jay's arrival 396 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: pushed Joe down on the depth chart, and when the 397 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: season did start, Joe kept shooting, even though he couldn't 398 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: make any of his shots. He missed thirty of his 399 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: first thirty six shots from the field. In time, Joe 400 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: got his Barracks. He played about sixteen minutes a game, 401 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: average seven or eight points in the not up to 402 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: his own expectations, but not bad for a rookie. Here's 403 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: longtime NBA executive Pat Williams, who was the Sixers general 404 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: manager at the time. He was multi talented, very colorful, flamboyant, exciting, 405 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: free willed big. He was a legitimate six nine athletic. 406 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: Could do things with the ball that were astounding. He 407 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: could handle it, and he could pass it, and he 408 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: was a showman. I can still see him up and 409 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: down the court. He could run. He he was not 410 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: a consistent shooter, and that's probably what limited him. You know, 411 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: he could score in spurts, but you would never call 412 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: him a consistent offensive force. So Joe would have moments 413 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 1: like that, you know, where he could he could churn 414 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 1: up an awful lot of offense ahead of following, you know, 415 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 1: Philly Kid, very popular with the Philadelphia fans. Hometown kid. 416 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: It worked in theory. But to have a first round 417 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: pick fall into your lap, you know, without without giving 418 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 1: up anything because of a clerical mistake, that was a 419 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: no brainer. On Christmas Eve, Joe and Pam bought a 420 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: house a five bedroom colonial on Remington Road in Winwood, 421 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:33,360 Speaker 1: a neighborhood in Lower Merion Township just outside Philadelphia. Joe 422 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: also bought himself a sports car, a white dots and 423 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,160 Speaker 1: two eight es. Everything seemed to be set up perfectly 424 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 1: for him. As the clock neared midnight on Wednesday, May five, 425 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: to Philadelphia police officers were patrolling the area around Fairmount 426 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: Park West, a huge burden pub look a park near 427 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,040 Speaker 1: West Hilling. They noticed a car a white dots and 428 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: two eight z with one of its tail lights out. 429 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: When they approached the car, they saw a familiar face 430 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: inside Joe Bryant's. He was with a twenty one year 431 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: old woman who had been his girlfriend in high school. 432 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 1: The combustible nature and context of this situation cannot be 433 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: over emphasized. Here was Joe, a local celebrity, a young 434 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: man instantly recognizable to anyone with a passing interest in 435 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: the city sports scene, in a car late at night 436 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 1: with a woman who was not his wife. Here was 437 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: Philadelphia in the mid nineties seventies, crime ridden gang lead. 438 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: The city had experienced a one rise in violent crime 439 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: since the previous decade. Here were two white members of 440 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: the police department approaching a car driven by a black man. 441 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: Just a year earlier, a Pulitzer Prize winning series of 442 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: investigative articles in The Philadelphia Inquiry had revealed that several 443 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: cops had been engaged in coercive and illegal interrogation practices 444 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: that included handcuffing suspects chairs and beating them with blackjacks, 445 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: brass knuckles, and lead pipes. Each one of the people 446 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: in Fairmount Park that night had cause to be on guard. 447 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: Glands were pumping adrenaline and cortisol. Palms and brows were 448 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: wet with sweat. Joe got out of the car. The 449 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: officers asked him for his license and registration. Joe got 450 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 1: back in the car, but instead of handing over the documents, 451 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: he turned the key and sped off, heading south. He 452 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: didn't even bother to turn the headlights on. The chase 453 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: lasted three miles until Joe crashed his dots and into 454 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: a stop sign, a no parking sign, and finally a wall. 455 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 1: He jumped out of the car and tried to run. 456 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: Officer Robert Lombardi grabbed him. He raised his fist, Lombardi 457 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: said later, and I struck him. I subdued and handcuffed him, 458 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: subdued and handcuffed. It was soft language for a hard encounter. 459 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: Joe ended up in the hospital with six stitches. Inside 460 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: the car, police found two vials of cocaine. We did 461 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: our best to track down a contemporary TV or radio 462 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: news report about the incident to play for you, but 463 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: there weren't any out there. It just goes to show 464 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: you how different the media landscape was back in the 465 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: mid nineteen seventies. Joe was a big deal in Philadelphia, 466 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: a local hero. This story would have been all over 467 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: Twitter and social media if they had existed back then. 468 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: I was able to dig up several newspaper articles from 469 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: that time, all of which treated the incident like the 470 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: major news story that it was. Here's how the Philadelphia 471 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: Inquirer covered it. After a high speed chase, which ended 472 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: only after his car struck three parked vehicles and rammed 473 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: into a wall. Seventy six ers forward, Joe Bryant was 474 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: arrested on a charge of possession of cocaine. Police originally 475 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: approached the nineteen seventy two model Dotson in which he 476 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: was parked because one tail light was out. Bryant was 477 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: a Philadelphia basketball star, at Bartram High before entering LaSalle, 478 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,960 Speaker 1: where he led the Big Five in scoring his junior season. 479 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: Joe was charged with drug possession, reckless driving, and two 480 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: counts of resisting arrest. At the trial a month later, 481 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: Joe's attorney, Richie Phillips, had twenty character witnesses testify on 482 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: his behalf, including several of his teammates. Joe's wife, father, 483 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: and baby daughter Shariah were all there too as a 484 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: united front. The judge ruled that the police's search of 485 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: Joe's car was illegal, and he dismissed the remaining charges. 486 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: Even though Joe's race had almost certainly played a role 487 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: in how he was treated by the police, he was 488 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: afraid that his actions had embarrassed the Sixers. The incident 489 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: happened during what was already a hectic year for the franchise. 490 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: Three weeks after Joe's arrest, the Sixers owner RV. Koslov 491 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: sold the team, and according to Pat Williams, Joe thought 492 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: that his mistake had led to Koslov's decision, And I 493 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: remember his reaction was that these actions of his had 494 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: prompted cause to sell the team. I remember he took 495 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: that seriously. That was not the case at all. That 496 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: sale was in the works and what's going to happen. 497 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:08,479 Speaker 1: But Joe did feel guilty. You know that this might 498 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: have prompted cause to sell the team. It was all 499 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: new stuff. You know, nobody knew anything had drugs. Then 500 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: you've never heard anything. I do remember going to court 501 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: and speaking on his behalf. This is a fine young 502 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 1: man with a bright future, and he made a mistake. 503 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: It will never happen again. Please don't let anything damage 504 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: his career. Here. We need to uh, you know, keep 505 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: going the street and narrow. We'll keep an eye on him. 506 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: I think that was a wake up call to him, 507 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: and I think he took it very seriously that he 508 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: had been caught doing something that was embarrassing to him 509 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: into his family. It probably did affect his career in 510 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: his life. I don't think he ever got near anything 511 00:33:54,960 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 1: like that again, if you think about it. The aftermath 512 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 1: Joe's arrest wasn't all that different from the aftermath of 513 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: Kobe's arrest for sexual assault all those years later. The 514 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 1: charges and alleged crimes were different. Of course, Kobe's more 515 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 1: severe than Joe's, but just like with Kobe, there was 516 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: public shock over Joe's incident with the police, disbelief that 517 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: he could do something so dumb that he could put 518 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: his career at risk. His actions had threatened his marriage, 519 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: or seemed to anyway, and led the speculation that the 520 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 1: scandal would tarnish him forever. For some people. That's certainly 521 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: still the case with Kode. The difference was nothing much 522 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: about Kobe's career changed once the public interest in the 523 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: scandal started to fade. The Lakers didn't trade him, He 524 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: didn't decide to play somewhere else, though there were time 525 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: hims he considered it. He was a Laker, and he 526 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: remained a Laker. But even though Joe stayed out of 527 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 1: legal trouble from then on, he was never able to 528 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: establish a specific role with the Sixers or with any 529 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: other NBA team for the rest of his career. The 530 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,360 Speaker 1: Sixers were a good team. They reached the finals in 531 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven and were contenders for years thereafter, and 532 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: Joe had hoped he'd stay with them for a long time. 533 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: In August of ninety eight, Joe and Pam had their 534 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 1: third child, a boy. They named him Kobe, after the 535 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:00,800 Speaker 1: famous beef of Kobe Japan. It was part of the 536 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: name of their favorite restaurant. His middle name was being 537 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,839 Speaker 1: derived from his father's nickname, Jelly Beam. But Joe never 538 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: really justified all the hoopla around him in Philadelphia. He 539 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 1: was never anything more than a bench player for the Sixers. 540 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy nine, they traded him to one of 541 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 1: the NBA's worst teams, the San Diego Clippers, who in 542 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 1: turn traded him in two to another of the league's 543 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:32,439 Speaker 1: worst teams, the Houston Rockets. That season was so bad 544 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,800 Speaker 1: for Joe and the team that the Rockets owner offered 545 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,320 Speaker 1: him a job afterwards as a salesman at one of 546 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 1: the Guys Car franchises. Joe was just twenty eight, He 547 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: had a wife and three kids. Where was his basketball 548 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: career headed? As it turned out, he was headed to Italy. 549 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 1: A friend of Joe's suggested he go play in Europe. 550 00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:59,239 Speaker 1: He could make good money there, He could play the 551 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:01,919 Speaker 1: way he wanted to play. There, he could shoot whenever 552 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,239 Speaker 1: he wanted. The Italian people would embrace him, they would 553 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: love him. So he and Pam decided that they and 554 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 1: their three kids, Shariah, Shaya, and Kobe, would go to Italy. 555 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 1: Kobe was five years old. Here he is talking to 556 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:24,080 Speaker 1: Jeremy Treatment about the move. I didnt know, just because 557 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: we were going to that's what did. Joe signed with 558 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:38,320 Speaker 1: a basketball club in Rea, a town on a hilltop 559 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: an hour north of Rome. It was a much more 560 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: relaxed style of life than in America. The team played 561 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: games once a week on Sundays. Kobe and his sisters 562 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: went to school six days a week, but just four 563 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 1: hours a day. The family didn't really know anybody there 564 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,320 Speaker 1: and couldn't communicate clearly with many people. At first, the 565 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: isolation bonded them. It brought them closer together. Over there 566 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 1: were really by ourselves because we couldn't speak to the 567 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 1: Italian language and didn't have a lot of friends with it. Friends. 568 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: I had a bunch of sisters. There are my sholders. 569 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: I went to them playing trouble. Maybe something in school. 570 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 1: I had a problem school. I may company me. She 571 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: had a great good time to Gavin. That's that boy experience, 572 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:30,440 Speaker 1: and that boy time experience gave me. I like thinking 573 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: about the past a lot. I like thinking about Italy 574 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: and all my friends down there. With a long way 575 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,279 Speaker 1: I came to get to where I'm at now. That 576 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: keeps me going. I think it's always a motivating you 577 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:46,399 Speaker 1: go back to your roots and see me you came 578 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: from Italy a whole in session. Yeah. Leon Douglas was 579 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,520 Speaker 1: another American playing pro in Italy at the time. Douglas 580 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: and Joe Bryant had met in high school and then 581 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 1: reconnected in Europe. They eventually became teammates in another town, Thestoria, 582 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: and their families became friendly. My wife and his wife, 583 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 1: they participating things together. Covid and sister used to babysit 584 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 1: my daughter and whenever the birthday, they would all be 585 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:20,840 Speaker 1: together during the birthday situation. But the families was cold 586 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,320 Speaker 1: because who was in a situation way with us against 587 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 1: them more or less. And uh then to Apafrican American 588 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:34,160 Speaker 1: families were finished family in structures that we sort of 589 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 1: looked out for each other. Great. You know. Covid idolized 590 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:44,000 Speaker 1: his father. One wing was his whole basketball game was 591 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 1: basically Joe when Joe was young. You know, the way 592 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,399 Speaker 1: he played in the NBA was similar to the ways 593 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: that his father played when I played with the offensively, 594 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: especially because during Cole I get there in the fourth year, 595 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,359 Speaker 1: but I was watching him. I would always see him 596 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:07,480 Speaker 1: do some of the things that his father did, like 597 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:12,319 Speaker 1: a jump shot, like his drive and uh, a lot 598 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: of old guys that was in Europe, they all called 599 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 1: him a little Jim because of some of the things 600 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: that he did, similar to his sponsor. One day, Kobe 601 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 1: accompanied his dad on a long bus trip to a game. 602 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,799 Speaker 1: The two of them sat with Douglas for the ride. 603 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,839 Speaker 1: That didn't happen often because the fact that we didn't 604 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:36,719 Speaker 1: allow him young people to travel with, especially if it 605 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,479 Speaker 1: was over night game and this was the day game. 606 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,760 Speaker 1: And why when while he was traveling, Joe started talking 607 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,280 Speaker 1: about his grandparents and I think one of his grandparents 608 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:51,400 Speaker 1: who was a minister, and she prompt sized that that 609 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: was going to be someone in the family that was 610 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:58,120 Speaker 1: going to change the whole family structure, that was going 611 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 1: to do things but then family that had never been 612 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,760 Speaker 1: done before, and there was going to be a legacy 613 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,280 Speaker 1: and in itself. And uh, Joe and I were talking 614 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: and Joe made his coming. He said, well, he said, 615 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 1: I know it's not gonna be mean because I'm in 616 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,440 Speaker 1: un and uh, looking around, it's hard to figure out 617 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 1: who it's going to be. And uh and Coba was 618 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,240 Speaker 1: on the bus, and you know, he said, well, maybe 619 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,320 Speaker 1: his him. But Joe was unshum. But he did prophesize 620 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: someone that prophesized him that this person was coming that 621 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:38,320 Speaker 1: was going to change the family. Because of the pandemic, 622 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: I wasn't able to travel to Italy to visit Kobe's 623 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,200 Speaker 1: old stomping grounds, but what I did do was by 624 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:49,280 Speaker 1: a copy of Italiano Dinome Kobe, a book by Italian 625 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: journalist Andrea Barocci. The title in English means an Italian 626 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:58,040 Speaker 1: named Kobe. Not too many people in the United States 627 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: have read the book, mostly because it's written in Italian, 628 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,520 Speaker 1: but I have a longtime family friend who speaks the language, 629 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:13,640 Speaker 1: and she translated the whole thing for me. One thing 630 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 1: that comes through clearly in the book is the manner 631 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 1: in which Joe and Pam raised their kids. Kobe in particular, 632 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,439 Speaker 1: They disciplined him when it came to certain things, academics 633 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 1: being the big one. They sent him to private schools 634 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 1: while they lived abroad, but they indulged him when it 635 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:34,719 Speaker 1: came to basketball. One day, when Kobe was nine, Joe 636 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,440 Speaker 1: brought his son to practice with him, and Kobe got 637 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 1: up and started dribbling and shooting at the far end 638 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:43,960 Speaker 1: of the court the coach. Joe's coach kind of laughed 639 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:48,240 Speaker 1: at and said stay seated. Kobe's response was four words, 640 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:55,160 Speaker 1: fuck you, fuck you. When he played organized basketball himself, 641 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 1: Kobe shot the ball more frequently than Joe did. He 642 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 1: shot at every time he had it. He might make 643 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 1: ten in a row, but the other kids wouldn't exactly 644 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:06,640 Speaker 1: be thrilled with His grandfather back in the States would 645 00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 1: mail in videos of basketball pros like Magic Johnson and 646 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:14,240 Speaker 1: Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Michael Jordan's, and Kobe would study 647 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,040 Speaker 1: them with his dad, picking up moves that he would 648 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:22,439 Speaker 1: practice himself. Away from basketball, though, Kobe bonded not only 649 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,320 Speaker 1: with his family but with some of his peers in Italy, 650 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:28,840 Speaker 1: especially with the children of his father's friends and teammates. 651 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:33,400 Speaker 1: Maybe the best example was Tamika Catchings, whose father, Harvey, 652 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 1: had played with Joe on the Sixers. Tamika, her sister Tauja, 653 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:42,600 Speaker 1: and Kobe became fast friends, walking around town squares, sharing 654 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 1: slices of pizza, playing soccer together, and as to mek Up, 655 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,880 Speaker 1: her breasted in her own basketball career as she went 656 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: on to win four Olympic gold medals, a w NBA Championship, 657 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:57,320 Speaker 1: and a w n B A m v P Award. 658 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:03,919 Speaker 1: She and Kobe stayed in touch. It's crazy to think, 659 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 1: and a lot of people were asked, just as far 660 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:08,600 Speaker 1: as Kobe goes, a lot of people will ask what 661 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:10,600 Speaker 1: was it like when we were growing up? And I'm like, 662 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 1: we were just kids. I don't think either one of 663 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:15,760 Speaker 1: us at that point in time, what have ever dreamed 664 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:18,719 Speaker 1: about the role that we were in and just the 665 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:22,040 Speaker 1: opportunity that we had, both of our father's playing being 666 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:25,800 Speaker 1: in a foreign country. I mean, it's not necessarily a 667 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,839 Speaker 1: typical life of any child, and definitely not for us. 668 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 1: But at the time, we're on and you know, my 669 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 1: father only played for a year, we moved back to 670 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 1: the States, and then after that he moved back and 671 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,040 Speaker 1: I just remember at that point in time when he 672 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:43,960 Speaker 1: got drafted, calling my parents like, this is the Kobe 673 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: that we were just in Italy was right? And yeah, 674 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 1: it was. So he went to the pros. I went 675 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,800 Speaker 1: to college four years after that, went to the w 676 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:55,920 Speaker 1: n B A and the rest of his history lives intertwined. 677 00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: The thing about it, when you look at it is 678 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 1: it's almost like a book. When you see the book 679 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 1: and you start filling it with the words and the chapters, 680 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: you've come just what's gonna be the storybook? In the 681 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:12,960 Speaker 1: close one book, you start a new book. And that's 682 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: really for me. That's what I imagine. On Saturday May 683 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: two thousand twenty one, about a year and a half 684 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: after Kobe died, he and Tamika were inducted together into 685 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:41,640 Speaker 1: the Nay Smith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. At the 686 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:44,840 Speaker 1: end of the ceremony, Michael Jordan's held the hand of 687 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:49,040 Speaker 1: Kobe's widow, Vanessa as he escorted her to the stage 688 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:52,840 Speaker 1: to deliver a speech that her husband would have given. 689 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:56,759 Speaker 1: If my husband were here tonight, he would have a 690 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,680 Speaker 1: long list of people's saying that it helps inspire him 691 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:01,839 Speaker 1: and equip him to be in the Hall of Fame. 692 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:13,719 Speaker 1: Family friends, mentors, the Lakers, teammates, muses and opponents. This 693 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:15,879 Speaker 1: is one of the many hard parts about not having 694 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:20,040 Speaker 1: him here. At the risk of leaving anyone out, I 695 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 1: can only say thank you to all those who helped 696 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 1: him get here. You know who you are, and I 697 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 1: thank you on his behalf. It was supposed to be 698 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 1: the perfect coda to Kobe's life, to all the choices 699 00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:41,799 Speaker 1: that Joe and Pam Bryant had made that had led 700 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:44,760 Speaker 1: to this moment. It was supposed to be the perfect 701 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:50,080 Speaker 1: capstone to the Bryant family's basketball legacy. Instead, it was 702 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:54,160 Speaker 1: bitter sweet. Kobe was gone, and the people who knew him, 703 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: who cheered for him, who admired him, all they could 704 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:01,280 Speaker 1: do was remember him as he was, remember the journey 705 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:04,239 Speaker 1: he had taken that was supposed to lead to that night, 706 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:08,640 Speaker 1: to that moment. That journey had begun across an ocean, 707 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:11,680 Speaker 1: in another country, in the place where he had first 708 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 1: embraced basketball, and where basketball embraced him when he first 709 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,279 Speaker 1: realized what he was born to do. He was so 710 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 1: young then, but he carried that understanding and knowledge with 711 00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 1: him through every stage of his life. In a way 712 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:29,920 Speaker 1: that is so rare, so impressive. He was able to 713 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:32,279 Speaker 1: reach the kind of heights and to be the kind 714 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:37,359 Speaker 1: of figure we see only once every few generations. Joe 715 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:39,840 Speaker 1: Bryant had been bitter about his career in the NBA. 716 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:42,799 Speaker 1: He felt he got a raw deal. The team should 717 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:45,520 Speaker 1: have recognized his talent and given him more of an 718 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:48,680 Speaker 1: opportunity to put it on display, and he brought this 719 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:52,320 Speaker 1: up to his son throughout Kobe's early life. That was 720 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:56,279 Speaker 1: fuel to feed Kobe's fire. He wanted to restore his 721 00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:00,440 Speaker 1: father's reputation, his good name within basketball. He would do 722 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: what Joe hadn't done. He would bring it every practice, 723 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:11,160 Speaker 1: every game, every day, every night. Kobe was determined to 724 00:48:11,239 --> 00:48:15,960 Speaker 1: be the player that his father should have been. In 725 00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:19,960 Speaker 1: the next episode, Kobe returns stateside and begins to conceive 726 00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 1: of what he wants to do with his life. And 727 00:48:22,680 --> 00:48:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you the story of how he 728 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:30,919 Speaker 1: learned what he needed to do to get there. Who say, yeah, 729 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:35,560 Speaker 1: you guys are not gonna win, and right, not gonna 730 00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:38,439 Speaker 1: win it like it's a big deal. I can's money 731 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:42,320 Speaker 1: with the mouth. That's next week on I Am Kobe. 732 00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:00,760 Speaker 1: I Am Kobe is a product action of the Version 733 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:04,960 Speaker 1: Podcasts in association with I Heart Radio. This season is 734 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: written and hosted by me Mike Sealsky. It's produced by 735 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:12,680 Speaker 1: Jacob Bronstein and directed by Mark Francis. Story editing by 736 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:17,720 Speaker 1: Jacob Bronstein, with editorial direction from Scott Waxman, Editing, mixing 737 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:21,279 Speaker 1: and sound design by Mark Francis. Stephen Tompkins is our 738 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:25,680 Speaker 1: production assistant Our theme music is Create Yourself by Grover 739 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:30,879 Speaker 1: Brown featuring Justin Starling. Find Create Yourself wherever you stream music. 740 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:37,440 Speaker 1: Music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Freesan Sink. Executive producers 741 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:41,799 Speaker 1: are Mark Francis and Scott Waxman. Join the conversation about 742 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:45,080 Speaker 1: I Am Kobe on social media on Twitter and Instagram. 743 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:50,240 Speaker 1: It's at diversion Pods thanks to Orin Rosenbaum, Susan Cannavan 744 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:55,279 Speaker 1: and Jeremy Treatment the Bob Flaw the Son. They don't 745 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:57,160 Speaker 1: want to stand when I said to Brian is fun. 746 00:49:57,360 --> 00:49:59,520 Speaker 1: Never clack you out even where my work is done. 747 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:01,719 Speaker 1: If they trying to block me, I might hurt someone 748 00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:05,080 Speaker 1: through the blood sweat and says we persefit, stay tilling it, 749 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:07,080 Speaker 1: let it keep the hurses. And then if they don't 750 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:10,200 Speaker 1: believe in themselves, they revert to find that the champion's heads. 751 00:50:10,239 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: So I'm telling them, ask my am, this the reason 752 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:16,279 Speaker 1: why my work so damn different. Cert the negatives. I 753 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:19,720 Speaker 1: can't mist see me at the time, you can't listen 754 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:22,880 Speaker 1: for where I'm gonna vote to play like cash is 755 00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:26,120 Speaker 1: see I pay my dudes because of taxes, gotta work. 756 00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:28,080 Speaker 1: I think can grind ahead of his time. So I'm 757 00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:30,240 Speaker 1: saying that they made you. Don't tell them you create 758 00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:35,040 Speaker 1: yourself the besh you fin or watch us by this 759 00:50:35,320 --> 00:50:38,719 Speaker 1: by that time you gotta stay clock then break clock 760 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:43,880 Speaker 1: break we create ourselves. Watch me Qua watch watch to 761 00:50:43,960 --> 00:50:51,840 Speaker 1: create myself. Exacli signs up. Create yourself, stay nice and 762 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,759 Speaker 1: ain't go hard create yourself. You gotta learn from the 763 00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:58,040 Speaker 1: great minds that we ain't lying. To tell them that 764 00:50:58,239 --> 00:51:02,680 Speaker 1: anytime this town I wasn't giving it was d the future. 765 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: Any time I could change better tell them that I 766 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,919 Speaker 1: made it back home. As I walked through the hearts 767 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:10,280 Speaker 1: of the fame, I came from the valley of the Shadow, 768 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:13,040 Speaker 1: with death waiting for us. Some spoons don't hold your breath, 769 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:15,439 Speaker 1: sat Town sat trains. But I did it with less 770 00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:18,799 Speaker 1: I know one that to be so there's nothing to guess. Yeah, 771 00:51:19,239 --> 00:51:22,480 Speaker 1: there's nothing to guess. It's our times. Something we up next. 772 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 1: We don't got any regrests. I did it with my 773 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: soon hands, and we never forgets my a bit. The 774 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:31,480 Speaker 1: reason why my work so damn different to the negatives. 775 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:34,480 Speaker 1: I can't listen see me at the time. You can't 776 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:39,719 Speaker 1: listen for where, rebuild, reshape, give me your eye. You 777 00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:42,560 Speaker 1: got to risk take do it now. When I'm saying 778 00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:44,680 Speaker 1: why waits, I was saying that they may you don't 779 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:49,319 Speaker 1: tell them. You create yourself, then you Finn watch us 780 00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:53,359 Speaker 1: by it's by that time. You gotta snake clock, then 781 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:58,560 Speaker 1: break clock, break we create ourselves. Watch me watch the 782 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:03,720 Speaker 1: create my self exac client that clients I'm sell about 783 00:52:03,760 --> 00:52:09,600 Speaker 1: to create yourself. May nice and nays, go on, create yourself. 784 00:52:10,239 --> 00:52:12,879 Speaker 1: Gotta line for the great minds. But we ain't lying 785 00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:41,200 Speaker 1: telling next anytime, ye. Diversion podcasts