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KOBE: THE INTERVIEW: THE ART OF KOBE (TV)

Summary

This interview special features legendary basketball star Kobe Bryant in conversation with sportscaster Ahmad Rashad at the Coastline Arts Gallery in Newport Beach, California, at which an array of professional photographs and other art pieces featuring Bryant are displayed.

Topics discussed include: Bryant's many challenging injuries, including a torn rotator cuff and a damaged Achilles tendon; his memorable first game against friend/mentor/rival Michael Jordan in 1997; being drafted in 1996 as a 17-year-old prodigy; his early goal to "win as many championships as possible"; observing younger players with the "same fire," including Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets; the significant impact of former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, who taught Bryant about the "mindfulness" of the game; cold-calling Jackson's assistant Tex Winter for tips and advice; his infamous clashes with Lakers colleague Shaquille O'Neal, owing to their dissimilar playing styles; fond memories of his impressive "buzzer-beater" shot in Game 4 of the 2006 playoffs; his determination to lead the Lakers to victory after O'Neal's departure from the team in 2004; his ruthless "black mamba" persona on the court; learning "strategic patience" and leadership skills with his teammates; pushing his colleagues to be "the best version of themselves" with his straightforward, often uncomfortable bluntness; why he's "just like everybody else" off the court; dealing with extreme fame since the age of seventeen; his love for the smallest details of basketball; why his five NBA Championships "should be seven," including the pain of their 2008 loss to the Boston Celtics and 2004 loss to the Detroit Pistons; the "silver lining" of his frustrating injuries and consideration of what will come after his professional career; fans' surprise at his easygoing nature in person, compared to his on-court arrogance; appreciating both the joy and pain of the game; and why he doesn't fear his own "physical mortality." Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: NBA TV
  • DATE: November 30, 1999 9:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:46:37
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: 139954
  • GENRE: Talk/Interview; Sports
  • SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Sports; African-American Collection - News/Talk; Talk/Interview; Sports; Basketball
  • SERIES RUN: NBA TV - TV, 2015
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Ahmad Rashad … Interviewer
  • Kobe Bryant … Interviewee
  • Phil Jackson
  • Michael Jordan
  • Shaquille O'Neal
  • Russell Westbrook
  • Tex Winter (see also: Morice Fredrick Winter)