Kobe Bryant was not only one of the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen, he was always one of the smartest. And that wasn’t just basketball IQ, either. The man was just flat-out intelligent, well-spoken (in multiple languages,) and when he wanted to, he beamed with charisma.
But the way he explained the game, the nuances, the mental approach, the chess match of it all, it pulled you in like a magic trick. All of which would’ve made him an incredible television analyst. Apparently, it nearly happened.
According to Charles Barkley, who recently appeared on Draymond Green’s podcast, Bryant actually signed a deal to join the “NBA on TNT” crew after his retirement in 2016, but when he found out there were additional PR requirements to the job — interviews and such throughout the week — he decided he wasn’t interested in that part of the gig and pulled out.
Listen to Barkley tell the story below.
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