“Still Needs to Learn”: When Kobe Bryant Was Called Out by Wife Vanessa for Hyping Up His Chores

Once Kobe Bryant retired from basketball, he had to start directing all of that pent-up energy into something else. He would go on to make an Oscar-winning documentary and start his own podcast. But where the Black Mamba really channel his free time? Spending time with his family and doing house chores.

Kobe attended the 2016 ESPY awards shortly after playing his final NBA game along with his wife Vanessa. “I’ve had a chance to really slow down and let the career really sink in,” said the Hall of Famer when asked about his retirement.  “Also be around my family and learn how to do house chores.”

The Mamba admitting that he enjoyed doing work around the house had the interviewer intrigued. “What chores?” she asked. “I’m working on my ironing skills and washing the dishes,” responded Kobe. Unfortunately for Bryant, his wife Vanessa didn’t back him up.

“He still needs to learn how to pick up after himself,” she said with a smile. “There’s like a magic fairy that comes around and picks up his plate.” Kobe also smiled, then joked about using Mamba Mentality to improve his house skills. “I’m working on it. It’s having the Mamba Mentality carry through house chores as well.”

It’s a shame we never got a Kobe reality show. Watching The Mamba apply his competitive edge to everyday tasks seems like it would have written itself. While it could have been good television, it also would have shown how Bryant reacted to no longer being on the court.

Kobe Bryant had no doubt about his retirement

Kobe put up one of the best final game performances you could imagine. 60 points and a victory are hard to top. The Laker legend knew this, which is why he had no doubts about hanging them up.

“I stopped playing because I just didn’t want to do it anymore,” said Kobe during an interview with Emmy winner Jim Gray. “I felt like I wanted to move on to something else, and my passion and my focus started shifting towards what comes next.”

The basketball world missed Kobe when he left the game. And they continue to miss him more and more each day since his tragic passing in January of 2020. The Mamba’s spirit is still around though, probably perfecting the chores he started all those years ago.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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