“The First Person I Called”: Kobe Bryant Revealed Being Mentored By Oprah Winfrey While Talking to Alex Rodriguez

Kobe Bryant’s biggest inspirations didn’t all come from the basketball court. The five-time NBA champion knew that one day, eventually, he’d have to step away from the game. The lights of Hollywood intrigued him, but he didn’t want to rely on his name to climb the ladder. Instead, he sought guidance from one of entertainment’s biggest juggernauts.

Following his retirement in 2016, Bryant turned his attention to the world of media. Granity Studios, which he had founded in 2013, finally began to take off in 2018. Bryant produced an animated short film titled Dear Basketball, which became a huge success. At the 90th Academy Awards, the film even won him the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s success in producing media — ranging from novels to films — didn’t come overnight. He took the necessary steps to establish himself in the media space, and he understood that the first step was finding the right teacher. In one of Bryant’s final interviews before his tragic passing in 2020, he sat down with Alex Rodriguez and opened up about his venture into media and one of the biggest influences in his life.

“When I had the idea of first starting a studio, the first person I called was Oprah Winfrey,” Bryant said on The Corp. “She kind of walked me through her journey to help me through mine.”

That initial phone call between Bryant and Winfrey lasted between an hour and a half to two hours. She shared countless insights during their conversation, many of which deeply resonated with the 18-time NBA All-Star. “We went through the history of building Harpo and things she felt she did well and things that she felt she didn’t do so well,” Bryant revealed.

Over the years, Winfrey’s studio, Harpo, evolved into one of the biggest in the world. Founded in 1986, the company has grown to employ over 12,000 people. Without Winfrey’s tutelage and wisdom, Bryant might not have been able to flourish with Granity Studios. However, she wasn’t the only person Bryant credited as a major inspiration in his life.

“Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, has helped me through a lot of decisions. Tim Cook and Jony Ive at Apple. Those three are the biggest ones that have had the most influence in what I’m currently building,” he continued.

It was clear that Bryant was on the verge of making a lasting impact in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, his efforts were cut short—but his legacy endures forever.