Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant didn’t sugarcoat his emotions. That attitude wasn’t only toward fellow players, but it was also directed toward the media. ESPN analyst Marc Spears experienced that characteristic of Bryant firsthand.
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Typically, players aren’t fond of media members because they worry journalists may twist their words for the sake of reader engagement. However, Spears wasn’t known to take that approach.
Before Spears was with ESPN, he was a prominent figure among Yahoo Sports’ editorial staff. From time to time, he would fly to Los Angeles to speak with Bryant. Surprisingly, Kobe would give him personal time.
“I don’t know why he liked me, but he did,” Spears said on The OGs. “I think I asked a lot of introspective questions.”
Spears graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Jose State University, but he also minored in psychology. He used those teachings to pick Bryant’s brain on a deeper level than the typical sports journalist would.
Whenever Spears was heading to the City of Angels, he would email Bryant in advance to give him a heads-up. On one particular day, Spears decided to show up at the Lakers’ practice facility in style.
“So one time I show up, I’m in this beautiful Adidas sweatsuit. Bean said he would talk to me after practice. I meet him after practice, and he’s looking at me with disgust,” Spears proclaimed.
Spears had no idea why Bryant’s attitude suddenly changed, but he soon realized his grave mistake.
“[Kobe’s] like, ‘Why you disrespecting me like that?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ He’s like, ‘Why’re you wearing that s***?'” At that moment, Spears knew he had messed up.
For context, Bryant was a Nike signature athlete. He didn’t have the most ideal relationship with Adidas, considering he had previously had a brand deal with them.
Spears quickly made a mental note never to wear Adidas in front of Bryant again. But the five-time NBA champion wanted more.
“[Bryant] said, ‘I ain’t doing the interview.’ I’m like, ‘Dog, I flew out here to talk to you.’ He’s like, ‘I’m going to give you the interview, but when you go home, I’m going to need you to film you throwing that away and send me the video,'” Spears revealed.
Spears was on the brink of losing his beloved tracksuit as quickly as he’d gotten it. Unwillingly, Spears obliged and sent a video of him throwing the outfit down his apartment’s trash chute.
Kobe’s actions toward Spears is reminiscent of an instance involving Bryant’s role model, Michael Jordan.
Once, Jordan and his wife were vacationing in Portugal. When local artist Lucas Pina spotted the Chicago Bulls legend, he approached MJ and asked to take a picture. Unfortunately, Pina had made the same mistake as Spears.
“[Since I was wearing Adidas] he couldn’t take a picture with me that day,” Pina said on Instagram. But Pina didn’t throw his clothes away.
Spears’ actions may have been extreme, but they earned him a spot in Bryant’s good graces. The loss of Bryant was as hard for Spears as it was for many. But funny moments like this make the grief a little easier to handle.
