Kobe Bryant Advising 19-Year-Old Anthony Davis to Not Hide Unibrow Behind Shades Resurfaces

The presence of well-established mentors around a youngster can change the latter’s life. A similar instance occurred when 19-year-old Anthony Davis received encouragement from a veteran Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba brought the then-youngster out of his shell by advising him against hiding his unibrow.

This old clip has recently resurfaced on X (formerly Twitter) after NBA History reflected on this hilarious yet life-changing moment. It initially captured Davis hiding his unibrow behind his shades while recording a video. This timidity caught the eyes of Bryant who soon injected confidence into the then-teenager, stating, “You don’t wanna hide the unibrow though”.

"You don't want to hide the unibrow…"

Kobe had some marketing advice for AD back in 2012 with #USABMNT 😂 pic.twitter.com/QqAPgiNa5I

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) July 6, 2024

This happened during the 2012 USA Men’s Olympics Basketball training camp. As the senior-most player within the squad, Bryant guided the junior-most member, Davis, every step of the way. This sparked a thought-provoking conversation between them, paving the way for the 5x champion’s recommendation.

Those words worked like a charm as AD lowered his sunglasses immediately to display his unibrow. Following this, the duo shared a good laugh about it, boosting Davis’ self-belief and even prompting him to give a close-up look at the camera. Upon watching this rapid surge in confidence, Bryant hyped the then-youngster further, declaring, “That’s how you work. That’s branding right there”.

To this day, Davis has kept these words close to his heart. Ever since the exchange, the Los Angeles Lakers star has showcased his unibrow publicly with confidence. Over time, as Bryant predicted, this became a signature style for AD.

This moment captured how the environment around a young talent can either make or break his life. Luckily, Davis had an all-time great of Bryant’s stature guiding him through this phase. Much to his credit, he was willing to listen and follow his mentor to transform his career.