By the time Kobe Bryant was a superstar in the NBA, he no longer had a close relationship with his parents. His parents did not approve of Bryant’s marriage to his wife, Vanessa, and the newfound fame and fortune he found with the Los Angeles Lakers put a wrench in what was once a close family bond.
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This wasn’t always the case, as a young Kobe Bryant was extremely close to his father and fell in love with basketball watching his father play. It was clear he had a bond with his father, former Philadelphia 76er Joe Bryant, who helped instill the confidence and drive that made Kobe the all-time great that he would become.
Once Kobe was helping the Lakers contend for championships, though, his relationship with Joe had already been strained. The two had drifted apart to the surprise of many who knew the father and son duo. Neither Joe nor Kobe’s mother, Pamela, was present following LA’s NBA Finals victory over the Sixers in 2001.
Instead, it was his maternal uncle, Chubby Cox, and his wife who were there to congratulate Bryant upon winning his second title in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. Upon seeing the only family that showed up to support him, Kobe broke down in front of his aunt and uncle, distraught by the distance between him and his parents.
“Joe Bryant told me a story about that night,” Gary Charles, a New York AAU coach and Bryant family friend, recalled to Roland Lazenby for Showboat. “When Kobe’s aunt and uncle came in to see him, Kobe hugged them and cried and cried.”
Even reaching his ultimate goal of winning a championship wasn’t enough for Bryant to hide the emotions he felt toward his estranged family. Luckily, the rising star had his aunt and uncle there to console him in what could have been an even rougher night for him otherwise.
Rather than energetically celebrating with the championship trophy, Kobe instead sat quietly in the locker room with one arm around the Larry O’Brien Trophy and the other hand holding up his defeated head. The photo has become one of the most iconic in all of sports, but the true meaning behind it is unfortunate.
Joe and Pamela eventually did reunite with their son following the birth of the Bryant’s first daughter, Natalia, in 2006. Both of the Hall of Famer’s parents were able to celebrate their son’s next two championships in 2009 and 2010. Their relationship was still put to the test in the following years, but it appeared they had reconciled by the time Kobe unexpectedly passed away in 2020.
