Kobe Bryant is well known for his basketball heroics, but what about his heroic abilities off the NBA court and as a regular citizen?
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Well it doesn’t seem like the Lakers legend is lacking there either. Kobe is definitely more than just a basketball player, finding several ways to give back to his community and helping out in whatever way he can.
From raising $1.2 million to help the homeless in LA, to making kids’ dreams by visiting them in hospitals, to helping raise awareness and promote gender equality in basketball and sports, Kobe has been a strong advocate for several social and community based issues.
He also once helped his friend Ryan Williams through a devastating car accident.
Kobe Bryant Showed Up To Help Ryan Williams After A Car Crash
Ryan Williams was driving through the streets of Newport, California one day when a car suddenly smashed into him after running a red light.
Williams got out his car, completely dazed and disoriented, and the first person there to check in on him was Kobe Bryant. “ ‘Bro, are you OK, you want me to take you to the hospital, what do you need?’ ” Williams later remembered Bryant asking him.
“At the time, I was trying to figure out what was going on, my car just got smashed and I was partially concussed. And he was there to help out.”
For what we know of Kobe Bryant, this story completely lines up with the kind of person he was both on and off the court. Bryant and Williams had gone to know each other over the course of several interactions at Starbucks.
Williams is a partner for the Athletes First sports agency, and as him and Kobe would keep meeting, they had developed a good relationship with each other. Kobe was also always curious about what kind of work Williams was involved in as Williams recalls, “He took more of a genuine interest in what I did for a living, and what I aspired to do to become a success.”
Kobe’s selflessness was one of his biggest and best personality traits and this is something Williams touched on too when he spoke about Kobe helping him through the accident.
“Just like he did with me, he consoled everyone who was involved,” Williams commented. “Kobe cared about people, and was just a great human being. The world got to know him as a basketball player. Here, he was a member of our community. He was never too big for anyone.”
