Kobe Bryant ended his career at the onset of the booming social media era. Even before that, cameras and paparazzi rarely left a star like him alone. Yet he was never photographed at clubs or parties, unlike many of today’s NBA stars. Most simply assumed that his serious demeanor and relentless drive to win kept him away from such outings, but Stephen Jackson has now revealed otherwise.
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According to Jackson, the Los Angeles Lakers legend loved attending a party every now and then. He spoke about this on the Fast Break podcast, revealing a side of Bryant many never got to see. That said, the host, Byron Scott, played with Bryant during his early years in the league and even coached him for a season. So, he should have been aware of Kobe’s multitudes.
Jackson recalled a particular instance when he was suspended while his team was scheduled to play the Lakers. At the time, Matt Barnes, then with the Purple and Gold, gave him a call and invited him to a club. The pitch? He’d be there with Bryant.
“Matt calls me, like ‘Man, me and Kobe finna go out.’ I say WHO? Matt is a joker, I don’t know if y’all know, Matt is a full-time comedian,” Jackson said. “He’s never serious. So I’m like yeah, bro Kobe ain’t going out. I get to the club, I never seen this side of Bean. Bean got a drink in his hand!”
Stak was so shocked to see Bryant at the club that he almost missed what the Black Mamba was actually doing — socializing with his teammates, right in the middle of the crowd. It was a very un-Kobe-like thing to witness. He could’ve been dreaming, but what Jackson said next confirmed it was all real.
“Bean talking to his teammates! But the crazy part is, he talking to his teammates in the middle of the club, about the game! That’s one thing about him, he gon be happy talking about basketball,” he told Scott.
Despite being surrounded by teammates, loud music, and gallons of alcohol, Bryant seemed happiest when he was talking about basketball. For a man who made winning the most important thing in his life, it was perfectly on brand. As Jackson admitted, it was still nice to see Bryant in an unfamiliar setting, enjoying himself.
