During the final days of Kobe Bryant’s life, he was still a basketball fanatic, but at this point, the retired legend had other priorities in his life. In one of his last interviews, the Mamba shared why he chose to miss Lakers games more often than he attended them.
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Being past his playing days, Bryant was no longer the winning-obsessed athlete he had been. Once known to put every ounce of effort into his craft, Kobe had shifted to becoming a family man since hanging it up. Rather than attend the Lakers’ season opener for the 2019-20 season, he planned instead to attend his daughter Natalia’s volleyball game.
When asked why he was no longer interested in being around basketball any chance he could, Kobe smiled before giving a heartfelt answer to the LA Times. He felt he had gotten nearly everything he could have out of the game and now was more focused on his role as a father and husband.
“I have my routine at home. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but I’d rather be giving B.B. a shower and sing Barney songs to her. I played 20 years, and I missed those moments before,” Bryant explained. “For me to make the trip up to Staples Center, that means I’m missing an opportunity to spend another night with my kids, when I know how fast it goes.”
Just like his NBA career, Kobe knew his children’s adolescence would pass quickly. He stressed that he didn’t want to miss an important moment if he didn’t need to. “I want to make sure the days that I’m away from them are days that I absolutely have to be. I’d rather be with them than doing anything else,” Kobe continued.
Kobe made it clear he wanted to be around his daughters as much as possible. He was dedicated to raising his children to be the best at what they wanted to be.
Kobe was heavily invested in Gianna’s basketball career
Kobe Bryant was close to all of his daughters, but it was clear he had a special connection with Gianna, who had aspirations to become a professional basketball player herself. Bryant dedicated himself to helping his second daughter achieve her dream, even planning out a year-by-year guide for her development.
Bryant had a long-term schedule for Gianna, who he truly believed could have made it to the WNBA. “I write practice plans every day. And it’s like a 6-year plan, and we’re in year 2. So you can patiently teach them every little aspect,” Bryant shared excitedly back in 2019.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to see the results of Kobe’s six-year plan for Gianna. Still, Bryant cemented himself as a dedicated father and role model for his daughters, pushing them to achieve their ultimate goal just as he achieved his.
