Kobe Bryant was a strange young man when he began his NBA career. For one, he was too young and immature to handle the success and critical acclaim. After all, unlike Shaquille O’Neal or Michael Jordan, Kobe directly played in the league without ever going to college.
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The $680 million worth superstar was unable to receive the kind of exposure and crisis management experience that other stars older than him had. But this, instead of impacting Bryant’s game, made him only hungrier. While he grew and grew professionally, but personally, he suffered the consequences of his hard work.
He was alone. Without any friends. His Lakers teammates were closer to Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant was socially lacking. He had no idea how to warm up to his peers and the veterans. In his book Three-ring Circus, Jeff Pearlman claimed that Kobe Bryant’s parents had a role to play in his self-imposed solitude.
Pam and Joe Bryant controlled Kobe’s life
In his 2020 book covering the history of the Lakers’ most recent three-peat, Pearlman wrote in detail about the relationship between Kobe Bryant and his parents. Pearlman believed that because Bryant had been awfully young, Joe and Pam molded him to their desire.
Joe had himself been a professional athlete, he knew everything that could go wrong for a star. The parents just wanted to protect their son. However, in their need to protect him, protect his gifts, the parents turned their son into a solitary man. Kobe was unable to form a bond with his teammates and struggled to make the Lakers his home.
Jeff Pearlman: “Joe and Pam Bryant had their own issues to sort through. Ever since Kobe entered the NBA in 1996, his parents had been (literally) by his side. Having played eight NBA seasons, Joe Bryant knew the pressures and issues of being a professional, and he desperately wanted to steer his son out of trouble. That’s why he and Pam relocated from the East Coast to supervise his life, run his affairs, keep his home in order, make sure no outsiders were taking advantage. They initially lived in his six-bedroom house, then moved to a significantly larger spot on the same street. Much of Kobe Bryant’s solitude was due to the repeated lectures administered by his folks: Be your own man. Make your own mark. Don’t get sucked in.”
Kobe Bryant could not connect with his teammates
Looking back at all the behind-the-scenes stories of Bryant’s career really makes you wonder how much stress he was coping with. He was a young teen who wanted to be the best in the game. However, with a personality like Shaquille O’Neal on his squad, things became difficult for the young Mamba.
It hasn’t been easy between Kobe and his parents, Joe and Pam Bryant, but make no mistake, this is their award too, especially Pam, the perfectionist mother. Congrats to them as well.
— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) March 5, 2018
While O’Neal found it easy to connect with others, Bryant wasn’t as socially gifted. His desire to practice and improve kept him away from all the parties and distractions, things his teammates bonded over. But fortunately, Bryant survived all the pressures of being alone. After all, he is easily the most beloved athlete in LA history.
