Despite having the world at their feet most of the time, NBA stars have often been at the center of embarrassing moments on live television as well. One such instance occurred in the life of Kobe Bryant at the tender of 19 when he appeared on a 1997 talk show hosted by Cindy Crawford. During the program, the then 31-year-old supermodel openly teased the teenager, which set the stage for a strange interaction.
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She set the initial trap by asking Bryant, “Do you always dribble before you shoot?”. Upon the latter showcasing his willingness to do so on the court, the host quickly hinted at the flirtatious double meaning behind the question. This moment of realization immediately changed Bryant’s expression for the worse. Reading the room, Crawford took a step back, stating, “I forgot you are a virgin”.
This was just one of the several comments she made on set that night. At the start of the show, while introducing Bryant to the crowd, Crawford urged him to reveal the meaning behind his first name. Upon the then Los Angeles Lakers youngster responding, “It means tender meat,” the host seductively asked, “Does it mean tender, young meat?”.
These provocative exchanges sustained till the end of the show as Crawford left no stone unturned. Consequently, another such moment happened when she invited Bryant to play a 1v1 basketball game against her. Soon after the teenager agreed to do so, the host teased him, mentioning, “Normally when I play, they triple team me”.
Decades later, these flirtatious exchanges have resurfaced on Instagram, as a fan account recently put them on full display, garnering all kinds of attention from NBA fans.
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Despite all of Crawford’s efforts, Bryant kept her at an arm’s distance throughout the night. Even though he fell for her tricks time and again, the then-Lakers youngster promptly snapped out of it on each occasion.
Whether it be due to intention or ignorance, the Philadelphia-born kept on overlooking her hints to kickstart flirtatious conversations, maintaining his reputation as a focused athlete.
That said, Crawford only seemed to put on this act solely to entertain the audience. Additionally, she likely respected Bryant’s stance throughout these exchanges and probably even warned Kobe ahead of time about the direction she’d be going in. After all, it’s clear that she has always respected the now-Lakers legend.
Years later, her respect for Kobe Bryant remained intact
Following this interaction, they became close friends over time. So, the sudden passing of Kobe saddened Crawford deeply. Over a year after his heartbreaking crash in 2020, she posted on Instagram to grieve his death, writing,
“Woke up remembering Angel and her father. Gone but not forgotten. Your legacy of love and courage is an inspiration to us all” [per Daily Mail].
This further highlighted the strength of their bond. While Kobe Bryant and Cindy Crawford may have gotten off on a rather awkward note, the two only grew closer with time. And today, perhaps she misses him just as much as Vanessa Bryant and the rest of his family do.
