Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has formed a creative outlet following his playing career with his ‘Canvas’ series and MuseCage network. During his retirement, he has experimented in different investment situations and has grown his business, Kobe Inc. It seems as though Bryant has found another venture, taking on a vocal position with the upcoming 2024 Olympic bid for the city of Los Angeles.
The LA2024 Facebook page hosted a live video session at the Rose Bowl, with legendary broadcaster Al Michaels and Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans. Bryant joined the two for a brief interview, where he formally announced that he would join the board of directors for the 2024 Olympics bid for the city of Los Angeles.
Bryant took some time to comment on the honor, stating that believes he can play an integral role in helping the city that has given him so much. The 18-time All-Star was also able to make a joke of the situation, stating that he has encouraged his daughter to make her own Olympic bid, via Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo! Sports:
“I’m extremely excited about joining the board here and trying to bring the Olympics back to Los Angeles,” said Bryant, joking that he was pushing his daughter to make an Olympic bid of her own. “I’ve convinced my 14-year-old daughter to start training with me at 5 o’clock in the morning.”
During the video, Bryant also announced that he would become the 100th member of the bid committee’s Athletes’ Commission. His role will go along with many other famous Los Angeles athletes. For example, he is set to join current Lakers President Magic Johnson on the board of directors.
With a lot more free time on his belt, Bryant has dabbled into yet another interesting field. The initial vote was filled with cities like Hamburg, Rome, Budapest and Boston, before they all withdrew their offers. The final decision has come down to a two-team race, between Los Angeles and Paris.
The winner of the 2024 Olympic bid will be announced on Sept. 13, with many believing the runner-up will be awarded the 2028 bid. The city of Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympics, while Los Angeles attempts to become the host city for a third time (1932 & 1984).