While Kobe Bryant dedicated his life to the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, he’s made a seamless — and successful — transition into other ventures since retiring in 2016.
Bryant’s first act was to dive into storytelling, which earned him an Oscar Award for best animated short film. The video was based off the “Dear Basketball” poem that Bryant penned to formally announce his retirement.
In addition to producing video content, Bryant has also made regular appearances to speak with teams. When the Philadelphia Eagles were in town to play the Rams last December, the five-time champion paid a visit to their team hotel.
The latest to call on Bryant was the Alabama football team, who had some excitement added to the toll fall camp can take.
Mamba Mentality! Great to have @kobebryant in the building.#OutworkYesterday#Rolltide pic.twitter.com/fODPUR6GHX
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 10, 2018
A powerhouse with sustainability similar to what Bryant displayed during his playing career, the Crimson Tide heard from the fiery competitor about adapting as a leader to what the team around you needs most.
Bryant specifically mentioned needing to adjust once the Lakers surrounded him with Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom. They not only became two of Bryant’s closest friends, but had career seasons en route to the Lakers winning back-to-back championships.
Alabama joins the USC Trojans as collegiate football teams Bryant has spoken to. Head coach Clay Helton presented Bryant with a No. 24 Trojans jersey and raved about the message his team received.
In June, Bryant stopped by New England Patriots during an organized team activity. Although he rooted against them in Super Bowl LII, several Patriots spoke fondly of Bryant.
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