It’s been a couple of years since the world lost Kobe Bryant and it still doesn’t feel real. Not seeing him around Los Angeles Lakers games or during the NBA’s 75th-anniversary ceremony still hurts like the very first day.
Bryant was taken away from us at such a young age. He looked happier than ever, ready to build perhaps the greatest sports-business empire in the world. So many of his endeavors will now never see the light of day.
And, shocking as it may seem, one of those enterprises was in the NBA broadcast industry. According to Charles Barkley, Kobe was ready to join him and Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA on TNT set.
NBA Rumors: Charles Barkley Reveals Kobe Bryant Was Supposed To Work On NBA On TNT
“I’m not supposed to tell you this. We actually hired Kobe Bryant at Turner,” Barkley said. “But he didn’t wanna do all the other B.S. I’m probably going to get in trouble for saying this but it’s one of the little things we keep under. He actually signed with us.”
“When we started I told him I had to do a bunch or radio shows,” Barkley continued. “I’d go on this show on Monday, same thing on Tuesday, same thing on Wednesday, same thing on Thursday. He was like, ‘yeah I don’t want to do all that stuff.’ I said, ‘you have to promote the show, Kobe.’ There’s probably only 10 people in the world who know that.”
It would’ve been a treat to watch the Black Mamba breaking down the game. It also would’ve been awesome to see him side by side with Shaq, going back-and-forth on their careers and just messing with each other.
Kobe’s NBA legacy and legend will live on forever. You can see his impact even on the younger players still entering the league. His absence will never feel real or be less painful for those who grew up watching him dominate the game.
