BET’s Genius Talk’s Recap W/ Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is notably one of the greatest NBA players. This year, the five-time NBA champion of the Los Angeles Lakers sat down with ESPN’s Jemele Hill during BET’s Genius Talks live-streamed interview powered by AT&T. Throughout the interview, Kobe let fans into his past, present, and future. Jemele kept fans engaged as she maneuvered questions and Kobe kept things unfiltered.

While several injuries have kept Kobe off the court of the course of the past year, many have speculated retirement would be coming soon. Even more so recently, rumors have begun circulating that this just may be the Black Mamba’s final season. Kobe addressed those rumors stating:

“It might be. You gotta retire sometime. I’m not Benjamin Button, man. It might be! It might be, it might not be. I don’t think about it, it’s like I’m not gonna sit down and say I need to think about this, I won’t. At the end of the season, if I feel like doing it again, I will. If I don’t, I won’t. But, I won’t make a big deal about it.”

There’s no denying Kobe has been known to have one of the most disliked personalities behind locker room doors and many players have expressed how difficult it is to work with him. However, very few tell you about his dedication to help younger athletes transitioning into the NBA.

“The biggest thing for young player now is to ask why. What good is knowing a simple task but not understanding the process that makes it work?” said Kobe. He goes on to explain his concerns about players being told what to do and how to do things but not understanding why they happen.

Throughout the interview Kobe goes on to let fans know about his fears, work ethics, his wife and children, and so much more. So in the words of Kobe “friends come and go but banners hang forever.” There undoubtedly no denying his passion to be the best and give his all for his team. Check out a clip from the interview.