USA Today writer Mark Medina interviewed Kobe Bryant about a week ago in what will end up being Bryant’s final sit-down interview after he, his daughter Giannna, and seven others tragically died Sunday in a helicopter crash.
The interview: Medina wrote for USA Today that he sat down with Bryant at Bryant’s office to learn more about his transition into the storytelling company, called Granity, and his new training center, Mamba Sports Academy.
- Medina wrote that his last interview with Bryant “offered a window into his current mindset.”
- Medina: “He also seemed motivated to make his second act just as memorable. And that is what makes his unexpected death even more tragic. Not only did Bryant have so much more of his life to live. He had so much more of his life to give.”
Bryant’s words: Medina quoted Bryant twice from the last interview. Here are those two quotes.
- Bryant: “You got to do what you love to do. I love telling stories. I love inspiring kids or providing them with tools that are going to help them.”
- Bryant: “Our challenge now is taking books and making them into films, feature films and in series, some of which will be animated, some of which will be live action. So it’s figuring out how to do that, while understanding that owning the intellectual property is absolutely essential. And so that’s our challenge. It’s fun to figure out the journey but also extremely frustrating because things don’t move as fast as you want them to. But that’s OK.”
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What’s next: Bryant will be a first-ballot entry into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
- HOF chairman Jerry Colangelo: “Expected to be arguably the most epic class ever with Kobe, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Kobe will be honored the way he should be.