Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant recently shed light on how much his former agent means to him and his family.
Ever since he hung up his sneakers for good, Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant has been living life to the fullest. Retirement has given Bryant the luxury to deepen his passion for storytelling.
Moreover, it has enabled the all-time great to spend more time with his family. A prime example of that came earlier this year after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII. After the Eagles claimed the title, Bryant pranced around like there was no tomorrow.
Needless to say, during his storied 20-year career in the NBA, such special moments were rare for Kobe and his kin. The NBA season can be rather long and arduous at times. It is key to note that a good chunk of time is spent on the road.
Despite that being the case, Bryant recently took the time to explain that his family had a great secondary source of help when he was away from home. Anthony Irwin of SB Nation discusses this in more depth.
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This backup came in the form of Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka. Pelinka, at the time, served as the Black Mamba’s agent.
Thus, to know Pelinka balanced that responsibility with another non-professional role is admirable.
In an interview with Rich Eisen of “The Rich Eisen Show,” Bryant revealed how much Pelinka means to him. Additionally, Kobe also admitted that the two still talk about the Lakers all the time.
"“Eisen: How often do you give your thoughts on the Laker roster to your former agent (Rob Pelinka)?Bryant: Every time Rob calls me. Look, Rob and I have been friends forever. He’s Godfather to (Bryant’s daughter) Gianna, and so we’ll talk. Sometimes I’ll call just to check on him and see how he’s doing. Because when I played during the season, he’d have to pick up for me, with my family.I’d miss Halloween, Christmas, so he’d go out with my family and stuff when he was my agent, so now it’s just kind of reversed. So when he’s on the road, I’ll spend time with his family and take them out trick-or-treating and all that good stuff.”"
To get a load of the dynamic between Rob and Kobe is pretty amazing. It proves Bryant still thinks about basketball even if he intends to never have a professional role with the Lakers.
However, what is crucial to point out here is the element that transcends the sport. Based on what the 5-time champion discloses, the general manager is like family to him.
The fact that Rob used to play a fatherly role of sorts for Kobe’s family is hard to not smile about. Holidays like Christmas, especially, are all about family, but, alas, Bryant’s Lakers played on the occasion quite a few times.
It is difficult to imagine what Bryant’s kids felt like at times when this occurred. Being without a dad on a day like that is probably not the most joyful feeling to endure.
Therefore, to realize Pelinka went the extra mile during his former client’s career is special. It truly demonstrates the bond between the two and how much they care about one another.
Accordingly, to read that Bryant has returned the favor says a lot about their companionship. Given that Rob is busier these days, it makes sense that the former Laker has done his part to be fatherly.
It is interesting that Kobe has volunteered for treat-or-treat duty due to how strict his diet was in the NBA. He was famous when it came to staying in shape. Nevertheless, this lighthearted example shows that retirement has perhaps loosened those shackles to some extent.
Whether Bryant actually eats a lot of sweets on Halloween cannot be gauged. What is known for sure, though, is that the friendship between him and Rob remains strong.