NBA: 30 NBA players you forgot acted in movies or TV shows – Kobe Bryant
There is very little that needs to be said to introduce you to the late, great Kobe Bryant. Not simply one of the greatest to play the game, Bryant had a brilliant and creative mind that, when paired with his unparalleled drive, pushed him into new realms during and after his playing career.
He became a writer, a director, a producer, even winning an Oscar for his short film “Dear Basketball” in 2018. His show “Detail” that probes the minds of former greats to help explain modern sports was a hit from the beginning and continues to this day with other sports luminaries taking up the mantle. Bryant was brilliant at everything he did.
Yet before he was proving himself an accomplished writer and producer, he was making the same television cameos as many of his peers. Bryant wasn’t bouncing around every show filming in Los Angeles like his teammate Shaquille O’Neal, but he did pick his spots. During his rookie season he appeared on Sister, Sister, looking every bit a guy just out of high school.
Years later he made a surprise appearance on Modern Family, where the Dunphy family unexpectedly draws his attention and dad Phil “chokes” about what to ask him. Kobe chides him. “Preparation” he tells Phil. “It’s a mental game.”
That’s good advice for all of us.