NBA Throwback: When Kobe Bryant admitted his relationship with his parents was "s**t"
Kobe Bryant did not have the best relationship with his parents, by his own account. The Los Angeles Lakers legend shared in a 2016 interview following his retirement from the NBA that he was not on speaking terms with them.
Speaking to ESPN, the NBA Hall of Famer stated:
"Our relationship is s**t. I say [to them], 'I'm going to buy you a very nice home, and the response is 'That's not good enough'?" he says. "Then you're selling my s**t?"
Bryant reportedly fell out with his parents following their 2013 attempt to auction off some of his high school memorabilia. A judge at the time ruled that his parents could auction off six items, which earned them $500,000. Kobe did note, however, that his relationship with his sisters was strong as they did not rely on him for money, adding:
"They're very smart, college-educated [women]. I'm really proud of them. They were able to get their own jobs, get their own lives, take care of themselves. Now they have a better sense of self, of who they are as people, instead of being resentful because they were relying on me. It was tough for me to do, but it's something you have to do, something you have to be very strong about."
While Kobe Bryant's relationship with his parents was rocky at times, particularly during his playing career, he worked on fixing it prior to his untimely passing. Both Pam and Joe "Jellybean" Bryant were present at the Los Angeles Lakers' legend's funeral.
How did Kobe Bryant perform in his career?
Kobe Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to pick up a basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers star averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field, 32.9% from 3-point range and 83.7% from the free-throw line.
Bryant helped lead the Lakers to five championships, winning two NBA Finals MVP awards. He was named the 2007-2008 NBA MVP. Bryant was named to 18 All-Star Teams, 15 All-NBA Teams, 12 All-Defensive Teams and the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, while winning two scoring titles.
The NBA legend retired with 33,643 points, which was the third-most in NBA history at the time of his retirement. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and had his numbers 8 and 24 retired, becoming the only player in league history to have two numbers retired by one franchise.