The late Kobe Bryant would have turned 44 years old today, and tributes to the five-time NBA champion are pouring in across the internet.
It is never a bad time to remember Kobe, so it was always interesting to learn a new story about the legendary Lakers superstar. Each offers insight into the mind and persona of the iconic basketball.
The latest story about Kobe that caught my attention was from veteran NBA reporter Marc Spears. The sportswriter requested an interview with Bryant, who agreed to do it but with one very unusual condition: Spears would have to change his wardrobe.
You can watch Spears tell the story in his own words below:
Andscape reporter Marc J. Spears recalls the time he caught Kobe Bryant in the parking lot and asked him for an interview. Kobe agreed but under one very specific condition. #HoopStories pic.twitter.com/u7OxdJgjfn
— Andscape (@andscape) August 23, 2022
According to Spears, Bryant said that he would only chat with him if he no longer wore Adidas:
“Why are you wearing this Adidas stuff, man? You know I’m Nike. I’m not going to do the interview unless you get rid of that suit … When you get home, I want you to take that suit and throw it away and I want you to show me video of you throwing away the suit so I know that you actually did it.”
Spears has told this story before, and he has previously stated that during the exchange, Bryant was with former Nike executive Nico Harison, who is now president of basketball operations for the Mavericks.
Unfortunately, however, this story has no twist ending in which Bryant gifted Spears a replacement from Nike.
