Transcription
Jerry West and Jerry's with us right now. And Jerry, I, I, I appreciate you being here with us today, my friend, because this is a, I know this is a tough day for all of us, but especially for you, because you were the one that discovered Kobe.
Oh, Jim, you know, I really didn't discover Kobe, okay? There was, you know, he was a great young high school player at that time. It wasn't involved to grab players like that. And as I say, it was part of the process of getting here. And his agent and Norrin Tellum and myself were able to working through the draft until he became a Laker. And those were very exciting moments for us to get a, you know, charismatic kid like him, but more importantly, a very unique talent. And it was started a long, I don't say process, but started a long friendship and working relationship. And to hear this news this morning, frankly, at first, I was shocked. And then after a while, it really sunk, it sunk in. And, you know, to see the transformation of him from a 17-year-old kid who used to spend time in my house with me, to my son Ryan driving him around because he couldn't drive, he couldn't even sign a contract because he was too young, to him the constant questions about the NBA, wanting me to go to a gym with him to watch him work out and maybe make suggestions to him. It was more than I, I really felt like a surrogate father to him. And then as his career blossomed, and, you know, he started to establish this enormous reputation as a player and, and also filled with accomplishments, but his charisma on top of it was something that most great players don't have. And he had it. But to wake up to this news, this has been one of the most horrible days of our life. I felt like, I felt like I've lost this arm. And frankly, not doing very well.
Yeah, Jerry, I know we, there's only a few people that have had a really intimate relationship with with Kobe, and, and you're one of them, because you were with him there through the good, the bad, and the indifferent.
Well, Jim, you know, it wasn't all rosy, and it ever is, and particularly for someone like him who was so anxious for success. And, you know, I remember there's one personal thing I remember. I said to him after a game where he played, "Nessen, man, he looked a little tired tonight." And he said to me, he said, "I just proposed to my wife. I took, hopefully, my new wife." And I'll never forget that moment. It was in the locker room right after a game. And, you know, to see him get married, have children, and change a career so drastically to where he was making a difference in his world, not as an athlete, but as a very bright person. His interest in women, in terms of his basketball academy, the pie that he took into those things. And to see that all taken, and his family, my job, I just, I just gonna have to be some really strong people out there supporting them because this is, this is the worst news you could ever get.
I know it's a difficult journey. You knew him better than anyone. And the other thing is, he came to you for advice, not only about basketball, but just about growing in maturity to a young man responsible to his family and to the community as well, didn't he?
Well, Jim, you know, how to say, I don't want to go around saying that I was responsible for his life, period. I don't, because that would be grossly unfair. But the thing that I will share with you is how, to me, the things I saw him, the maturity that I saw him grow into, her son grow up, I saw him deal with, you know, press that was negative at times because, and he played the game with a player, and anytime you play the game as a player, you're susceptible to making mistakes. But I was his biggest supporter, but also I had some very serious talks with him about how he needs to change his game a little bit to be able to accommodate himself with his other teammates. But I think the thing that brought me great joy was to watch him with his wife and his kids. It was truly inspiring for me to see this. He lived in a world of testosterone, okay? His all athlete, do. And for him to be able to separate that athletic accomplishments with his personal accomplishments and the things that he was doing to have a successful career. This was a brilliant kid. This wasn't some athlete who just happened to be a great basketball player. He was more than that. And I know it'll take a long time for me to get over this one.
Jerry, why, why do you think he's still so beloved today, even though he's been out of the game for a couple of years?
Jim, again, I think players that play the game with a flair, okay? You see a lot of great players who, you know, look at Abdul-Jabbar's career, okay? And he just had a completely different personality. And you can argue, be say he had the greatest career anymore, but you have people, I don't think will equate and look at him the same way they do. I do as Magic Johnson. He played the game with a flair. He had a great vibe with the fans. He still does. He's bigger than life. And Kobe's legacy, it will remain forever. His impact will remain forever. And that's my God, I just feel so horrible for his family. And for as great a basketball player as he was, Jerry, and I've said many times, and I've heard you say it too, he, he was a better family man, a husband, and father. Man, he, he loved those ladies in his home.
Well, all you had to do was see him with them. That's all you had to do. And how were once kid at him one time when after he had a couple girls, and you know, you know, I did, I was not, I'm not someone who goes around and communicates with players or ex-players, okay? I don't think that's my position in this world. I just know the admiration I have for the players that have really achieved something special. But sometimes the ones who have it, but with him, say he had a little extra gold sprinkled on him. And I was kidding him. I said, "You're not a man. I said, you have always women in your life." And of course, he laughed at it. But to think that I won't see him, think his family won't see him. People who loved him, people admired him. Just god-awful. He was a gift, wasn't he, Jerry?
Jim, he was definitely a gift. Yes, it was. And as I say, you never know when, what a kid is going for, what it's going to be. And even though he was a son of a basketball player, yes, it's hard to imagine his excellence, his, you know, people call it Mamba mentality. I don't, I don't. He was just born with an incredible desire to win. It had nothing with his mentality. He just wanted to win at all costs. And he would win at all costs. He laid his line on the line. His wife was alive every night when it comes to winning. Losing was not in his vocabulary. And with a lot of great pointers, but he just had this persona that very few have. A lot of desire and a lot will never have, even though they've had great careers.
Would you, would you say he, he was one of the most singularly focused athletes you've ever been around?
Yesterday, gentlemen, I think in today's day and age, and particularly with more social media that we have today, it gets talked about so much, okay? But there's other players that's had that same focus that. And I think because he talked about how people wanted to know what drove him, and he talked about it a lot more. But there's a lot of players that have it, but they don't have that persona. They just don't have it. And God, that will be missed in this city. Oh, my goodness. For me, it's a, you know, I started off in disbelief, and now I'm in another place. Started the plate. Yeah.
He was, he was also, Jerry, one of the few individuals that that we know that when he walked across the street, he really did stop traffic, didn't he?
Jimmy, again, as I said before, there's certain people that have that. And Magic Johnson, same way. The same way. And the people in Los Angeles have been blessed to see some incredibly gifted players. And he was homegrown. Magic Johnson was homegrown. And they mean so much to this city, so much to their communities, so much to young kids out there looking for something positive in their lives. And society is just, this is just really hard for me to believe. I don't, I just want to go to bed and think that this is a nightmare.
Jerry, when, when he retired, he was ready. I mean, there are a lot of guys who are forced into retirement. There are some guys who kind of adjust to retirement, but he was, he was ready for retirement. It was almost as though everything you told him and taught him came to fruition because what he said, "Mamba out." He was ready to go.
It's not what I taught him. Your body teaches you this. It's your body. It's not your body. It talks to you all the time when you're an athlete, okay? People see athletes perform at this enormously high level, and they can't jack it up every night, regardless of how gifted they are. They can go out there and get numbers that no one else can do and influence a game. But somewhere along the way, your will gets tested because you just don't feel like you can compete at that level every night as you get older. But as I say, this is, I've had a loss of brother in war at 19 years of age. And to lose someone that I loved in my eyes. Oh, Bobby.
Yeah, Jerry, we've just been told that his daughter, Gianna, was on that plane with him.
I had heard that, to me, unfortunately. And that's the one who, you could always see him within pictures. And my wife was just going through some pictures of me and my kids with him when he was a puppy. And now, just think back those days, carefree, happy, bright-eyed young man, or the teenager. I'd frankly out anymore.
Over, Jerry, what's the, what's the life lesson? Because I know you always were teaching your players, no matter how many years they've been in the league. What's the life lesson to learn from the from the life of Kobe Bryant?
Hard work, dedication, beyond me, and this enormous desire to succeed. And the people are successful, a lot of people talk a good game and they make themselves bigger in the newspaper than they really are. He lived it. He did it. And as I say, he should be an inspiration for all. You can see people's determination in a game. You could see his. And you can, you watch that. And those are the players that I admire most. Some of them don't have his skill, but those are the players I admire most. I don't like, I'm not into flighty players. I'm not into people who look pretty. I'm into results. But he happened to be pretty to watch. You know, my God, the results they got were enormous. And for the people in Los Angeles to watch this for 20 years, a lot of families grew up with him, okay? A lot. And a lot of people were inspired by him. And he is, I think he'll inspire more people now. Jimmy, I think he'll be, he'll be revered forever.