I hate doing these posts, because it’s so sad when we lose someone tragically and unexpectedly. But I feel it’s important to share how genuinely nice Kobe Bryant was, to take time out to talk with me, a kid reporter in an ocean of media. The 2007 premiere for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End was a HUGE red carpet at Disneyland, and a lot of stars only stopped to chat with the larger outlets. After all, there WERE hundreds of press organizations there. Kobe Bryant, a big star who was just there to enjoy a day out with his family and didn’t have an entertainment project to promote, gave me a few moments of his time. And the interview was a family affair at that – his wife, Vanessa, and daughter, Natalia, are right there on camera with him.
I was 10, and he didn’t treat me like I was “just a kid.” And yet he was patient. I really appreciate that.