“Will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete” — Kobe Bryant would’ve turned Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s words true in a literal sense had it not been for that devastating tragedy. There is not an ounce of doubt that Bryant will always be remembered as one of the greatest to ever have played the game. But hanging his basketball shoes in 2016, Black Mamba had set himself towards a new chapter, the plans of which Matt Barnes gives a glimpse into.

During a recent appearance at UNINTERRUPTED Film Fest, Matt Barnes recalled being with the 18x All-Star in his office before he did his last interview. He recollected Bryant telling him that his upcoming 20 years’ plan will make people forget his NBA era. “He was so intelligent and so adamant about being the greatest in the business space,” Barnes mentioned.

Even before his passing, the LA Lakers icon had already made some major investments in multiple companies. These include Dell, Alibaba, Epic Games, Body Armor, and many more. Apart from this, he also established an award-winning multimedia content company named Granity Studios. One can only imagine the extent Black Mamba would’ve taken his business empire to in two decades, also given Barnes’ further revelations.

During the film fest, thw 2017 Champion detailed how Kobe Bryant planned on using his work ethic to his advantage in business. One plan was to replace the early morning fitness schedule with getting ahead on e-mails and connecting with people. The habit of getting up early by around 4:30 was supposed to stay the same. Following a similar pattern, the 5x NBA champ intended to apply all the discipline, focus and accountability of his NBA era to his business life, as revealed by Barnes.

It is worth mentioning Black Mamba’s last sit-in interview came with USA Today’s Mark Medina. While there were multiple issues, the 5x NBA champ and the USA Today reporter talked about, one in particular was adapting to a new life.

Kobe Bryant’s last interview confirms Black Mamba was ready to move on from the NBA to new beginnings

In a 2020 article, Medina wrote about his last sit-in interview with Black mamba in the 5x NBA champ’s office. As mentioned by the USA Today reporter, this article reflected upon the then mindset of Bryant. Once consumed by his competitiveness for the sport, the 18x All Star seemed to have moved on from the NBA.

The player who once viewed every NBA season that did not bring championship as a failure, finally seemed at peace with his 5 championships, 2 Finals MVP, and a regular-season MVP. In fact, the article mentions that more than any of these accolades, he was excited about his Oscar, Sports Emmy and Annie Award for his short film, Dear Basketball. 

“Our challenge now is taking books and making them into films, feature films and in series. Some of which will be animated, some of which will be live action,” Kobe said of his new approach in his last interview. So it’s clear what Barnes said is most likely true. Kobe Bryant actually had major business plans for the future. But unfortunately, the business world never got to witness them with his untimely demise.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.