Kobe Bryant was a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. He was famous for his unmatched competitiveness, tireless work ethic, and the “Mamba Mentality” that propelled him to a 20-year legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers. Between the lines, Kobe Bryant’s relationship with his wife, Vanessa Bryant, was an enduring part of his public persona, but stories from the time before they met keep bubbling up.

During an episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, actor Robert Ri’Chard revealed Kobe’s young years, recalling memories from a period before Vanessa (his wife) came into his life. When asked to share a story about Kobe, Ri’Chard candidly mentioned that every time he saw Kobe, he was with a new girl.

“I think the best Kobe story was seeing him with so many girls when he first got to California. Now ladies and gentlemen he was single. Every single time I saw Kobe, he was with a different girl,” said Ri’Chard during the podcast.

However, Ri’Chard was careful to highlight that these events took place long before Kobe had any commitments to Vanessa, which allowed fans to separate these early stories from the committed family man Kobe later became. “Before Vanessa, before Vanessa. She’s a local girl too. I think she went to El Segundo High School I think,” added Ri’Chard during the podcast.

Kobe’s relationship with Vanessa is a big chapter in his life story as he met Vanessa in 1999. At the time, he was just 21, while Vanessa was 17. The couple had their ups and downs, especially during Kobe and Vanessa’s call for divorce in 2011. Despite challenges, Vanessa stood by Kobe, and their bond remained solid until his tragic passing in 2020. “She was just beautiful. We literally did everything together. Everything together,” said Bryant in his documentary.

Now coming to Robert Ri’Chard is a versatile actor known for his work in both film and television. He is quite popular in the basketball world for his work in the film ‘Coach Carter‘ alongside the legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson. Although the details about Bryant and Ri’Chard’s bonding are sparse, it can be speculated that they have known each other for a long time, given that Ri’Chard knows this particular Kobe story in the first place. However, there was another time when the Hollywood actor had shown the world what Kobe meant to him.

Robert Ri’Chard once cried for Kobe Bryant

When Kobe Bryant was tragically taken from us in January 2020, the entire sports world shook, uprooting many fans, athletes, and the wider NBA community into tears. A sense of loss rushed through the globe when news broke of his helicopter crash killing himself and seven others including his daughter Gianna. As with every great icon, the d–th of Kobe also affected actors like Robert Ri’Chard.

During an appearance on ‘We Talk Weekly Entertainment,‘ Ri’Chard shed light on the time when he first got the unfortunate news. “I was posting a workout right when I found out. So I was gonna post some long a– workout that I did in the morning and then I found out at like 10 AM before anybody found out and I thought I should be of service to people and let everyone know that Kobe was no longer with us. So I decided to post that instead of posting like whatever negligible other post was,” said Ri’Chard during his appearance.

However, his video was not perceived in a good way by some people as he was crying in it. “Listen everyone’s talking about this meme of me crying and whatever. A lot of people are like, yo why is Rob crying? And I thought to myself and said Kobe Bryant was a father to all of us… If I can’t shed a tear for that, and if I can’t pour a little liquor for that, then what are we here for?,” added Ri’Chard.

The NBA star’s passing not only left a void in sports but reminded millions, including Robert, of the fragility of life and the lasting impact of Kobe’s legacy beyond the basketball court.