‘No Matter What’: Ron Harper Jr. Shares the Crucial Advice He Received From Kobe Bryant

Ron Harper Jr. is following in his father’s footsteps and has his sight set on entering the NBA. The talented swingman is loaded with talent, and he is one among thousands of players who admire the late Kobe Bryant. 

Harper plays for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and is currently in his junior year in college. Being the son of an NBA player, Harper got to travel with his father a lot and even had the privilege of meeting Kobe Bryant once in a while. 

Ron Harper was teammates with Kobe in Los Angeles, and upon retirement, he used to take his son to NBA games to teach him the game. 

Ron Harper Jr. recollects a memorable anecdote about Kobe Bryant 

Kobe Bryant had the ability to leave a lasting impression on anybody that he met. Likewise, a young Ron Harper Jr. first met Kobe at the MSG when the Lakers took on the Knicks. A timid Harper Jr. hid behind his father when he met Kobe for the first time.

“I remember the first time I met him. I was like, around the age of seven and eight. The Knicks were playing the Lakers at MSG and my dad took me to go see him in New York City. I was nervous. I was so nervous, I was a little kid and it was like Kobe Bryant, the Michael Jordan of my era, you know like, one of the greatest ever do it,” Harper reminisced.

“My dad’s just sitting there talking and I’m just like hiding behind my dad, like they’re just standing up talking and I’m like hiding behind my dad. He called me over he’s like, ‘Junior come here don’t be afraid we’re family,’ and I’ll just never forget that moment,” he added. 

Just like any other kid, Harper Jr. felt quite nervous standing in front of Kobe Bryant. The Lakers legend broke the ice during their first meeting, and it is something that will be etched in the Scarlet Knights player’s memory forever.

Kobe’s memory recall amazed Harper

Ron Harper Jr. detailed on this anecdote when he recently connected on ‘The Field of 68 Podcast’ with John Fanta and Demetris Nichols. The NCAA Division I basketball player was taken aback by Kobe’s humility during their first meeting, but what happened later was even more incredible. 

“I remember one thing he told me he was like, he’s like no matter what. Whenever you touch the basketball, I want you to shoot it and I’ll teach you to pass later,” Harper added on what Kobe told him when he was seven-years-old. 

“10 years later, I see him at the Nike Academy, this was right before my senior year. He was like, ‘Do you remember what I told you like 10 years ago?’ and at the moment I didn’t know what he’s talking about and he’s like ‘I told you, always shoot the ball will teach you how to pass later,’ and it was just like it was a moment it was just like so Kobe, you know,” Harper expressed. 

Kobe Bryant truly impacted Harper in a motivational way by showing interest in his game. The NBA superstar had remembered the exact words that he uttered several years ago, and his memory retention left Harper speechless. 

Also Read | ‘Made Me Feel So Connected to Him’: Lakers’ Anthony Davis Shows His Passion, Love & Respect for Kobe Bryant