Veteran Reporter Talks Lifelong Friendship With Kobe Bryant

Your Los Angeles Lakers have had many great players come through the organization over the years, but in the opinion of this reporter, none have been greater than the late Kobe Bryant. 

Some will argue for Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neal, but the impact of Bryant may have him jump the others slightly. 

Johnson has even spoken about Bryant being the best Laker ever. He had an aura around him at all times and made friends with many people over the course of his career.

Veteran reporter Jim Gray spoke with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson and discussed his long friendship with the Bryant.

"Well, I had known Kobe since he was a month old because I spent time in Philadelphia and was one of the people that was on the broadcast team for the 76ers and had been there part of the San Diego Clippers and when they were there and so I got to know Pam and Joe Bryant; so I got to see Kobe at a very, very young age and got to follow his career -- obviously I left Philadelphia, but saw what he did at Lower Merion… but, just a being a friend of the family and so when he [Kobe] came out to Los Angeles, he was living in Los Angeles and so a familiar face to the Bryant family was very fortuitous and very lucky for me to have been able in that position and so having a relationship with Kobe was one of the great joys of my life and to see him play."

Per Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson

Gray seemed to know Bryant's parents, giving him more access to being around Bryant from a younger age. The family friend was a helpful hand for him when he came to the Lakers at first, something that Bryant likely enjoyed.