Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Recalls One of Her Favorite Kobe Bryant Moments

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recalled one of her favorite moments with the late Kobe Bryant.

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In an interview with the Kids Sports Reporters, Buss revealed one of the first interactions she had with the Lakers legend.

“One story I like to tell about Kobe is when I first met him. Kobe was 17 and a half when I met him, so not too much older than you,” Buss told the Kids Sports Reporters. “He was drafted to the Lakers and for some reason that day, Jerry West was out of town, my dad [Jerry Buss] was out of town, so they asked me to have lunch with him. When the waiter came over to take the order, Kobe asked the waiter, ‘Do you speak Spanish?’ And the waiter said, ‘Yes, I do.’ Kobe said, ‘I’m going to learn Spanish. I want to speak Spanish with you.'”

The NBA legend was known for being multilingual. He often answered journalists’ and fans’ questions in their native language. Bryant spoke Spanish, Italian, and Chinese.

Bryant’s ability to speak Spanish also helped the Lakers legend form a strong bond with teammate Pau Gasol, on and off the court.

His desire to connect with fans and international media was evident from the start of his basketball career.

“Kobe ended up not only learning Spanish, but spoke with no accent at all. And that was the kind of person he was where he would state a goal and he would work hard to accomplish what he wanted to do.”

Buss unintentionally gave insight into the origins of Mamba Mentality through the story she shared. Bryant is famous for his basketball talent, but also for the drive he had to be better each day. Mamba Mentality is essentially the journey one embarks on to improve each day as a player and a person, according to Bryant.

The legacy of Bryant transcends basketball. The week ahead of his birthday on Aug. 23 and Kobe Bryant day on Aug. 24, which is recognized by the city of Los Angeles, has been dubbed as “Mamba Week” since he passed in 2020.

To commence the special week, The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, released a collection of purple and gold merchandise called “LA Royal.” Festivities in honor of the Lakers legend are taking place all throughout Los Angeles.