Over the last 20 years, Kobe Bryant transformed himself into one of the best NBA players of all time, but it came at a cost. A literal cost. If you’re not familiar with Kobe’s family history, he has almost no relationship with his parents, and it’s at least partly because of issues surrounding money. Towards the end of the 2015-16 NBA season, he said that he hopes the strained relationship gets better over time, but for now, he’s not on good terms with his mom or dad.
It sounds like he’s had to cut ties with other family members and friends as a result of money, too. He just penned a long letter to his 17-year-old self for The Players’ Tribune, and in the letter, he warns young Kobe about giving too much money to those around him. He tells his younger self to "invest" in his family and friends and not to "just give," and he pushes his younger self to use his position of power to benefit those closest to him:
But the most telling part of the letter comes when Kobe addresses the issues he’s had with his parents. He doesn’t pull any punches as he talks about creating "the right budget" for them in an effort to improve everyone’s future:
The entire letter is worth a few minutes of your time. You can read it here.
Related Stories
No Comparisons: Kobe Was One of a Kind
For twenty years Kobe has been compared to others. Time to appreciate his uniqueness.
