In the days following his death, people started to share their one-off encounters with Kobe Bryant to showcase the type of man he was one and off the court. This led Entourage's Jerry Ferrara to recall an incident where Kobe kept his word.
It's no secret that competitive athletes like Kobe Bryant are willing and ready to gamble about almost anything. Per a story that Ferrara shared on Twitter—and was corroborated by castmate, Kevin Connolly—he and Connolly ended up on the winning end of a bet with Kobe.
In 2005, Kobe Bryant sprained his right ankle during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kobe ended up being sidelined for nearly a month as he nursed himself back to health. During this time, HBO's Entourage was preparing to shoot its next season, which included the show's first scene at the Staples Center. After the cast finished rehearsals, an injured Kobe strolled on to the court with his right leg in a walking boot.
As known, Kobe can shoot proficiently with both hands. Per the story, he turned to Connolly and Ferrara and urged them to put up $100 for every one-legged, left-handed shot he makes. Bean's first attempt rimmed out. Never one to give up easily, Kobe immediately offered a double or nothing bet. But, his second shot also rimmed out.
Although they technically won the bet, Ferrara and Connolly were so content with their interaction with Kobe that they didn't even mention the money, and the pair cleared the court to let the Lakers get ready for that night's game. Yet, just because they didn't hound him down for the cash doesn't mean that Kobe wasn't prepared to pay his debts.
The pair stayed to watch the Lakers game. About midway through the second quarter, they received an envelope from Kobe with $800 in it.
"About 5/6 minutes left in the second quarter a dude shows up and taps us on the shoulder and says 'From Kobe,'" Connolly tells Ferrara. "8 100 dollar bills. Chills."
