Kobe Bryant’s NBA playing career came to an end on Wednesday, but that just means his post-playing career can now begin. And if he wants to go into broadcasting, he’ll apparently be a man in demand.
TMZ Sports says TNT’s “Inside the NBA” is already courting Bryant for a position with the show. “Inside the NBA” features Kobe’s former teammate/nemesis Shaq, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley, and is one of the most popular basketball-centric shows on TV. It’s unclear whether TNT is trying to hire Bryant as a playoff analyst or for a full-time position next season, but there’s little doubt they or anyone else would love to have him.
The issue here is whether Bryant would be interested.
Kobe said in January that he is not interested in coaching or broadcasting, although either stance could change. Bryant has expressed a lot of interest in his new business/media ventures and even revealed that he spent several hours at the office the day of his retirement game. It seems Bryant would be most strongly focused on his company rather than broadcasting. However, if he ever begins to miss the spotlight, doing TV work is the easiest way to regain that, so the possibility should not be dismissed.
