Kobe Bryant on Shaq Drama & Raising Four Daughters

Jimmy: HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE. Jimmy: NICE TO SEE YOU. YOU TOO, MAN. Jimmy: DO YOU HEAR THAT A LOT, RUNNING IN TRAFFIC AND THAT? YES. Jimmy: IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE. IT COULD AND MUCH WORSE. THAT IS SURE. Jimmy: EVERYTHING OK? EVERYTHING IS OKAY. Jimmy: YOU HAVE ANOTHER DAUGHTER. IT HAS TWO MONTHS? HE IS TWO MONTHS OLD. Jimmy: YOU WANT TO CALL HER KOKO? she THAT'S TRUE. KOKO. Jimmy: HER MIDDLE NAME IS KOBE. She that WASN'T YOUR IDEA, WAS IT? SHE CAME TO ME THINKING I'M THINKING ABOUT NAMING HER KOBE after her. WELL. THEN TIME PASSES, AND SHE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M GOING TO CHANGE HER HALF-TIME on her.

I'M LIKE, WOW! WOW! WOW! I DIDN'T THINK YOU ARE VERY HOT ABOUT IT. YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT NOW, FRIEND. YOU CAN'T GIVE ME A GIFT AND THEN TAKE IT AWAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW? Jimmy: THAT'S RIGHT. FOUR DAUGHTERS NOW. YES. Jimmy: I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT YOU HAVE DAUGHTERS. I FEEL IF YOU HAD A SON IN SPORTS IT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH FOR THAT CHILD. YES. Jimmy: YES. YES, YES, MAYBE, BUT YOU KNOW, I LOVE HAVING GIRLS. THESE ARE AWESOME, MAN. HAVING A CHILD, MY WIFE WANTS A CHILD MORE THAN ME. Jimmy: OH, INTERESTING. I LOVE MY GIRLS.

YOU KNOW, SHE KEEPS SAYING STOP TALKING IT IN EXISTENCE. Jimmy: UH-HUH. I LOVE MY GIRLS. STOP KEEPING THAT. YOU WANT A BOY! Jimmy: WHAT IS KOBE BRYANT LIKE IN THE DELIVERY ROOM? DO YOU BRING THE MAMBA MENTALITY TO THAT STAGE? MAN, WHAT? IF I EVER TRIED TO SAY ANYTHING TO MY WIFE WHEN I WAS GIVING BIRTH, MAN SHE WOULD HAVE MOM MENTALITY MY ASS UPWARDS OUT OF MY HIDE. Jimmy: YOUR OLDEST DAUGHTER IS ABOUT 16 YEARS OLD AND DRIVES. SHE IS. SHE IS LIKE AN EXPERIENCED VETERINARY. Jimmy: HOW? SHE IS VERY QUIET, SHE DOESN'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ANY MUSIC.

SHE IS A VERY SAFE AND CAREFUL DRIVER. Jimmy: IS IT ONLY WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CAR? NO, ALWAYS, she IS VERY QUIET, FRESH AND RECOMMENDED. I am VERY PROUD OF HER. Jimmy: THE NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE A DRIVER. I ALWAYS SAY, YOU LOOK AT THE OLDEST DAUGHTER. SHE IS ALWAYS THE QUIET, RESPONSIBLE, THOUGHTFUL ONE, YOU KNOW? AND THEN THE SECOND SISTER IS LIKE A TORNADO, YOU KNOW, LIKE ELSA AND ANNA. YOU KNOW, YES, SHE CAN FREEZE THE CITY AND ALL THAT, BUT SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, THEN THERE IS ANNA WHO JUST JUMP OFF A CLIFF AND THAT.

She that IS CERTAINLY OUR HOUSE. BUT THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TWO. Jimmy: YOUR SECOND OLDEST IS GIANNA. YES. Jimmy: SO YOU ALMOST GAVE HER THE NAME ANNA. ONE HUNDRED YOU HAD A PLAYOFF MATCH AGAINST LOS SOLES, YOU EQUATED THE GAME, YOU ENTERED EXTRA TIME AND MARKED SIX SECONDS REMAINING. THEN YOU RUN TO THE DELIVERY ROOM AND LATE OTHER AFTERNOONS, LIKE EARLY IN THE MORNING YOUR DAUGHTER WAS BORN to her. THAT SOUNDS RIGHT. Jimmy: Okay. IT WAS THAT NIGHT OR THE NEXT DAY. I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. Jimmy: DID YOU KNOW YOUR WIFE WAS IN LABOR WHILE YOU PLAYED THE GAME?

NO, IT DID NOT HAPPEN DURING THE GAME. She happened AFTER. Jimmy: SO THERE'S NO THOUGHT LIKE MAYBE I'LL MISS THIS AND GO HOME? INSTEAD OF SENDING THE GAME TO OVERTIME? Jimmy: MAYBE OVERTIME ISN'T A GOOD IDEA IN THE LONG TERM? YES. Jimmy: YES. NO, LUCKILY, THAT WAS NOT THE SITUATION. Jimmy: YOU WOULD HAVE PLAYED TEN OVERTIME IF YOU HAD TO, WOULD YOU? NO. Jimmy: YOU WOULDN'T. NO! Jimmy: YOU ARE NOT FOOL. HEY, THE BACKWARDS MENTALITY OF MY HEAD. Jimmy: YOU DID AN INTERVIEW, AND YOU WERE TALKING, LIKE TOMATO, BUT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SHAQ, AND YOU WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT SHAQ THAT HE WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT AS DRIVEN AS, NOBODY IS AS DRIVEN AS YOU, BUT INSIDE THAT IF SHAQ KEEPED IN BETTER SHAPE YOU'LL HAVE EVEN MORE RINGS THAN YOU ALREADY HAVE.

RIGHT. Jimmy: AND SHAQ DID, DID HE TAKE OFFENSE FOR THAT? YEAH, I THINK HE DID IT A LITTLE BIT. BUT HERE'S THE THING, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT'S REALLY A FULFILLMENT. PEOPLE MISSED THE WHOLE FIRST HALF OF THAT WHERE I SAID HE WAS THE MOST DOMINANT PLAYER I'VE EVER SEEN, AND I FELT HE COULD HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST EVER. J Jimmy: MM-HM. PEOPLE MISSED THAT PART AND CAUGHT THE LAZY PART. WE WERE NOT GOING TO WIN 12 RINGS OR PLAY ALL OUR RACES TOGETHER. BUT IT'S ALL GOOD, MAN. Jimmy: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? ARE YOU GOING, BOY, SHALL I CALL HIM BETTER?

OR CALLS YOU? HOW DOES IT WORK? NO, I CALL HIM. Jimmy: YOU GO CLOSE TO HIM. HE IS MORE SENSITIVE THAN ME. Jimmy: DID YOU SEND HIM A MESSAGE? I DID IT, I DID IT. Jimmy: WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY HEY HA HA HA? HEY, YOU KNOW. I SAID LISTEN NO HARD FEELINGS? I LOVE YOU. Jimmy: NO HARD FEELINGS. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO INSULTED HIM. ME THOUGH? Jimmy: I DON'T KNOW. YES. Jimmy: YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD HAVE TEXTED YOURSELF "ARE YOU UP?" I'M GOING TO TRAIN, DO YOU WANT TO JOIN ME? I SAID I'LL TUN IN TO THE SON PLAYING AT UCLA THIS YEAR.

IT IS BETTER TO THROW THE BALL 30 TIMES. Jimmy: HE POSTED PICTURES OF HIMSELF WETTING ON 12 GUYS. DOES THIS LOOK LAZY? DOMINANT. Jimmy: THINGS ARE GOOD. THINGS ARE GOOD BETWEEN YOU AGAIN. YES, YES, YES. Jimmy: GO OUT TOGETHER? I DON'T HAVE TIME. NEITHER HE. Jimmy: TACO TUESDAY, HAVE YOU BEEN TO TACO TUESDAY? I DON'T HAVE. I HAVE LIVED IN L.A. FOR LIKE 20 YEARS AND I AM MARRIED TO A LATINA. SO. Jimmy: YOU HAVE YOUR OWN TACO TUESDAY. LeBRON LOSES HIS HEAD EVERY WEEK. EACH ONE HAS HIS OWN, BROTHER. Jimmy: I'M FINE WITH TACO TUESDAY. THAT'S GOING TO GET IT GOING, GETS IT GOING.

IS AWESOME. Jimmy: DO YOU TAKE ANY PART IN ENCOURAGING GUYS LIKE OH, LEBRON, YOU KNOW, THE LAKERS FREE AGENTS TO COME TO LOS ANGELES, OTHER THAN MAYBE A TWEET OR SOMETHING? NO, NO. I STAY AWAY FROM IT. I AM VERY CLOSE WITH ROB, OBVIOUSLY. WE WILL OFTEN SPEAK JUST AS A SOUND BOARD FOR HIM. Jimmy: WOULD THEY ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT OR WOULD ROB BE FINED IF YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? NO, I COULD DO IT. Jimmy: YOU COULD REALLY GET TO -- I COULD, BUT I WON'T. Jimmy: YOU WON'T. WHY NOT? I STAY AWAY FROM THAT THING, MAN.

AS ROB IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE WORK AND ALL THE PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH IT. I'M QUICK TO TELL HIM, LISTEN, MAN, YOU'RE MY BOY, BUT YOU DIDN'T GO OUT ON THE FIELD EITHER AND SCORED ME 40 POINTS EITHER. SO I AM NOT GOING TO DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU. Jimmy: HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE IF HE COULD DO THAT? NO, MAN. LIKE WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. SO WE TALKED AND THINGS AND JUST AS FRIENDS, BUT NOTHING, NOTHING SERIOUS. Jimmy: WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT KAWHI LEONARD PICKED THE CLIPPERS OVER THE LAKERS? SAFE. Jimmy: YOU WERE.

SAFE. Jimmy: YOU THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO TO THE LAKERS. SAFE. Jimmy: WHO WILL GO FURTHER IN THE PLAYOFFS, THE LEAAKERS OR THE T CLIPPERS THIS SEASON? IT DEPENDS, AND I'M SAYING THAT NOT TO BE A LITTLE BOLD, BUT INJURIES HAVE PLAYED SUCH A HUGE PART. Jimmy: LET'S SAY BOTH TEAMS ARE BEAUTIFULLY HEALTHY FROM HERE ON. MANY YES. Jimmy: MANY DOES. THE COUSINS GOT HURT. HOUSTON IS HEALTHY TOO. IS THE GOLDEN STATE HEALTHY TOO? ARE WE DOING HEALTHY THINGS FOR EVERYONE? Jimmy: THAT L.A. RIVALRY WHAT IF THEY ARE PLAYING FOR AN INJURED HOUSTON ROCKETS TEAM AND JAMES CAN'T PLAY?

OR WHAT IF THEY ARE PLAYING WITH AN INJURED GOLDEN STATE TEAM. Jimmy: CAN'T YOU JUST PLAY MY GAME? NO, NO, I CAN'T. CAN'T. THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIABLES, MY MAN. I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS THING. Jimmy: THINKING IS OVERRATED. TIRED GOES TO TAKE A REST. WHEN WE COME BACK, KOBE HAS A BOOK. AND IT'S NOT JUST GOOD, IT ALSO FEELS GOOD. IT IS CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". WE ARE BACK WITH KOBE BRYANT. Jimmy: LOOK WHO'S HERE. KOBE BRYANT IS HERE WITH US. KOBE HAS A BOOK. IS THIS A YOUNG ADULT BOOK WOULD YOU SAY?

MEDIUM GRADE. Jimmy: MIDDLE GRADE BOOK. IT IS CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". AND IT'S NICE AND KIND OF FURRY. YES. Jimmy: WHY IS IT HAIRY. SIMULATES A BIT OF A TENNIS BALL. Jimmy: IT'S ABOUT TENNIS. LATELY YOU HAVE KNOWN A LOT ABOUT TENNIS. I DON'T PLAY WELL. I HAVE FUN PLAYING. Jimmy: SOUNDS GOOD TO ME, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW? YOU DO NOT CONSIDER YOURSELF A GOOD TENNIS PLAYER. NO, I ENJOY PLAYING, EVERY TIME BETTER. Jimmy: YOU MAY ENJOY PLAYING SOMETHING, THAT'S INTERESTING. IT IS THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING AT SOMETHING. Jimmy: AND LOSE? DO YOU PLAY COMPETITIVELY WITH PEOPLE?

ME AND ROB USED TO PLAY ALL THE TIME. AND HE GOT BUSY WITH THE GM THING. Jimmy: AND WHO WON THOSE THINGS? HE WOULD WIN. Jimmy: EVENTUALLY YOU'LL BEAT HIM AND CRUSH HIM AND BE ON THE SENIOR TOUR OR SOMETHING FOR THAT. IT'S INEVITABLE. Jimmy: I HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING INTERESTING IN THIS BOOK. CAN WE LOWER THE LIGHTS FOR A SECOND? BECAUSE THERE ARE SECRETS, ARE THEY SATANIC MESSAGES? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STORY. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF EASTER EGGS THAT YOU FIND IN THE BOOK. BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCT.

MANY TIMES WE MAKE CHILDREN'S BOOKS, BUT THEY ARE NOT VERY WELL DONE. Jimmy: WHAT DOES THE EDITOR SAY WHEN YOU SAY I WANT THERE TO BE INVISIBLE LANGUAGE INSIDE AND THE BOOK COVER TO FEEL LIKE A TENNIS BALL? THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING, PAUS BECAUSE I AM THE EDITOR. Jimmy: OH, I SEE. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. IN GENERAL, PUBLISHING HOUSING DOES NOT MAKE A BOOK OF SUCH HIGH QUALITY, IT IS EX-FEBPENSIVE FOR . BUT YOU PICK UP THIS BOOK. IT HAS BEEN CARED FOR. I FEEL WE MATTER. HERE IS THE BOOK IN WHICH WE PUT A LOT OF WORK.

Jimmy: WHAT IS THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK? SHE HAS TO PLAY TENNIS TO SAVE HER FAMILY from him. Jimmy: IT'S A TRUE STORY. A LOT OF IT DEALS WITH EMOTION. AND WHAT I WANTED TO TEACH THE KIDS IS HOW TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY AND PRESSURE. AND NOTHING DOES THAT MORE THAN TENNIS, BECAUSE IT'S AN ISOLATED EVENT WHERE YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THINGS YOURSELF. AND YOU ARE FACING AN ONLINE ADVERSARY WHO IS CHALLENGING YOU, SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CONVEY THOSE MESSAGES AND BUILD CHARACTER WITH OUR DAUGHTERS. WE DON'T SEE TOO MANY CHARACTERS IN THE MIXED LITERATURE.

Jimmy: IN TENNIS THERE IS THIS ISOLATION, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A ONE ON ONE SPORT. UNLIKE IN BASKETBALL, YOU ARE PROTECTING THE BOY, YOU ARE HERE WITH THE BOY, YOU HAVE THIS COMMUNICATION. YOU HAVE THIS DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU THAT IT CAN BE VERY LONELY IN A WAY. IT IS, AND YOU ARE DEALING WITH YOUR INTERNAL CHALLENGES. ONLY YOU. THERE ARE NO PARTNERS TO GIVE YOU SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGEMENT. IT'S YOU. YOU SEE MANY TENNIS PLAYERS TALKING TO THEMSELVES OR GIVING FRUSTRATION ON THE LEG. Jimmy: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER? IT'S HARD TO PASS THE BIG THREE. FEDERER AND JOKE AND NADAL.

I MET CHRIS EVERETT, THAT WAS AWESOME. CHRIS EVERETT IS A BAD ASS. Jimmy: YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO REALLY SEE CHRIS EVERETT IN ACTION. IS IT ME, THOUGH? I'LL TAKE IT. Jimmy: I THINK SO. I TAKE IT, AND OBVIOUSLY SERENA IS THE BEST OF ALL TIME. SHE IS THE GREATEST. AND ME ONLY, AS A TENNIS PLAYER, BUT AS A GENERAL ATHLETE. She had THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE COCO AND NAOMI PLAY. I AM A BIG FAN OF NAOMI AND LOVE EVERYTHING SHE IS DOING. Jimmy: YOU'RE REALLY UNDERSTANDING IN TENNIS. YES. Jimmy: I WONDER, IF YOU COULD PICK ANOTHER SPORT TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY, WOULD IT BE THAT SPORT?

YES, PROBABLY, SO I DON'T HAVE TO WATCH MY WORDS WHEN I TALK ABOUT FORMER PARTNERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY. Jimmy: YOU HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF. BUT YOU WOULD PROBABLY DESTROY A FEW CARS ON THE ROAD. BEAT TO HELL OF SOME RACKETS MAYBE. Jimmy: IT'S VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU. THIS IS THE KOBE BOOK. He is CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". BUY IT FOR YOUR KIDS AND SEASON TWO OF YOUR PODCAST "THE PUNIES" IS AVAILABLE TO LISTEN. KOBE BRYANT, EVERYONE. WE ARE BACK WITH MILES BROWN.