Kobe Bryant's Come Up with Darius Miles and QRich | Knuckleheads S2: Ep 1 | The Players' Tribune

You know, we'll buy Nolan. It was like, look at the graphs. This is like in comparison, because this is not a normal book. You got feel, texture and flash and then you still have the tennis racket. So talk about how you came up with this. - Well, we wanted to create something to make children feel important. Many times, in the children's space, we leave aside the silly things, the materials, because it is for children. They won't notice the difference. But I feel that if we create something of high value, they understand it as something to be cared for.

That means they matter and they do. For parents too, when they see this and put this book down, they can feel that a lot of care has been put into it. You may not yet understand all the hidden gems found in this book. But you can feel them. You tooUnderstand, this is a study we can trust. And then in terms of the story itself, it's about how do we teach kids to deal with inner monologue? The emotional things that we experience, how do we teach them that? That's why it had to be tennis. Because tennis is a very individual sport. - And it is difficult. - But different than golf.

Golf, you are dealing with the elements and yourself. And in tennis, you're dealing with yourself, the elements, and that person on the other side of the net trying to beat you, right? So you have to have those internal conversations, navigate them while competing with someone else who is on the other side of the network. - The story behind it, what inspired you to make that story? - Well, the way I see it, inspiration drives the world. So if I look at the kingdoms in the worlds we create, is inspiration what decides who will be the ruler of these particular worlds?

Alright, so how do you inspire? You can inspire in many ways. Well, you can inspire through love. You can inspire through fear, right? Hate, there are many ways to inspire. So how do these world athletes use their platform for inspiration? And that is where the conflict arises in all our stories. - I know what I want to ask you. This isn't, you know, you're like Bruce Wayne now. You have the Los Angeles actors and things like that, but I want to know that all of us, when you first came into the league, had some bread in our pockets.

What did you do that's something your mom and dad looked at you, boy, what, what the hell is wrong with you? We all did something. - Yeah, you know what? Nothing like that, but the first thing I did when I came here and received some per diem was just want to go somewhere. Like Philadelphia, everything is relatively close. You know, I'm staying in Santa Monica, so I take a cab, I call the yellow pages and I take a cab. The children don't know what that is. - Good. - And I get in the taxi, I tell him well, take me to a shopping center.

Take me to the mall. Then he takes me to the Center (mumbles), right? And he had 80 dollars in his pocket, travel expenses. The taxi arrives, there were like 65 of them. (laughs) I was like: I want to go back. - What the hell? What the hell is going on right now, man? I didn't, you know, so I'm walking through the mall with 15 dollars in my pocket. And I didn't know who the hell, what it was, or whatever, Jerry's Deli is across the street. I'm hungry, I want a sandwich. I look at the menu and a sandwich costs like six dollars.

I'm like, I can't, this is ridiculous, man. Yes, this is crazy, this is crazy. This is absolutely crazy. So, I got a taxi driver to take me back with the good faith that he was going to go up to the room, find some more money somewhere and pay him. (laughs) - Wow. -Andrew Luck, Andrew Luck just retired because he said the injury was mentally exhausting. I feel that because eight of my 10 years, it was a mental toll every day with the injuries. You had injury after injury after injury. You played with a broken finger all year.

All of that simply describes to other athletes the approach and how you must compete with yourself to get back to a stable level. I know, we all go through pain and stuff and it's the hardest thing you can do. If I could, it would be so easy to give up. - Yes, it is very difficult, man, because it is a very tedious process. What I found helpful was not looking at the top of the mountain because the mountain is very daunting, you know? So instead, I choose to focus on one step at a time. And then when you realize that you're at the top of the mountain, and that's how I handled all my recoveries, you just focus on the next thing, you focus on the next thing.

Focus on the next thing and also, you know how time flies. Because time goes by so quickly, when you're sitting here right now dealing with a nine-month injury, I can't do that. But when 12 months go by, you'll wish you had. Because that's how it happens, you know what I'm saying? So that's always been my approach: one step at a time, one step at a time. and I didn't want injuries to dictate when I retired. I wanted to control that. It's like, no, my body, sit down, be humble. You won't tell me when I'm leaving. I'll tell you when I'm ready to leave. - Man, you know, I appreciate you coming on the show, man, this bottle is from Hennessy VSOP, they have a special bottle. - That is what happens.

That is what happens. - Kobe Bryant, you fool. Man, we appreciate the love. - I appreciate it, man. Thank you. - Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. - I'm going to put this to good use. - Yes, you know. (laughs) (mumbling) So, that's it, man. We're here on location and at Black Bruce Wayne's private studios at a secret location in California, man, but we definitely appreciate you, dog, for coming and letting us in and rocking with you. It's the hall of fame. - Hall of Fame. - You know what I'm talking? These top three all the time, all of you.

Do you know what is it. It's the mamba mentality. (upbeat music)