Kobe Bryant on Shaq Drama & Raising Four Daughters

Jimmy: HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE. Jimmy: IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU. YOU TOO, MAN. Jimmy: DO YOU HEAR THAT A LOT, RUNNING IN TRAFFIC AND WHAT NOT? I DO IT. Jimmy: IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE. IT COULD AND MUCH WORSE. THAT IS SURE. Jimmy: EVERYTHING OK? EVERYTHING IS WELL. Jimmy: YOU HAVE ANOTHER DAUGHTER. IT HAS TWO MONTHS? IT'S TWO MONTHS OLD. Jimmy: CAN YOUR NAME BE KOKO? THAT'S TRUE. KOKO. Jimmy: HER MIDDLE NAME IS KOBE. THAT WAS NOT YOUR IDEA, RIGHT? SHE CAME TO ME, THINKING I'M THINKING ABOUT CALLING HER KOBE. WELL. Then time passes and she says, you know, I think I'm going to change her average time.

I'M LIKE, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO. I didn't think you were too excited about it. YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT NOW, FRIEND. YOU CAN'T GIVE ME A GIFT AND THEN RECEIVE IT, YOU KNOW? Jimmy: THAT'S RIGHT. FOUR DAUGHTERS NOW. YES. Jimmy: I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT YOU HAVE DAUGHTERS. I FEEL LIKE IF YOU HAD A CHILD IN SPORTS IT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH FOR THAT CHILD. YES. Jimmy: YES. YES, YES, MAYBE, BUT YOU KNOW, I LOVE HAVING GIRLS. THEY ARE AWESOME, MAN. Having a child, my wife wants a child more than I do. Jimmy: OH, INTERESTING. I LOVE MY GIRLS.

YOU KNOW, SHE KEEPS SAYING TO STOP TALKING IT INTO EXISTENCE. Jimmy: Uh-huh. I LOVE MY GIRLS. She stops STAYING WITH IT. YOU WANT A CHILD! Jimmy: WHAT IS KOBE BRYANT LIKE IN THE DELIVERY ROOM? DO YOU BRING THE MAMBA MENTALITY TO THAT SCENE? MAN, WHAT? If I ever tried to say something to my wife when she was giving birth, man, I'd get the backwards-ass mom mentality. Jimmy: YOUR ELDEST DAUGHTER IS LIKE 16 YEARS OLD AND DRIVES. SHE IS. SHE IS LIKE AN EXPERIENCED VETERINARY. Jimmy: HOW? HE IS VERY CALM, HE DOESN'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ANY MUSIC.

She is A VERY SAFE AND CAREFUL DRIVER. Jimmy: IS IT FAIR WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CAR? NO, ALWAYS, SHE IS VERY CALM, COOL AND CONFIDENT. I am SO PROUD OF HER. Jimmy: THE NEXT WILL BE A MANIAC BEHIND THE WHEEL. I ALWAYS SAY, LOOK AT THE ELDEST DAUGHTER. SHE IS ALWAYS THE CALM, RESPONSIBLE, THOUGHTFUL ONE, YOU KNOW? AND THEN THE SECOND SISTER IS LIKE A TORNADO, YOU KNOW, LIKE ELSA AND ANNA. You know, yeah, she can freeze the city and all that, but she's responsible for it, then there's Anna who just jumps off a cliff and stuff.

This IS CERTAINLY OUR HOUSE. Her but THEN WE HAVE TWO OTHERS. Jimmy: YOUR SECOND ELDEST IS GIANNA. YES. Jimmy: SO YOU ALMOST GAVE HER THE NAME ANNA. HUNDREDS HAD A PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST THE SUNS, YOU TIE THE GAME, WENT TO OT AND SCORE WITH SIX SECONDS LEFT. Then you ran to the delivery room and the rest of the night, like early in the morning, your daughter was born. her THAT SOUNDS GOOD. Jimmy: Okay. IT WAS THAT NIGHT OR THE DAY AFTER. I DON'T REMEMBER IT EXACTLY. Jimmy: DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR WIFE WAS IN LABOR WHILE YOU WERE PLAYING THE GAME?

NO, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN DURING THE GAME. She happened AFTER. Jimmy: SO THERE'S NO THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I'LL MISS THIS ONE AND COME HOME? INSTEAD OF SENDING THE GAME AT EXTRAORDINARY TIMES? Jimmy: MAYBE OVERTIME IS NOT A GOOD IDEA IN THE LONG TERM? YES. Jimmy: YES. NO, FORTUNELY, THAT WAS NOT THE SITUATION. Jimmy: YOU WOULD HAVE PLAYED TEN OVERTIMES IF YOU HAD TO DO IT, RIGHT? NO. Jimmy: YOU WON'T. NO! Jimmy: YOU'RE NOT DUMB. HEY, THE BACKWARDS OF MY HEAD MENTALITY. Jimmy: YOU DID AN INTERVIEW AND YOU WERE TALKING, LIKE TAKING, BUT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SHAQ, AND YOU WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT SHAQ THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS NOT AS DRIVEN LIKE, NO ONE IS AS DRIVEN AS YOU, BUT INSINO THAT IF SHAQ KEPT IN BETTER SHAPE, YOU WOULD HAVE EVEN MORE RINGS THAN YOU ALREADY HAVE.

RIGHT. Jimmy: AND SHAQ TOOK, WAS OFFENDED BY THAT? YES, I THINK HE DID IT A LITTLE. But here's the thing, you know, like it's really a compliment. PEOPLE MISSED THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF WHICH I SAID HE WAS THE MOST DOMINANT PLAYER I'VE EVER SEEN, AND I FELT LIKE HE COULD HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. J Jimmy: MM-HM. PEOPLE MISSED THAT PART AND FELL IN THE LAZY PART. WE WEREN'T GOING TO WIN 12 RINGS OR PLAY ALL OF OUR CAREERS TOGETHER. BUT EVERYTHING IS FINE, MAN. Jimmy: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? ARE YOU GOING OH BOY I BETTER CALL HIM?

OR DOES HE CALL YOU? HOW DOES IT WORK? NO, I GOT TO HIM. Jimmy: YOU CALL HIM. HE IS MORE SENSITIVE THAN ME. Jimmy: DID YOU MESSAGE HIM? I DID IT, I DID IT. Jimmy: WHAT DOES IT SAY IN THE TEXT, HEY, HA, HA, HA? HEY, YOU KNOW. I SAID LISTEN, ARE THERE NO RESPECTS? I LOVE YOU. Jimmy: NO RESPECTS. IT IS YOU WHO INSULTED HIM. BUT DID HE DO IT? Jimmy: I DON'T KNOW. YES. Jimmy: YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD HAVE SENT A TEXT "ARE YOU UP?" I'M GOING TO TRAIN, DO YOU WANT TO JOIN? I SAID I'LL TUNE IN TO THE SON PLAYING AT UCLA THIS YEAR.

You better shoot the ball 30 times. Jimmy: HE POSTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIMSELF WETTING 12 GUYS. DOES THIS LOOK LAZY? DOMINANT. Jimmy: THINGS ARE WELL. THINGS ARE WELL BETWEEN YOU AGAIN. YES, YES, YES. Jimmy: Are you together? I DON'T HAVE TIME. NEITHER HIM. Jimmy: TACO TUESDAY, HAVE YOU BEEN TO TACO TUESDAY? I DON'T HAVE IT. He has BEEN LIVING IN L.A. FOR 20 YEARS AND BEEN MARRIED TO A LATINA. SO. Jimmy: YOU GET YOUR OWN TACO ON TUESDAY. LeBron loses his mind every week. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN, BROTHER. Jimmy: I'M GOOD WITH TACO TUESDAY. THAT'S GOING TO GET IT GOING, GET IT GOING.

He is AWESOME. Jimmy: Do you take on any role in encouraging guys like OH, LeBRON, you know, the Lakers free agents to come to LA, other than maybe a tweet or something? NO,NO. I STAY AWAY FROM THAT. I'm very close to Rob, obviously. WE OFTEN SPEAK ONLY AS A TONALITY TO HIM. Jimmy: WOULD YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO DO THAT OR WOULD YOU FINE ROB IF YOU DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT? NO, COI COULD DO IT. Jimmy: YOU COULD REALLY CONTACT -- I COULD, BUT I WON'T. Jimmy: YOU WON'T. WHY DON'T YOU WANT IT? I STAY AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS, MAN.

LIKE ROB IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF HANDLEING THE WORK AND ALL THE PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH THAT. I'm quick to tell him, listen, man, you're my guy, but you also didn't go out on the court and score 40 points on me. SO I'M NOT GOING TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU. Jimmy: Did he say he would have done it if he could do that? NO, MAN. HOW WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP. SO WE TALK AND THINGS AND LIKE FRIENDS, BUT NOTHING, NOTHING SERIOUS. Jimmy: WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT KAWHI LEONARD CHOSE THE CLIPPERS OVER THE LAKERS? SURE. Jimmy: YOU ARE.

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

OR WHAT IF THEY ARE PLAYING AGAINST A HURT GOLDEN STATE TEAM? Jimmy: CAN'T YOU JUST FOLLOW MY GAME? NO, NO, I CAN'T. CAN'T. THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIABLES, MAN. I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS. Jimmy: THINKING IS OVERRATED. TIRED IS GOING TO TAKE A BREAK. WHEN WE COME BACK, KOBE HAS A BOOK. AND IT'S NOT ONLY GOOD, IT FEELS GOOD TOO. IT'S CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". WE WILL BE BACK WITH KOBE BRYANT. Jimmy: LOOK WHO'S HERE. KOBE BRYANT IS HERE WITH US. KOBE HAS A BOOK. Would you say this is a young adult book?

MIDDLE GRADE. Jimmy: MIDDLE GRADE BOOK. IT'S CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". AND HE'S NICE AND HAIRY KIND. YES. Jimmy: WHY IS HE HAIRY? SIMULATES A BIT A TENNIS BALL. Jimmy: IT'S ABOUT TENNIS. YOU HAVE DEDICATED A LOT TO TENNIS LATELY. I DON'T PLAY WELL. I HAVE FUN PLAYING. Jimmy: IT SEEMS VERY GOOD TO ME, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW? YOU DON'T CONSIDER YOURSELF A GOOD TENNIS PLAYER. NO, I ENJOY PLAYING, I AM IMPROVING. Jimmy: YOU MIGHT ENJOY PLAYING SOMETHING, THAT'S INTERESTING. IT IS THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING AT SOMETHING. Jimmy: AND WHAT'S THERE TO LOSE? DO YOU PLAY COMPETITIVELY WITH PEOPLE?

ROB AND I USED TO PLAY ALL THE TIME. AND HE TOOK BUSY WITH THE GM ISSUE. Jimmy: AND WHO WON THOSE THINGS? HE WOULD WIN. Jimmy: Eventually you'll beat him and crush him and you'll be on the senior tour or something. IT IS INEVITABLE. Jimmy: I 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 TYPE OF EASTER EGGS THAT YOU FIND IN THE BOOK. BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS.

WE MANY TIMES MAKE CHILDREN'S BOOKS, BUT THEY ARE NOT VERY WELL MADE. Jimmy: WHAT DOES THE PUBLISHER SAY WHEN HE SAYS I WANT THERE TO BE INVISIBLE LANGUAGE INSIDE AND FOR THE COVER OF THE BOOK TO FEEL LIKE A TENNIS BALL? WELL THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING, PAUSE BECAUSE I'M THE EDITOR. Jimmy: OH, I see. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. IN GENERAL, PUBLISHING HOUSING WILL NOT MAKE A BOOK OF SUCH QUALITY, IT IS EX-FEBPENSIVE. BUT YOU PICK UP THIS BOOK. IT HAS BEEN CARED FOR. FEEL LIKE WE MATTER. HERE IS THE BOOK WE WORKED A LOT ON. Jimmy: WHAT IS THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK?

HE HAS TO PLAY TENNIS TO SAVE HIS FAMILY from him. Jimmy: IT'S A TRUE STORY. A LOT IS ABOUT EMOTION. AND WHAT I WANTED TO TEACH CHILDREN IS HOW TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY AND PRESSURE. AND NOTHING DOES IT MORE THAN TENNIS, BECAUSE IT IS AN ISOLATED EVENT WHERE YOU HAVE TO FACE THINGS YOURSELF. AND YOU ARE FACING AN OPPONENT ON THE NETWORK WHO CHALLENGES YOU, SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TRANSMIT THOSE MESSAGES AND BUILD CHARACTER WITH OUR DAUGHTERS. WE DON'T SEE TOO MANY CHARACTERS IN LITERATURE THAT ARE MIXED UP. Jimmy: IN TENNIS, THERE IS THIS ISOLATION, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A ONE ON ONE SPORT.

Unlike basketball, you're protecting the guy, you're there with him, you have this communication. YOU HAVE THIS DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF THAT CAN BE VERY LONELY AT SOMETHING. IT IS, AND YOU ARE DEALING WITH YOUR INNER CHALLENGES. ONLY YOU. THERE ARE NO COMPANIONS WHO GIVE YOU SUPPORT FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. IT'S YOU. MANY TENNIS PLAYERS ARE SEEN TALKING TO THEMSELVES OR HITTING THEIR LEG IN FRUSTRATION. Jimmy: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER? IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET PAST THE BIG THREE. FEDERER AND JOKE AND NADAL. I MET CHRIS EVERETT, HE WAS AWESOME. CHRIS EVERETT IS BAD. Jimmy: YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN CHRIS EVERETT IN ACTION.

I AM, BUT? I'LL TAKE IT. Jimmy: I BELIEVE IT. I'LL TAKE IT, AND OBVIOUSLY SERENA IS THE BEST OF ALL TIME. SHE IS THE BEST. AND ME ONLY, AS A TENNIS PLAYER, BUT AS A SPORTSMAN IN GENERAL. HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE COCO PLAY AND NAOMI. He I'M A BIG NAOMI FAN AND I LOVE EVERYTHING SHE'S DOING. Jimmy: YOU'RE REALLY GETTING INTO TENNIS. YES. Jimmy: I WONDER, IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANOTHER SPORT TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY, WOULD THAT BE THE SPORT? YES, PROBABLY, THEN I DON'T HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH MY WORDS WHEN I TALK ABOUT FORMER TEACHERS AND STUFF, BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING.

Jimmy: YOU WOULD HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF. BUT YOU'D PROBABLY BREAK UP A FEW TRAINERS ALONG THE WAY. MAYBE WIN SOME RACKETS. Jimmy: IT'S VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU. THIS IS KOBE'S BOOK. HE IS CALLED "THE LEGACY AND THE QUEEN". HE BUY IT FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND THE SECOND SEASON OF YOUR PODCAST "THE PUNIES" IS AVAILABLE TO LISTEN. KOBE BRYANT, EVERYONE. WE WILL BE BACK WITH MILES BROWN.