Kobe Bryant was 41 years old and in the prime of his life when he died. But his legacy lives on–and we’re not talking about his basketball legacy, there is a legacy off the court that many people don’t know. In a sport where many players are high profile and traded – or opt to enter free agency to earn a few extra million dollars – Bryant stuck around at the Lakers for his whole career.
In being the ultimate superstar, both of his jersey numbers – 8 and 24 – have deservedly been retired by the Lakers, with Bryant the franchise’s all-time record points scorer.
Kobe – nicknamed the Black Mamba during his career – also wrote a series of kid’s books and even won an Oscar for his short film Dear Basketball in 2018.
Besides being the fierce competitor, Kobe had an ultra-generous side that wasn’t as well-known after his retirement. He helped a number of organizations and personally helped individuals like frequently inviting current NBA stars to his home to train them up. Yet Kobe was one who preferred to stay in the background, generally unseen and unknown by the public.
Here are just a few of the things Kobe did off the court:
Partner of My Friend’s Place which helps youth experiencing homelessness move toward wellness, stability and self-sufficiency.
Partner of Stand Up on Second which helps give permanent supportive housing, vocational training and member driven services to the homeless.
National Museum of African American History and Culture milestone donor. As a milestone donor, Kobe contributed $1 million or more, for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. On the day of its opening, the NBA legend tweeted, “Go. See. This. Museum. There is no greater testament to this country than the stories in this building. Honored to be a part of it @NMAAHC
Partner of Mamba FC, a youth soccer club in Orange County that, according to the KVBFF website, trains young athletes to become leaders and promotes health and fitness.
Make-A-Wish Foundation partner. For more than 20 years, Bryant was an advocate for children battling life-threatening illnesses. According to the Make-A-Wish foundation, over the span of his career, the father of four personally met with over 100 children through the 501 nonprofit organization that creates life-changing wishes for youth with a critical sickness.
Venture Capital firm owner, Bryant also launched a venture capital firm with partner and serial entrepreneur Jeff Stibel back in 2013, according to Crunchbase. The pair made a mix of early- and late-stage investments in Los Angeles-based companies like LegalZoom, Scopely, Art of Sport, The Honest Company, RingDNA, FocusMotion, DyshApp and Represent.
In 2019, his investment firm expanded with a $1.7 billion investment vehicle that was launched in