Believe or not, Charles Barkley could be dead wrong.
As the final weeks of Kobe Bryant's illustrious basketball career wind down, despite his lack of a college degree, the preps-to-pro former phenom's future could be as bright as the lights he's played under for nearly two decades in the City of Angels. Bryant, more so than any other first-ballot Hall-of-Famer of his era, possesses the polish, panache and professionalism to become a true international renaissance man and engage cultures both near and far.
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Bryant was a citizen of the world before he was ever a hero on the hardwood. He spent many of his formative years in Italy as his father, Jelly Bean Bryant, finished out his out own pro hoops career, in Italy before returning to to the Philadelphia area to play high school ball. As a result Kobe speaks fluent Italian and is near that level of proficiency in Spanish.
In a recent interview where he pondered mastering Mandarin, French and Portuguese.
"Well, you know what it is. You just go over there and it's just sink or swim," Kobe said when asked how long it'd take him to pick up all those languages. "You sit there and play around with a book all day or you just drop you off there and just figure it out."
Barkley, God bless his heart, emerged from poverty in Leeds, Ala. and was partially educated at Auburn. He's still trying to master the English language.
As much as their moves and mannerisms are compared, Bryant and Michael Jordan are vastly different in at least one way. Jordan is just to darn stubborn to care enough to learn another man's native tongue. It's a capability that could allow Kobe to authentically connect with movers and shakers the world over.
At 37, Kobe is still a relatively young man, who's spent the majority of his life thriving in a multi-billion dollar industry. His combination experience and energy and is a rare blend. Like Jay Z said on "30 Something", Kobe is "young enough to know the right car to buy, yet grown enough not to put rims on it."
Kobe's observed what works and doesn't work in both basketball and business, yet rebellious enough to push against the status quo ask the tough questions and put in the necessary work to pursue a path previously untrodden. There's no other way a lanky kid from the suburbs could have the confidence to put on a suit and a fresh pair of Oakley shades atop his bald head and announce he's throwing caution to the wind, bucking custom and forgoing college, despite a 1080 score ont the SAT, to become the first wing to skip college and go straight to the league on his way becoming the second-greatest shooting guard ever.
Kobe has an estimated net worth of $360 million .
In 2013, he formed Kobe Inc. ,which has invested in the sports drink BODYARMOR and collaborated to produce the documentary "Kobe Bryant's Muse".
He was also been linked as a part-owner of Italian soccer team Bologna FC.
After spending much of the past 20 years aloof, Kobe has plenty of work to do on the image recovery front. But remember he's crazy like fox, there's a reason we've been seeing plenty fo the humbler, warmer, gentler Kobe Bean in his last season in a Lakers uniform. Once a puzzling subject for journalists, Kobe has sheathed the sword of his trademark sinister sarcasm and unleashed an altogether more jovial public persona.
Sure, it might not be genuine. Heck, ESPN's Shelley Smith has even called him out for it, but that doesn't mean it won't prove to be an effective tactic. Remember, Kobe went from fighting to beat a rape case to having one of the league's top-selling jerseys.
It's hard to see Kobe ever becoming a coach. He just doesn't have the patience to relate to mediocre players. Who knows if he'll go the broadcasting route?
But tell me you can't see Kobe lecturing at universities in the states and abroad or being the in boardroom, brokering deals with international businessmen.
There's one surefire way to ensure he will—tell him he won't.