Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant returns to Staples Center for jersey retirement, but he never really left

LOS ANGELES - Toward the end of Kobe Bryant's career, Rob Pelinka decided he had to save Bryant from himself, and, well, save himself from Bryant.

So he pulled out a copy of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement and scoured the uniform player contract for language that would keep Bryant from jumping out of an airplane with a parachute, and forcing his agent to do it too.

Pelinka found it.

So Bryant got wiser the next time. Shortly after his retirement, the two set out on a helicopter ride and Bryant didn't tell Pelinka of his daredevil

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times2 min read
Lakers Fade Again In Game 3 Loss To Denver, Moving To Brink Of Elimination
LOS ANGELES — The climb is mountainous, trouble lurking at every step. One bad dribble, and Denver runs the other direction, creating an open three. One missed assignment, and Aaron Gordon cuts baseline for a dunk. One whiffed box out and the Nuggets
Los Angeles Times3 min readCrime & Violence
Editorial: In Eco-minded California, There’s Still No Constitutional Right To Clean Air And Water
California may be a leader in the fight against climate change, but the state is years, even decades, behind other states when it comes to granting environmental rights to its citizens. While a handful of other state constitutions, including those of
Los Angeles Times4 min readAmerican Government
Supreme Court’s Conservatives Lean In Favor Of Limited Immunity For Trump As An Ex-president
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative justices said Thursday they agree a former president should be shielded from prosecution for his truly official acts while in office, but not for private schemes that would give him personal gain. They al

Related Books & Audiobooks