Basketball fans are flooding arenas around the country to get one last glimpse of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, but the audience for his final NBA game might not include his parents.
“The relationship with family is extremely important, but you also can’t force things,” Bryant said in an interview with Andrea Kremer for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel airing Thursday on HBO. “And so I hope and I pray that one day, things will be better between us. Unfortunately, today’s not that day.”
When Kremer asked Bryant if they’ll be in attendance, he paused and said:
“I’ve thought about it. Uh, I’m not sure. Probably not.”
Since the Lakers have no shred of hope for the playoffs, Bryant’s final contest will be on April 13 at the Staples Center against the Utah Jazz.
We don’t know all the details of the differences in his family. One public case, though, was when Bryant sued a company for preparing to auction memorabilia consigned by his mother.
Ultimately, it’s a sad situation to observe from the sidelines. Bryant seems like he wants to mend that relationship. Perhaps it will happen soon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything will happen quickly.
Hopefully Kobe’s parents will take the chance to experience the finale of their son’s professional career. Or maybe they won’t.