10 Things We Learned From the Kobe Bryant Interview

NBA superstar had revealing sit-down with Ahmad Rashad.

Cold-Called Tex Winter in 1999 - Yearning to learn more about the game and the vaunted triangle offense, Kobe revealed that he cold-called famed assistant coach Tex Winter in 1999 and talked to him for an hour about the triangle offense. He also said that he refers to Winter as Yoda. "We'd sit together and watch film of every game," Bryant said of he and Winter, the architect of the triangle offense. "We'd watch the game from start to finish...every game." After years of being an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, Winter later joined Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers as well.  (Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty Images)
'Leadership Is Lonely' - Kobe said leading a team and getting guys on the same page has been and continues to be the toughest challenge of his NBA career, adding that  "Leadership is lonely...but that's fine." He continued to state that he isn't afraid of confrontation to make someone better, using the analogy of sitting at a dinner with someone and not being afraid to tell them that they have something between their teeth. "I'm going to tell you you have something in your teeth," Bryant said. Tell it like it is, Kobe! (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
List of Players He Admires - When asked about the players he admires, Kobe rattled off a laundry list, which spanned multiple generations of great ballers including John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden and Klay Thompson.(Photos from left: Andy Lyons/Allsport, Andy Lyons/Getty Images, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Thoughts on All the Titles He Has Won - In a classic Kobe-competitive moment, the hoops living legend was asked to reflect on the five titles that he has won. In classic Kobe fashion, he responded: "I should have had seven...the Detroit one got away, the Celtics [one] got away." Bryant was referring to the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA Finals losses to the Pistons and Boston in 2004 and 2008, respectively. (Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) The Process, Challenge of Returning Keeps Him Hungry - Unsurprisingly, Kobe shared that the process and challenge of constantly coming back and proving that he can still play keeps him hungry. This rotator cuff tear marked Bryant's third consecutive season-ending injury and we already know the Black Mamba isn't going to go out like that. Greatness personified.  (Photo: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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'Leadership Is Lonely' - Kobe said leading a team and getting guys on the same page has been and continues to be the toughest challenge of his NBA career, adding that  "Leadership is lonely...but that's fine." He continued to state that he isn't afraid of confrontation to make someone better, using the analogy of sitting at a dinner with someone and not being afraid to tell them that they have something between their teeth. "I'm going to tell you you have something in your teeth," Bryant said. Tell it like it is, Kobe! (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

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