Kobe Bryant is an 8 time All Star and All Star MVP guard on the LA Lakers.  We were able to interview Kobe here in Miami the day before the Lakers played the Heat.  The team was practicing on the court at the Arena.  Toward the end of practice Kobe had two huge bags of ice around each knee which he took off before the interviews.  Of course, when we approached him on the bench we were nervous.  But he was unusually easy to talk to.  He made us feel like we were old friends, smiling and laughing with us.  He told us he was funny and he had us laughing most of the time we were together. 

          By the end of our interview, Kobe was putting his arms around us for pictures.  You might think big stars are really different somehow but when you meet someone like Kobe you realize that even though they’re big stars, they seem to really enjoy being talked to in a normal way and being able to spend time talking nicely with different people.

If you had to use one word to describe yourself, what would that word be?

Funny.

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you on the court?

My shorts fell down when I was in high school.  That was really embarrassing.
 
  Can you tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?

I’m a big soccer player.  I love soccer.

Do you have any superstitions that cause you to do anything before or after a game?

I have to have my filet steak, mash potatoes and asparagus before every single game. That’s what gets me going.

What was your most meaningful moment as a kid?
Getting drafted and having my family there when I was 17.  That was the best.     

Who did you look up to as a kid and why?

My parents because of their love and how hard they worked, how hard my mother worked for us.

 When you were a kid, did you have a crush on anyone?

I had a couple girls in my class that I had a crush on.  Absolutely.  My first crush was a girl in my class named Valeria. 

 When you were a kid, can you tell us something that was inspiring to you?      

Watching Magic Johnson play basketball.

What one thing would make this country a better place?

       Understanding.

Has anyone ever made fun of you or put you down?  How did you deal with it?

Yes, they’ve tried to.  They’ve tried to talk bad about it and put me down. I ignore it because I know who I am inside.  I try to be myself and if they don’t like it, they don’t like it.

 Did you get along with your siblings? Did you ever fight with them?

Yeah, we fought.  I have two older sisters and that’s always tough but we love each other so much.

 When you were a kid, how were you as a student? ---What were your best and  worst subjects?

I was a good student.  I never took any notes, though.  I had a really good memory.  My favorite class was English and my least favorite class was geometry.

 Do you have any pets?

I have two pets.  I have two little itty bitty tiny eency weency dogs.   One is named Geo and the other is Gucci.

 What really ticks you off?

Dog poop.  I hate dog poop.

 What advice do you have for kids about making their dreams come true?

Follow your heart and work extremely hard at it.  That’s the key, to really work hard at it.

What was your favorite NBA Finals moment?  

Winning the championship.  That’s always the best.

FAVORITE QUESTIONS:

CARTOON CHARACTER-Tom and Jerry

ICE CREAM FLAVOR-Vanilla

MOVIE-Kill Bill

TOY AS KID-He Man

COLOR-Gold

ANIMAL-Black Mamba (snake)

Video game-Playstation 3, NBA Live

 FOOD-Apple pie

DRINK-Vanilla milk shake

PRESIDENT-George W. Bush

RIDE AT DISNEYWORLD-Space Mountain

Book-Harry Potter

FUNNY QUESTIONS

 Power Rangers play basketball against the Ninja Turtles-WHO WINS?

Power Rangers, more athletic.

 Tell us something your mother always told you as a kid.

You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to.

 If you were Harry Potter, how would you get rid of the evil Voldemort?

Abra Kadabra, use one of those unforgivable curses.

 What do you think is the funniest sounding word?

Smoosh.

 If you could have one supernatural power what would it be?

Flying.

 Do you remember when you found out there was no tooth fairy or Santa Claus?

No I don’t. Maybe it was such a traumatic experience for me that I blanked it out.