Rob Pelinka says Vanessa Bryant would send him clips of Kobe during dark times in NBA bubble

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: October 23, 2020

Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers had a mission to win an NBA title to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant.

When Bryant tragically passed earlier this year, the entire team rallied together and promised that it would do all it could to do what Bryant would have wanted.

While he is gone, it turns out his wisdom and determination to be great helped push Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka while he was in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla.

Pelinka, who was Bryant’s agent and very close friend, spoke with Adrian Wojnarowski and said that Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, would send Pelinka clips of the late Lakers great to help Pelinka push through.

“You’re in a hotel room for 100 nights. The walls are closing in and after a tough loss you think the world is coming to an end,” Pelinka told Wojnarowski.

It was during those difficult moments that Vanessa Bryant would offer a helping hand.

“There were times that I would hear his voice and then Vanessa, who is still one of my best friends, she would call, and she would even send a couple clips of him talking to me so I could hear his voice,” Pelinka said.

“Just that support still feels like it’s there, but the extent of the loss feels like a superhero because that’s what he was and still is to me.”

It’s incredible to see how Vanessa Bryant managed to contribute to the Lakers’ championship push this season.

Without a doubt, Kobe Bryant would have loved to see how his wife became an integral part of keeping Pelinka’s spirits high during those difficult days inside the bubble.