Stephen Curry opens up on ‘inspirational’ last encounter with Kobe Bryant

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: February 7, 2022

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been over two years since Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant tragically died, but people are still unpacking the sense of loss that they have felt since his passing.

One such person is Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. The three-time NBA champion recently discussed the final time he saw Bryant in person, noting that the interaction was an “inspirational” one.

“I was in L.A. and had dinner with him and one of his business associates,” Curry told The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “He was an open book. But I remember just sitting down and him taking me on a journey of what he had been doing before he retired, in that first year after he retired, and then what he was currently doing. All of it sounded amazing because it was true to him and authentic in terms of what story he was trying to tell, and what was important to him at that moment.

“And a lot of it was centered around his kids, and the girls, so that was the most inspirational thing. … That was the last time I saw him in person.”

Bryant was an inspiration on and off the court. The way he approached parenting his four daughters seems to have had a real impact on Curry. After all, Curry has two daughters and a son of his own. Surely, it was an incredible experience to get to talk about fatherhood with an icon like Bryant.

Though Curry is one of the faces of the NBA today, when he first came into the league, Bryant held that honor and responsibility without question. In his career, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star and one-time MVP while winning five NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVPs. He accomplished just about everything that can be achieved in the NBA.

In his retirement, it appeared that he was rewriting the rules in terms of what star athletes can truly do after they hang up their jerseys. Before his passing, Bryant had already won an Academy Award and was getting into some really exciting professional opportunities as well.

Tragically, his life was cut short in January 2020 when a helicopter that he was riding in crashed. The city of L.A. has mourned the loss and honored Bryant’s memory since that fateful day.

As for Curry, he’ll surely cherish the memory of that final meeting for many years to come.