“That’s not my passion” – Kobe Bryant on why he walked away from joining Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley on “Inside the NBA” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Kobe Bryant had plenty of options for his post-basketball career. Still, there is one endeavor he already crossed out on his list: a studio analyst. In a media conference before the launch of the show “Detail” on ESPN+, the Los Angeles Lakers icon explained why he couldn’t see himself sitting next to Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal in a studio.
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“I love what I’m doing now. I love coming to the office writing, editing, creating. Building a studio is no small task. It’s all encompassing. I just don’t have the time to sit at a studio and do that,” Bryant elaborated. “If that was my passion, to be able to sit at a studio desk, do that day in, day out, I would certainly do it.”
“That’s not my passion. My passion is writing, creating, putting beautiful stories together, weaving them in the form of a narrative,” added the five-time champ.
Bryant backed out of a deal to be on “Inside the NBA”
Speaking of Barkley, the legendary forward revealed that Bryant had already signed the dotted line to be a part of the Emmy Award-winning show but later backed out. Kobe ended up spurning TNT because he wanted to pursue other things, most probably projects like “Detail,” writing books, and filmmaking.
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“He had signed with us,” Barkley said, per Scott Davis of Business Insider. “David Levy, my old boss, had signed him to a deal, and we were excited. We were really excited. And then [Levy] called me back like a week, 10 days later, somewhere in that timeframe, [and said] like, ‘Kobe’s not going to come.'”
“‘He don’t wanna do all the PR stuff. He don’t wanna do all the radio shows and talk about basketball.’ That’s part of the gig,” added Sir Charles.
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He would also feel like the odd man out among the bunch. Barkley, O’Neal, and Kenny Smith are often criticized for not watching the games they were supposed to analyze, contrasting with Bryant’s reputation as a basketball nerd.
That casual approach clashed with Bryant’s obsessive attention to detail, making it unlikely he’d thrive in a setting where film study wasn’t a shared language.
Barkley did not elaborate on when Kobe decided not to accept the “Inside the NBA” gig. Still, back in 2016, Bryant had already made it clear to TMZ that he had no interest in being part of the show.
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Kobe wanted to talk about the details
“Inside the NBA” is widely regarded as one of the greatest sports shows ever, but its charm has always leaned toward comedy. Barkley’s off-the-cuff humor, O’Neal’s constant reminders about his four championships, Smith’s role as the playful instigator, and Ernie Johnson’s steady hand as the grown-up in the room made for a dynamic that fit their personalities perfectly.
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For Bryant, however, basketball analysis wasn’t about soundbites or surface-level takes. He wanted to dissect the game frame by frame and challenge the way people watched basketball. That’s what made “Detail” such a fitting project, as it was an extension of how he approached film as a player.
While his peers thrived in the studio setting, Kobe followed a path that better reflected his unique voice. He chose the more challenging route in typical Mamba fashion, one where insight mattered more than entertainment.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.