It’s 1996. Media Day. The whole Lakers squad is in uniform, fresh into training camp, making their rounds. It’s controlled chaos, with every player bouncing from interview to photoshoot and station to station. And then Kobe walks in. Eighteen years old, freshly drafted, moving like he’s been here before. No hesitation. No wide-eyed rookie look. Just calm, confident, like he already knew the script.
Among the camera crew is legendary NBA photographer Andrew Bernstein. The veteran photographer recalled, “Well, the first moment I met him the first time…I go to take his head shot…I put my hand out, I say, “Hey Kobe, uh, I’m Andy Bernstein, your team photographer.” He goes, “I know who you are, man.”… and I’m thinking this smartass kid, I mean really, that’s the first thing that went through my head.” Jarring, yes. But guess what? It was just the start of something beautiful.
Andy Bernstein clarified on Byron Scott’s Fast Break Podcast, “I said, ‘How’s that possible?” Cuz we never met. He says, “I had all your posters in my room growing up.” That’s cool, and you know, for an 18-year-old kid to first of all say that, but then I started thinking who the hell looks at photo credits on a poster?” Bernstein was stunned. Most pros never notice the photo credits—Kobe had memorized them. But what was interesting was the revelation that came years later.
Kobe Bryant poses for a portrait inside of his office in Costa Mesa, California, on Jan. 17, 2020. Bryant, one of the greatest NBA players in history, is building an impressive resume in his post-basketball career, including winning an Academy Award.
For Kobe, studying photo credits as a teenager wasn’t only odd trivia but rather evidence that he viewed every layer of the game as part of the puzzle.
“He wasn’t putting posters up because they were nice pictures, he was studying everything that’s going on in that poster…it was just mind-blowing to me, wow, he was amazing,” stated Berstein. He gave credit to Kobe’s genius, which wasn’t limited to memorizing photo credits, totally unbeknownst to Bernstein at that time.
Kobe and Andrew Bernstein went on to share a very deep and personal bond. Bernstein, recognizing Kobe’s brilliance, shared numerous courtside memories with him. It all culminated in a book.
Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bernstein: Off the court
Kobe Bryant and Andrew D. Bernstein weren’t just a player and a photographer. They created a team in their own way. Their collaboration came full circle with The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, a coffee-table book that was published in 2018 that offers an inside look at Kobe’s approach to the game, his mindset, preparation, and the science behind his craft. It was the mamba’s way of teaching, and Bernstein’s lens helped bring that vision to life.
The book is split into two sections: Process and Craft. With Kobe writing it himself, the book was coming straight from him. The part of Process dives deep into his mental and physical preparation, while Craft breaks down how he approached the game, play by play, moment by moment. What elevates it are Bernstein’s photographs, contributing over 200 of them, pulled from decades of following Kobe with a camera, from his rookie season to his final game.
There were other collaborators as well. Such as his longtime teammate and friend, Pau Gasol. Gasol contributed to the foreword, beginning with the story of his 2008 trade from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Lakers, where Bryant inspired Gasol to be a part of the team’s goal of winning the NBA Championship that year.
Nov 2, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) and center Pau Gasol (16) embrace during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 124-105. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The introduction, written by Bryant’s former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, is titled “Be Prepared for an Adventure in High-Level Basketball“. Jackson describes how the mixture of Bernstein’s visuals and Bryant’s insights can make the reader a better player.
Now, Kobe didn’t just pick any photos. He sat down with Bernstein and meticulously combed through the archives. Selecting ones that told the story exactly the way he wanted. He used the images to break down plays like a scientist, analyzing footwork, timing, and space. While Kobe led the writing, he leaned on Bernstein’s eye for visuals. The respect was mutual. Kobe trusted him with everything, intimate revelations, like Bryant explaining how tap dancing helped strengthen his ankles after injury, and broader philosophy about excellence and determination.
Fittingly, it’s Bernstein who wrote the afterword, putting a final note on a collaboration that spanned 20 years, thousands of frames, and one legendary career. Bernstein once dismissed him as a ‘smartass kid.’ Years later, he realized Kobe wasn’t being cocky—he was almost saying, ‘I see you. I know your work. And I’m about to make you part of mine.“
The post Kobe Bryant’s “Smartass” Move Misjudged by NBA Photographer Who Later Confessed To Its Genius appeared first on EssentiallySports.
