Few sports shows grab the hearts and minds of fans, like "Inside the NBA." The show has become an absolute phenomenon due to its combination of knowledgeable analysis, hilarious banter, and amazing personalities. But there was a time when another legend was on the verge of joining that star-studded lineup.
The late great Kobe Bryant was on the brink of displaying his charisma on a weekly basis with TNT after retiring. However, Charles Barkley, one of the show's beloved hosts, recently disclosed why Kobe's admittance into the "Inside the NBA" family never came to fruition.
"I guess they had been meeting with Kobe behind the scenes. Part of our job, we are gonna do several radio shows, and they always start, if you go back and look at them sometime, like 'Charles Barkley gonna be on Thursday night with TNT' blah, blah, blah. So I end up doing five or six radio interviews a week. It's part of; they will tell people when you're gonna be on. Well, they told Kobe like, 'Yeah, I'm not doing all those interviews,' but that's part of the gig. So he kinda got fired, quit before we actually came on," Chuck said on the episode of New Heights podcast.
The idea of watching his outstanding basketball expertise and magnetic personality among the likes of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal piqued everyone's interest. But, as it turns out, Kobe was skeptical about engaging in multiple radio interviews as part of the job duties.
Radio interviews, as Barkley pointed out, were a routine promotional practice, a method to build anticipation and let the audience know when the crew will be on the air.
Bryant, as pragmatic as he is, just wanted to show up on Thursdays, do the job, and go home, hence why fans were not able to witness the upgraded Inside the NBA lineup.
In addition to it, Sir Chuck pointed out Kobe's serious demeanor and questioned whether he was suitable for the late-night show's emphasis on amusement and lighthearted banter. The opposing personalities of Black Mamba and the show's hosts, Shaq and Chuck, who are renowned for their wit and humor, might have made a coherent on-air dynamic problematic.
Despite the missed chance, the crew's humorous connection remains a unique aspect of the show, leading to its reputation as the funniest show in the industry.
"I don't think his personality, and what I mean by that, I don't think he is built to have a lot of fun. I don't know if he was built to have fun. He is a great person; I liked him, rest in peace, but like he is a real serious guy. And the problem you have if you are going to do our show, I don't think people understand, we on from seven to two in the morning, nobody wanna be damn serious from seven to two in the morning," the Hall of Famer added.