Video Of The Late Kobe Bryant Making Acting Debut On Popular 1990s HBO Sitcom

Shandel Richardson | Jul 27, 2024

Dec 25, 2003; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (8) during the game against the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Legend Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut during the 1996 season.

It was also the year he gave his first acting performance on the big screen. Few remember Bryant making a cameo on Arli$$, the hit HBO series. The show, which centered around a high-profile sports agent, lasted seven seasons.

Here's the Bryant clip:

At the time, Bryant was becoming one of the pioneer players to enter the league straight out of high school. The scene features him attending a summer league game in Los Angeles. He is then asked to translate something to Italian for Arliss (played by Robert Wuhl). It was widely known Bryant was bilingual after spending time abroad with his father, who played overseas.

Arliss asks Bryant, "How do I say my client wants to renegotiate in Italian?" After longtime Los Angeles broadcaster Jim Hill joins the conversation, Bryant continues to show his mastery of the language.

It appeared Bryant was setting the stage for more television appearances, but it never happened. In 1997, he turned down an offer to star in the Spike Lee hit "He Got Game." The role was later taken by Ray Allen. Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2020, reportedly declined the opportunity because he was still upset about losing to the Utah Jazz in the playoffs that spring.

The story sounds about right because Bryant was known for his competitiveness during his Hall of Fame career that included five championships.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops. He can be reached at Shandelrich@gmail.com

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