We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Kobe Bryant, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the NBA star that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Chews on His Jersey to Wet His Mouth. No, it’s not just a bad habit. Bryant chews on his jersey when his mouth gets dry so he isn’t distracted by cotton mouth.
Number Seven: He Is a Huge AC Milan Fan. And he’s been a fan since he grew up in Italy, too. While Bryant was in Italy, AC Milan won the Champions League twice, the Serie A title once, and the Coppa Italia twice.
Number Six: He Was a Goalie. Bryant played soccer as a child before he hit it big with the NBA, and while he was a soccer player, he was a goalie. He was a goalie because of his large build and aggressive mentality.
Number Five: He Was the Very First Guard Recruited Out of High School. Bryant was chosen in the 1996 Draft, and he was the very first NBA guard recruited straight out of high school. Though this was ultimately a good choice, Bryant didn’t have such a great first season, and he only averaged 7.6 points per game.
Number Four: He Channels Bruce Lee on the Court. Bryant is a huge fan of Bruce Lee and was even featured in a documentary about him. While on the court, Bryant practices Lee’s idea of “formlessness” to adapt to any situation as quickly as possible.
Number Three: His Wife Had to Be Homeschooled Because of Him. Bryant began dating his wife when she was still in high school. Because of how distracting his presence was at the high school, they made her finish her senior year from home so as not to distract the other students.
Number Two: His Middle Name Comes From His Father’s Nickname. Bryant’s middle name is “Bean,” which stems from his father’s nickname, “Jellybean.” His father earned the nickname due to his high energy and ability to jump high.
Number One: He Is in a Music Video With Beyonce. When Beyonce was still with Destiny’s Child, they did a music video for “Bug A Boo” that actually features Bryant. Bryant appears in the video as himself. We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Kobe Bryant!