Kobe Bryant Biopic Reportedly In The Works

BY Zachary Horvath 949 Views
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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. © Harrison Hill / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Kobe Bryant has plenty of moments that could be made into a compelling film, but the early script focuses on an earlier moment in his career.

It's been over five years since the unfathomable loss of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. Despite all that time passing, it still feels like we lost the Los Angeles Laker last week. Since his death, Nike has still been churning out new Kobe shoe models, keeping his legacy alive in some fashion.

But it appears that sometime in the future, a biopic will be a reality. According to reports from The Shade Room, Variety, and Complex, Warner Bros. has obtained a spec script for one revolving around the days leading up to him being drafted.

If you didn't know, this, along with many other aspects of Kobe's life, was an extremely fascinating time. The lead-up to his eventual selection was dramatic as the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets) were highly interested in drafting him 8th overall in 1996.

However, there was some divide within the organization. Head coach John Calipari was all-in on Kobe. Unfortunately, the vibe shifted with Nets higher ups that led to him falling to 13. Part of the reason why they passed is because they knew Bryant was a huge Laker fan.

But the Charlotte Hornets wound up taking him instead. Then, they traded for established big man Vlade Divac, shipping Kobe to his dream destination and the rest they say, is history.

Kobe Bryant Birthday

As such, the tentative title for this biopic is With the 8th Pick? Per the outlets, screenwriters Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen penned the script. When rumblings were first made about it, multiple studios and streaming platforms were thinking about pulling the trigger on nabbing it.

However, according to Variety, Warner Bros. swooped in and essentially didn't give anyone else a chance to scoop it.

Overall, since its in the early stages of development, not much is known about cast, release date, and etc. However, we can share that the script is being referred to as a mix of Moneyball and Air, with the latter starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Fittingly, this news surfaces just two days after Kobe's birthday. He would have been 47. We still continue to wish the best for his family and friends.

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.

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