Kobe Bryant has somehow managed to go quietly into his retirement phase, after stopping the world on the night of his last game. Other than a family visit to Six Flags that turned into an unexpected leg of the Farewell Mamba Tour, the future Hall of Famer appears to be far too focused on aspects of his personal life to bother with the different requests and offers being lobbed at him.
That apparently includes a potential job as an analyst on TNT’s award-winning Inside the NBA show. Currently anchored by Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, Inside continues to be one of the most entertaining–and captivating–basketball talk shows around, partially because it’s comprised, with the except of Johnson, of guys that were known for having big personalities even when they were All-Star players. From the sound of it, Kobe Bryant would fit perfectly into their mold, but he told TMZ Sports cameras recently that it just isn’t in the plans.
In the above video clip, you can see Bryant turn his head and decisively answer “no” when he was asked whether or not he wants the TNT job, which was reportedly offered to him last month.