Kobe Bryant is known for his fiery competitiveness and standoffish attitude, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar recently showed he has a softer side too. He started a clothing drive with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help the families affected by a massive tornado in Joplin, Mo.
A video of his segment on the show is embedded above.
In reality, any high-profile athlete can open up his checkbook and send money to a good cause. But the fact that Bryant took time out of his own busy schedule to appear at the clothing drive to send a message to the families shows how much he really wanted to help.
He also allowed anybody who donated something to the drive to play him in a game of one-on-one hoops. That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that, judging by the size of the crowd, took up most of his day, but certainly helped boost donation numbers.
Bryant's upbeat outlook throughout the piece is a refreshing change of pace from his usual serious demeanor.
Sometimes it takes an appearance like this to show the human side of a person, instead of just the persona they represent during a basketball game.
Bryant is no stranger to philanthropy. He's been involved with After-School All-Stars and the Kobe Bryant China Fund, among other programs, since his professional career began.
It's efforts like those that have allowed him to maintain his icon status despite some other off-court problems, including his wife Vanessa's recent divorce filing.
As long as Bryant keeps dominating on the court and giving to needy causes off it, there's no reason anybody should worry about his personal life. Just ask the people of Joplin, who now have a batch of new clothes to help on the road to recovery.
It's a nice reminder that people aren't always the characters they seemingly portray on television.
No comments:
Post a Comment