"How do you say this in Italian?" -Remembering Kobe Bryant's TV acting debut

Kobe Bryant was one of those NBA personalities who was built to be in the spotlight. As soon as the then-17-year-old stepped into Tinseltown, he embraced the lifestyle and attention that came with it. And as one of the few who made the leap from prep to pros, opportunities came in droves.

Among these was a quick acting role on Arli$$, an HBO hit comedy series that started in 1996. In the story, Arliss Michaels is a sports agent who is more than willing to misbehave like his superstar clients if it means getting what he wants. The show always featured athlete cameos, and in one episode, it was Kobe’s turn.

" How do I say my client wants to renegotiate in Italian?" Arliss asked Kobe. Los Angeles broadcaster Jim Hill then chimed in, and Bryant kept dropping more Italian phrases.

The scene was probably incorporated into the show to showcase Bryant’s mastery of the Italian language. Nonetheless, it should have been enough to introduce the youngster to a broad audience. After all, Bean was not your typical teenager, and he had his sights set on a bigger goal.

Storyteller Black Mamba

After retirement, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar pursued different endeavors. One of these was storytelling.

“The world revolves around storytelling, and so it serves an important role in our society at large,” Kobe said in an interview.

Riding his passion, the Black Mamba published books, TV commercials, podcasts, and films. He produced Detail on ESPN, a series featuring straightforward, in-depth basketball analysis. Of course, Bryant and Glen Keane turned Kobe’s Dear Basketball retirement poem into an animated short film and won an Oscar for it!

The late Lakers superstar always had a passion for writing stories, but that had to wait. For Kobe, basketball had to come first when he was still at the peak of his physical powers.

Turned down the Jesus Shuttlesworth role

While Kobe loved storytelling, he had his priorities straight. Spike Lee once offered him the lead role in He Got Game , but the youngster turned it down given the circumstances. The Utah Jazz had just eliminated Bryant's Lakers in Game 5, the infamous one in which the 1996 13th overall pick shot four airballs!

In typical Mamba fashion, Bryant didn't want to show up and collect the paycheck. He felt he couldn't give the role the dedication it needed because he had to go to the gym and work on his game that summer.

"I needed all my resources dedicated to preparing myself for the season. I didn't really have time to do a film," Kobe said .

There's no telling if he could do a better job than Ray Allen, but Bean figured his shot at greatness was better suited for the hardwood. Turns out he was right. He had no idea, though, that he had a chance to pursue the other after retirement.

Related: Byron Scott recalls when Kobe Bryant separated his shoulder and insisted on playing: "No, I'm good, I got another one"