Anthony Anderson On Kobe Bryant

By David Jordan Jr

As the decade of the 1990s was nearing it’s close, there were men two men that were carving their own paths in their respective professions. Anthony Anderson was carving his path in the entertainment industry as an actor and Kobe Bryant was making his mark in the NBA, after having been drafted straight out of high school in the 1996 NBA Draft. Anderson and Bryant would cross paths in 1997 as Bryant would make a guest appearance on the NBC television show Hangtime, which also starred former NBA All-Star Reggie Theus.

The episode titled “The Hustlers” aired on October 18, 1997. Anderson talked to ESHE about how Bryant ended up being on the show and their relationship through the years.