Kobe Bryant
Black Mamba
My time with Kobe: I was asked to shoot a composite cover shot of Kobe, Duncan and Garnett. Each individual photo had to be shot with a blue shag background in each of their three cities. For Kobe, I also did a fashion shoot. From the first moment that I met Kobe, he wanted to know my ideas for the shoot, who I had photographed in the past, where I got my clothes; he was very inquisitive. I told him that I had just photographed Allen Iverson, and he wanted to know everything about Allen. He asked about the blue shag too. I was with him on that one . Kobe was kind and gentle, with a contagious smile. After four outfit changes, he looked best and most comfortable in his uniform. The basketball almost never left his hands throughout the session. Gym rat. Before we wrapped, he gave me a signed b-ball. As a die-hard Knick fan, I never liked the Lakers, hated that whole winning team but always had a soft spot for Kobe. RIP Kobe Bryant @kobebryant @condenast @nike @adidas