NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever

NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever has been a long-requested post for me. First and foremost, because I love writing about sports in general. And secondly, because this particular game prompted a post about the one and only… Kobe Bryant.

NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever: Kobe In The Focus

The late NBA player is in the focus of NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever. And, because of that, we thought that it would be great to honor Kobe with a post all for himself. Indeed, we’ve had plenty of other basketball-themed movies. Most recently a post about the March Madness tournament, which you can check out here once again. However, we’ve never had a post in which the main focus is on one particular player. Well, that’s all about to change here and now. Why? Because this is a post solely about Kobe and we hope you’ll enjoy it.

NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever

What’s NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever All About?

Developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, the NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever edition is a celebration of Kobe Bryant. Indeed. Bryant’s image graces are called the Mamba Forever Edition, and it replaces the Legend Edition from the past. And NBA 2K21 allows you to jump straight into a game with PLAY NOW. Or simply go for the entire journey in MyCAREER. Not to mention, there’s the option to Relive USA Basketball’s championship legacy. If you’re a fan of the NBA 2K series and a fan of basketball in general then this is the perfect pick for you.

Furthermore, NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever is currently on sale here at IndieGala. But that sale is not going to last forever. Hurry up and use this opportunity to purchase this game now. It’s only a click away.

NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever

And What About Kobe?

Well, aside from the fact that Bryant was an incredible athlete, he was one hell of a showman. Both on the court and off. Just a few years before his untimely death, he also won an Academy Award. It was for his animated short movie, Dear Basketball, but yeah. He got the chance to accept an award that’s not usually awarded to basketball players.

However, with Dear Basketball, Kobe Bryant became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Also, he became the first former professional athlete to be nominated and to win an Oscar in any category. On November 29, 2015, Kobe Bryant penned a poem in the Players’ Tribune. And in it, he announced his retirement from basketball at the end of that season. Dear Basketball is an animated telling of Kobe Bryant’s poem ‘Dear Basketball, and it’s a truly wonderful movie. I mean, aside from the narration from Kobe, the music is from the one and only John Williams. Which should tell you it’s great all by itself, but I digress.

However, for this particular post, I chose Kobe Bryant cameo roles both from TV and movies. OK, mostly TV series, but I’ll mix things up for sure. There are scenes in which he basically just says nothing and scenes in which he acts opposite Bette Midler. I hope you’ll like our picks. Let’s start, shall we?

Arli$$

And when I say let’s start from the very beginning, I mean it. The short scene in Arli$$ was the first of such kind for Kobe. Well, that’s according to IMDB. And in the 1996 episode of the cult TV show (from the first season of Arli$$ that is) Kobe not only acts. But he acts in Italian as well. As you probably know, Kobe was fluent in Italian. So he used his knowledge of the language in his first TV appearance ever. Cool right? We thought so too.

Sister, Sister

Another cult 90’s TV show. And another TV appearance by Kobe. Yes, this particular episode of Sister, Sister aired in 1996 too. “Kid-Napped” is the name of the episode and he was just adorable. Not to mention, the episode was written by Terence Winter. One of the best TV writers/directors out there. And yeah. The episode is about rivalry, jealousy and of course. The presence of young Kobe Bryant. Before he became a basketball megastar.

Bette

You never knew that this TV show existed? Well, it did back in the early 2000s. And not only it has Bette Midler in the titular role, but the sitcom got her a Golden Globe nomination as well. Sadly Bette has only one season to show for, but Kobe was the star in one of the episodes. Yup. Kobe and Bette got into a hilarious tussle, which leaves the basketball star on the bench. Injured and depressed. But they do kiss and makeup in the end and (along with his bodyguard) watch Beaches together. It’s a really funny episode, and it’s the most I’ve seen Kobe act on TV up to that point. Plus it has Bette Midler playing a demented/fictitious version of herself. What’s not to like? Seriously, the episode is bonkers, and yeah. Deserves to be on this list.

Modern Family

Kobe has just a couple of lines in the Family Portrait episode of Modern Family…. But he’s great nonetheless. And yeah, the scene is hilarious as well. This is by far the shortest scene with Kobe on this list, but he does act in it. Of course, the conclusion of these scenes is to never ask Kobe Bryant – if he LIKES being a basketball player. Especially as he’s getting ready to get out to the basketball court. Just a friendly tip from Phil Dunphy.

Daddy’s Home

Why not end this post with a movie pick. And a movie picks that has one of the understated Kobe Bryant cameos too. He doesn’t have any on-camera lines, but his presence is all too glorious. So, naturally, I had to include it. He’s in his natural habitat here (with his fans around him and on the basketball court). But in this movie, Will Farrell’s step-son is one hell of a fan of Mr. Bryant. Well because this is Will Farrell’s movie, hilarious things will follow, but yeah. Kobe is stellar once again.

NBA 2K21 Mamba Forever: What’s Your Favorite Kobe Bryant Cameo Role?

And your favorite Kobe Bryant memory. TV, movie or basketball memory, it doesn’t matter. Is it his appearance in Entourage? Or his short movie Dear, Basketball? Don’t be shy. Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about it.

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