Kobe Bryant Coaching Daughter of Lakers GM Rob Pelinka’s Basketball Team

Kobe Bryant

Getty Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant has taken his talents from the hardwood to the sidelines, only he’s opted to go a different direction than coaching rising NBA talent. Instead, the Black Mamba is coaching a youth basketball team, one which features the daughter of former agent and current Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

As SB Nation’s Harrison Faigen first reported, Bryant is taking it seriously as well, having the girls practice for three hours a day.

Bryant and Pelinka have built a strong relationship, and the NBA legend’s former agent played a big role throughout his career. The Lakers former star spent his entire professional career in Los Angeles, averaging 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and shot 44.7 percent from the field over 1,346 games.

Bryant spoke about his relationship with Pelinka previously on The Rich Eisen show (via SB Nation), revealing just how close the two are.

Eisen: How often do you give your thoughts on the Laker roster to your former agent (Rob Pelinka)?

Bryant: Every time Rob calls me. Look, Rob and I have been friends forever. He’s Godfather to (Bryant’s daughter) Gianna, and so we’ll talk. Sometimes I’ll call just to check on him and see how he’s doing. Because when I played during the season, he’d have to pick up for me, with my family.

I’d miss Halloween, Christmas, so he’d go out with my family and stuff when he was my agent, so now it’s just kind of reversed. So when he’s on the road, I’ll spend time with his family and take them out trick-or-treating and all that good stuff.

It goes without saying that there’s surely no single player Pelinka would rather have coach his daughter’s team than Bryant.