“He wasn’t a superstar in the room. He was a dude and we worked together. He was even curious about my career and what I was doing and generous in hearing about my dreams.” Their time together only lasted a few months; after the lockout ended the NBA played a shortened 50-game season, with Bryant’s Lakers losing in the conference semifinals to the eventual champs, the San Antonio Spurs. (The Lakers would win it all the next three seasons.)