Kobe Bryant once swam with sharks; now one bears his name

There’s not much to say about Kobe Bryant that isn’t already known, but how many of his fans know that he was fascinated by sharks?

There’s not much to say about Kobe Bryant that isn’t already known, but how many of his fans know that the late NBA superstar was fascinated by sharks?

So fascinated that in the summer of 2013, while recovering from a torn achilles tendon, Bryant traveled to Mexico’s Guadalupe Island to dive with great white sharks.

Martin Graf of Shark Diver told FTW Outdoors that the Los Angeles Lakers’ star enjoyed close views of two white sharks while inside the cage, and afterward soaked up the magical atmosphere surrounding the vast and remote volcanic island, 150 miles west of Ensenada.

Kobe Bryant with Martin Graf at Guadalupe Island. Photo: Shark Diver

“It was nice having a conversation with him that had nothing to do with basketball or him being famous,” Graf recalled. “Just a couple of guys talking about sharks.”

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Graf shared an amusing side note: Bryant’s feet were too big for the wetsuit booties Shark Diver clients use, so he plunged into the cage wearing his Nike shoes (see photo).

This week, the Marine Conservation Science Institute, which maintains a photo-database of 300-plus great white sharks known to frequent Guadalupe waters, announced that it was naming a newly identified shark Kobe Bryant.

Additionally, MCSI has “reallocated” the shark into the No. 24 spot in the catalog, to coincide with the number Bryant wore for much of his 20-year Lakers’ career.

Kobe Bryant merges from shark cage wearing Nike shoes. Photo: Shark Diver

“We did prepare a press release, but then I pulled the plug on that because I did not want any perception that we’re using Kobe’s tragic death as a way to gain publicity,” Michael Domeier, MCSI’s president and executive director, told FTW Outdoors. “I don’t want it to be about that. We’re just showing our respect and honoring him in a small way.”

As most of the world knows, Bryant, 41, died along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter, in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California.

The 18-time All-Star played his entire NBA career with the Lakers, winning five championships, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

–Images are courtesy of Shark Diver