In a recent chat with Taylor Rooks, NBA Hall of Famer and 8x All-Star Vince Carter revealed how Kobe Bryant helped him through the end of his basketball career.

Bryant and Carter were friends and competitors both on and off the court, and they shared a conversation during Vince’s final stand that made letting go a whole lot easier.

“I did announce it was my last year. I didn’t announce I was retiring,” said Vince. “We play the Nets in Brooklyn. Kobe and Gigi are at that game.

We were cool and throughout the years, we went at it. That’s what it was. But to see the smile on his face was unbelievable.”

Vince asked Bryant, a 5x champion for the Lakers, what the retired life was like and Kobe (who had then been at home full-time since 2016) revealed that it was a lot of fun.

“I asked him about that word [retirement] and he said, ‘Man it’s the greatest thing ever,” continued Vince. “It’s the best feeling, you’re gonna enjoy it. This side is not that bad. If Kobe Bryant can say that to me, I can say ‘I’m retiring.'”

Carter, the 5th overall pick in 1998, played for 22 years in the league, which stands as the longest-tenured career in NBA history. He averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for his career. Despite being drafted just two years after Kobe, Carter didn’t retire until the 2019-20 season, which is the same time that Kobe and Gigi lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash.

That game against the Nets was one of the last times that Vince had a face-to-face with Kobe and his daughter and it was just the conversation he needed to accept the end of his NBA career. In his mind, if a guy as competitive and dedicated as Kobe Bryant could enjoy the post-NBA lifestyle, then he was sure to survive just fine.

While Kobe didn’t get long to enjoy retirement, Vince (and plenty of others) saw how he was able to thrive after stepping away from the game. In the few short years following his last game, Bryant set the standard for retired athletes and continued to enhance his legacy without paying a single minute on the court. He even won an Oscar in 2018 for best animated short film.

Vince Carter Remembers His Final Chat With Kobe
It wasn’t long after that game when the crash happened, and Vince was as torn up about it as anyone. To this day, he still remembers the final conversation he had with Kobe, which centered around their daughters and taking care of the family until the end of their days.

“The last thing we talked about was we were going to do whatever it took to the best of our abilities to take care of our daughters,” said Carter. “And that was the last conversation right before we gave a hug and ‘Love you brother, see you soon.’”

More than anything, Kobe took pride in being a father and I believe him spending so much time with his family was part of the reason he was so happy even without the game. After 20 years of hard work and constant battles, he was finally able to settle down and completely devote himself to the people he loved the most.

As sad as his passing was, Bryant’s memory continues to live on in those whose lives he touched, including Vince Carter. Even now, years after the Lakers legend is gone, he still looks back on their last moments together with satisfaction knowing that Kobe was in a state of peace. Fortunately, Carter was able to find that for himself after retirement and Kobe would have loved to see it.

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