A documentary on the quiet benevolence of Kobe Bryant
Andscape, the Black content studio from Disney and ESPN, today debuted Eight on Eight – a documentary chronicling the quiet benevolence of NBA Hall of Famer and legend Kobe Bryant. The one-hour film is available on ESPN+, with excerpts and vignettes airing across The Walt Disney Company’s media platforms as part of ESPN’s acclaimed “Black History Always” sports content series.
Written and directed by Andscape senior writer Jerry Bembry (co-director, “On & Coppin” on ESPN+), Eight on Eight is a newsroom-driven series of shorts that tell the powerful stories of eight individuals and the lasting impact Kobe Bryant had on their lives. The film expands Bembry’s long-form piece—Eight on Eight: A Collection of Stories of Kobe Bryant’s Impact on Everyday People—on Andscape’s editorial hub, remembering the NBA legend one year after his death.
Trailer available for download here | Watch on ESPN+.
“Basketball fans are familiar with the intensity Kobe Bryant brought to the basketball court,” Bembry said. “What they might not be as familiar with is the passion he brought to his encounters with everyday people, and his willingness to go the extra mile to help them when they were in times of need.”
Dwayne Bray, Vice President and Head of Storytelling, Andscape, and Co-Executive Producer of Eight on Eight, added: “Most viewers will be seeing several stories in this film for the first time for the simple reason that Kobe Bryant didn’t always want his good deeds to be publicly known. This movie shows a more humanistic side of the Lakers legend.”
Bembry is available for interviews on this project.
The Eight and their Kobe Bryant stories:
- Kristen O’Connor Hecht: A simple request for an autograph for a terminally ill patient named Kobe in a Phoenix hospital turned into a visit by Kobe Bryant, who spent about an hour tossing a basketball with the five-year-old patient in an ICU.
- Cabbie Richards’ out-of-the-box interviews with Kobe Bryant and the access the NBA legend offered helped establish the career of the Toronto-based TV sports journalist.
- Jarid Gibson met a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1995 at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina. Gibson wrote the young Bryant a letter after their time together at the tournament. To his surprise, Gibson later found out years later the NBA legend said the letter inspired him.
- Jarred Jones received a simple request from the Ellen DeGeneres Show: send a video on why you are Kobe Bryant’s biggest fan. That video earned the 11-year-old an audience invite to Bryant’s appearance on the show. Their interaction during and after the show left a lasting impression on Jones.
- Reshanda Gray had no interest in basketball until Bryant stopped by the Los Angeles, Calif., after-school program she was enrolled in. That meeting and Bryant’s sage counsel propelled Gray to become a McDonald’s All-American in high school, a scholarship student-athlete to Cal-Berkeley, and a career in the WNBA.
- Elise Buik, president, and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles: Bryant asked the United Way of Greater Los Angeles leadership what they needed from him, Buik responded: “We need someone to mainstream the issue of homelessness. That’s what he did: put the issue of homelessness in this area on the map.”
- When she learned her AAU team would play against the Bryant-coached Mamba Academy squad, Lane Madrid was shocked and nervous. Bryant complimented Madrid on her play and offered some advice following the game. As her Roseville High School (Roseville, CA) athletic department faced a financial crisis months later, Madrid reached out to Bryant via Instagram for financial assistance. Weeks later, the school received a check for $5,000 from Bryant.
- On a video shoot assignment at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in January 2020, Timbo Thymes thought a message from the NBA legend would lift the spirits of his mother, Leona Jacobs-Thymes, who was battling cancer. Thymes asked, and Bryant stepped outside and taped a heartfelt message of encouragement—telling his mother to adopt the “mamba mentality.”
Credits:
- Executive producers: Jason Aidoo (Vice President and Head of Andscape) and Dwayne Bray
- Writer and Director: Jerry Bembry
- Producer: Cornell Jones
- Content Associate: Hannah Jones
About Andscape:
Andscape is a Black content studio that explores the depth of Black identity through its power in sports and culture. Magnified by the power and reach of The Walt Disney Company, the Andscape umbrella includes daily journalism, film, television, book publishing and music.
About ESPN+:
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $11.99 a month (or $119.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices. For more visit, the ESPN+ Press Kit.
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