Kobe's 'phone line's always open' if Okafor ever wants advice
December 1, 2015 will forever be remembered as the day Kobe Bryant graced the Philadelphia 76ers' floor for the last time in his illustrious 20-year career.
For Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor, it also represents a moment in which one of the greatest players in league history extended an open invitation to chat about the ups and downs of life in the NBA.
Bryant - who recently announced that he will retire at the end of the 2015-16 season - sought out Okafor while in the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday in order to offer some sage advice to the youngster who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late.
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"I talked to him a little bit on the court, briefly in the weight room, and a little bit after the game," Bryant told NJ.com's Randy Miller.
"My phone line's always open to have a conversation or to sit around and break bread and talk about basketball or talk about whatever."
With roughly 18 years separating the two, Bryant certainly has a wealth of knowledge to draw from when guiding rookies in Okafor's potentially overwhelming position.
However, Bryant - who dealt with legal troubles in 2003 - acknowledged that technological advances and the boom of social media have made things considerably more challenging for his younger contemporaries.
"Everybody has a camera with a camera phone," he said. "You pick up on mistakes a lot more now than you would in the past. Not to say some of the heroes that have played here before haven't made those same mistakes, but it's just now the content gets captured so quickly."
With Bryant's legendary career winding down, it would behoove NBA newbies such as Okafor to take advantage of the invaluable resource that is "The Black Mamba" while his farewell tour is still in motion.
Bryant sees potential in the Duke alumnus, and knows how vital a role basketball plays in keeping players on track both personally and professionally.
"I wish him all the best. It's important for him to stay focused and to continue to work on his game, and he'll be just fine."