Bryant had a series on ESPN+ and was working on several projects at his Granity StudiosNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
KOBE BRYANT's production company, Granity Studios, was in the process of "ramping up multiple projects" before his death in Sunday's helicopter crash, according to Daniel Holloway of VARIETY. The status of Bryant's ESPN+ series, "Detail," as well as "other projects from Granity is, for now, unclear" (VARIETY.com, 1/27). In DC, Taylor Telford notes among Bryant's responsibilities was producing "THE PUNIES," a podcast "featuring fictional stories about a group of youths chasing big dreams in sports." Bryant also "collaborated with author WESLEY KING on the Wizenard Series, a young-adult franchise that combined fantasy and sports" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/28). Meanwhile, Brazilian author PAULO COELHO said that he and Bryant had been "working together on a children's book," but that he "deleted the draft after Bryant's death." The AP's Mauricio Savarese notes Coelho, who wrote "THE ALCHEMIST," started discussing the project with Bryant in '16. The two "began writing a few months ago." Bryant was a "fan of Coelho's and called 'The Alchemist' his favorite book" (AP, 1/28).
PART OF THE HOLLYWOOD FABRIC: In DC, Steven Zeitchik writes Bryant "became a part of the firmament" in Hollywood, even winning an Academy Award for his animated short film, "DEAR BASKETBALL." This is true "even though he hadn't become a significant player in the Hollywood trenches," where "much of the entertainment battle is waged." Outside of "Dear Basketball," Granity Studios has "not gotten much screen entertainment off the ground." But Bryant and Granity "made strides in book publishing and podcasting." It has been an "open question for some time whether Granity would become a bona fide Hollywood production company," or a more "modest vehicle for the occasional sports-themed project" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/28).
INVESTED INTERESTS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Vartabedian & Roof note Bryant Stibel, a VC firm co-founded by Bryant in '16, has "made 29 investments," the "most prominent of which" was a '18 late-stage investment in "Fortnite" creator Epic Games. When the firm was founded, Bryant and partner JEFF STIBEL established the $100M fund "backed by their own capital, to target technology, media and data companies." Other investments by Bryant Stibel included a July '19 "growth investment" in Bluetooth device tracker Tile, legal-services company LegalZoom.com, and "now defunct home-juicing company Juicero." The firm also has invested in "large companies" like Dell Technologies and Alibaba Group Holding. Bryant also "played an instrumental role" in getting DEREK JETER's Players' Tribune "off the ground." Separate from his firm, Bryant "personally invested" roughly $6M for a 10% stake in sports drink startup BA Sports Nutrition, which "does business as BodyArmor" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/28). CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin said Bryant "wanted to prove himself to be as successful in business as he was on the court" (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 1/27). USA TODAY's Nathan Bomey writes Bryant's post-playing career "reinvention was swift." After Bryant retired in '16, Bryant Stibel had over $2B in "capital under management" by September '19 (USA TODAY, 1/28).
GONE TOO SOON: NBC News’ Dylan Byers said Bryant was “basically at the beginning of what could have been a powerful second act ... which is basically leveraging his position as an incredibly high-paid and famous athlete and turning that into something where he had an investment arm, he had a production company, he had won an Oscar.” Byers: “There was just immense potential there to sort of live a second life where he could simultaneously create a real business and also sort of advance the causes that he cared about.” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 1/27).
