Magic Johnson Confirms Kobe Bryant Was Working on His Own ‘The Last Dance’ Doc
Turns out, Kobe Bryant had plans for a documentary of his final Lakers season, and the film is currently in development, according to Magic Johnson.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about The Last Dance, the NBA icon confirmed that there will “definitely” be a documentary about Kobe that follows along the same line as ESPN’s recent offering.
“That’s definitely going to happen,” Johnson said. “I think he was smart enough to have a camera follow him, document every movement… so we are going to see a lot of behind-the-scenes things on Kobe and probably let us into his world with his family.”
In the absence of an NBA season, basketball fans have been poring over Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance documentary. Last week an ESPN report revealed that a similar series might be in store, shedding light onto Kobe Bryant’s 2015–16 season at the Lakers. Sources told ESPN that footage had been in the editing stages for a potential documentary and that Bryant had seen edited material and provided feedback in the months leading up to his death.
Lakers’ PR claim film crews had “greater access than anyone else ever.” There were up to six camera crews at Staples Center for the final game, in both locker rooms, the Lakers, practice facility, team plane, and training room. “We certainly allowed them to do everything we could within what the league would allow, and sometimes, with a wink and look-the-other-way, allowed them even more.”
Unlike The Last Dance, the Lakers struggled through the worst season in franchise history, which Kobe capped off with a legendary 60-point game, ending his uninterrupted 20 years with the team. According to ESPN, the plan was for the documentary to air years down the road and that is unlikely to change.
