James Harden Reveals Kobe Bryant’s Financial Advice Led to Massive Success

James Harden, the renowned basketball star playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, recently disclosed how life-altering financial advice from the late Kobe Bryant significantly shaped his investment strategies. Bryant, known for his illustrious basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers, left a remarkable legacy beyond the basketball court, which includes imparting business acumen to his peers.

Harden shared insights during a podcast hosted by Earn Your Leisure, revealing that Bryant advised him to set aside a substantial investment fund. «Kobe told me, ‘Let’s put aside $5 million. Anytime an opportunity comes up—whether it’s $200,000 or $500,000—we’ll pull from this pot and invest,'» Harden stated.

The advice led Harden to invest $500,000 in BodyArmor, a sports drink company in which Bryant had already invested $6 million back in 2014. This investment turned out to be highly lucrative. In 2021, Coca-Cola purchased BodyArmor for $5.6 billion, transforming Bryant’s $6 million investment into a $400 million windfall and providing Harden with substantial financial returns.

Harden has continued to implement Bryant’s investment strategies, building a diverse portfolio that includes part ownership of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and its National Women’s Soccer League counterpart, Houston Dash. His investments also span various sectors, including Therabody, a wellness technology company.

In a tribute to Bryant, Harden acknowledged the responsibility of carrying forward Bryant’s legacy. «Carrying on Kobe’s legacy is really hard because he was truly one of a kind,» he said, reflecting on Bryant’s mentorship and his own efforts to cultivate long-term wealth inspired by Bryant’s teachings.

Kobe Bryant’s business ventures extended across multiple domains, with investments in high-profile companies such as Alibaba, Dell, and Epic Games. Additionally, Bryant launched Granity Studios, a production company, further broadening his business portfolio.