Kobe Byrant’s Lakers Locker Room Incident Reportedly Inspired Twisted Hollywood Project

What happens when sports glory meets pure horror? That’s exactly what filmmaker Justin Tipping is cooking up with HIM, a twisted psychological sports-horror produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. The story follows Tyriq Withers as a young quarterback training under his idol, played by Marlon Wayans—but things get darker, scarier, and way more violent than just chasing wins. Dropping September 19, 2025, and it’s already got NBA fans buzzing for one big reason: Kobe Bryant.

When Justin Tipping sat down to talk about HIM, he dropped a reference that immediately caught NBA fans’ attention: “There’s so much iconography from—just existing—sports that was a source of inspiration including that Kobe photo [2001 championship shower photo of Kobe]. It was just the juxtaposition of somebody so down at such a high. I think it’s like sobering. I think spoke to the themes of HIM which were, ‘what are you willing to sacrifice?’” he explained. And that photo? It’s one of the most haunting yet misunderstood moments of Kobe’s career.

Most people remember the image: Kobe Bryant sitting in the showers after winning the 2001 Finals, trophy in his hands, face completely emotionless. On the surface, it looked like exhaustion or quiet reflection. But the story ran deeper. As Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard detailed, Kobe’s falling out with his parents—especially over his relationship with Vanessa—was tearing him apart. “The falling out occurred in 2000… At 21, Kobe got engaged to 18-year-old Vanessa Laine… Joe did not approve,” Ballard wrote.

The Los Angeles Times even reported that Joe Bryant was “uncomfortable that Vanessa, a Latina, is not African-American, and he is uneasy with [Kobe’s] selfless devotion to her.” That disapproval meant Joe and Pam Bryant skipped their son’s wedding and even skipped every game of the Finals, despite them being played in Philadelphia, Kobe’s hometown.

So when the Lakers sealed the title and cameras caught Kobe alone with his trophy, the truth was heartbreaking. Everyone thought it was joy, relief, or maybe fatigue. But as Kobe later admitted to the Times, “That was about my dad.” That absence stung more than anything. He averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the series—numbers that proved his focus never wavered on the court—but off it, the pain was real. That photo, and the story behind it, became one of the rawest symbols of what it really costs to chase greatness.

That’s exactly the heartbeat of HIM. Justin Tipping explained it perfectly: “Oftentimes the first things that go, birthdays, weddings, funerals, parties, whatever, like, your social life, your hobbies. Other professional athletes have talked about this; that’s the trade-off. In approaching this movie, the reality is, do you really have to, or does that what we say to justify? In the mainstream culture, you’re expected to; it’s get rich or die trying, work above all else, I don’t know, I think there’s another path.” It’s not just about the game; it’s about what you leave behind in the name of greatness.

And if you think that’s just movie talk, even Shaquille O’Neal has lived it. He once told his son Shareef, “You know you’re going to have to give everything up, right? How many birthday parties did I miss? How many school plays did I miss? How many times did you wake up and not see me there?” That’s heavy. It’s the part fans rarely think about—the personal toll, the missed moments, the things you can’t get back. And that’s exactly the same shadow HIM is trying to explore.

Kobe Bryant’s complicated bond with his parents

Kobe Bryant’s story with his parents has always been complicated. Back in 1996, fresh out of high school and just drafted by the Lakers, Kobe was on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. When Leno joked that Kobe never had to mow the lawn again, Kobe laughed and said, “Now the good thing is that I get to give my parents allowance.” The crowd clapped, his parents smiled, and for a while it seemed like success was a blessing the whole family shared. But years later, that generosity turned into something Kobe admitted he regretted.

In a 2016 Players Tribune letter to his younger self, he wrote, “Use your success, wealth, and influence to put them in the best position to realize their own dreams and find their true purpose.” He warned against simply handing out money, urging his younger self to “let your parents be parents, not your managers.”

The real rift started in the early 2000s, when Kobe chose to marry Vanessa. In 2003, Kobe left his dad a ticket for a playoff game, but admitted, “My mom asked me to leave him a ticket, so of course I did. But I knew he wouldn’t come down and see me. He never does.” For a moment, things seemed to improve when Joe took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2005. But by 2013, the cracks turned into a full-blown public feud.

Joe and Pamela tried auctioning off Kobe’s memorabilia—including high school uniforms and even championship rings he’d gifted them. Kobe sued the auction house, and though a settlement was reached, Joe and Pamela had to issue a public apology, saying, “We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia. We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years.”

From that point on, Kobe admitted he hadn’t spoken to his parents for three years, calling the relationship “s—” in a 2013 ESPN interview. His parents didn’t attend his final Lakers game in 2016, a glaring absence in what should have been a perfect goodbye. Yet, people close to the family say there were glimpses of healing.

Wayne Slappy, a friend of Joe Bryant, recalled, “Just remember being with him up at his camp in Santa Barbara and seeing him hug his dad. You know how they loved each other from how they looked at each other, how they smiled.” Even in the midst of lawsuits, feuds, and silence, those small moments—like Gigi running into Joe’s arms after a game—reminded everyone that beneath the pain, there was still love in the Bryant family.