Nastia Liukin recalls conversation with late NBA great Kobe Bryant on his Oscar anniversary

American gymnast Nastia Liukin recently recounted a memorable conversation with the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant which happened at the Academy Awards (Oscars) six years ago.

Considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant is renowned for winning five NBA championships, two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and league MVP in 2008. At the age of 41, he tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Liukin narrated the story to her followers on Instagram (IG) back when she met Bryant and how this incident impacted her life beyond the gymnastics mat. She shared this in her latest post, stating:

“Six years ago today, Kobe won an Oscar. I remember seeing him the week before. We were standing backstage at an award show that we were both presenting at, catching up like we always did. But this time will always be etched in my memory.”

She added:

“He was telling me how crazy it was that he was nominated for an Oscar—because nobody believed it would ever be possible (except for him, of course). Everyone knew him and defined him as arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. But he knew he was more than just that.”

Bryant asked her to stop putting herself in a box. When she heard that, she immediately recalled how she had lived her entire life in that box (gymnast in the pink leotard). She further stated:

“He just knew. He always knew the right thing to say. The hard truths that needed to be spoken. I looked at him and said, 'You’re right, Kobe.' And he said, 'I know I am,' smiling, never smug.”

Bryant also mentioned that he was optimistic about winning the Oscar the following week. He went on to become the first former professional athlete to win the Academy Award for his film "Dear Basketball" which bagged the Best Animated Short Film award in 2018.

Through this, Nastia Liukin wanted to deliver her audience a powerful message, stating:

“So, for anyone who has or continues to put themself in a box, whatever that box may be, I encourage you to make today the day you remove yourself from it. Greatness may just be on the other side.”

Nastia Liukin’s life beyond her gymnastics career

Retired gymnast Nastia Liukin reports for NBC Sports in the Olympic Park ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on February 5, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

After retiring from gymnastics in 2012, the five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin studied sports management and psychology in 2013 at New York University before graduating in May 2016.

She then took part in the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars, the American dance competition TV series, as one of the celebrities in 2015, and again made a comeback in Season 27.

She authored Finding My Shine, released on November 24, 2015. Nastia Liukin also became the gymnastics commentator for NBC during the Rio Olympics 2016. In 2023, she appeared on FOX's show, Special Forces.

The 34-year-old has also engaged herself in numerous charities like Cards for Hospitalized Kids and Breast Cancer Awareness. She has also been hosting the Nastia Liukin Cup every year since 2010.