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Kobe Bryant was not only one of the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen, he was always one of the smartest. And that wasn't just basketball IQ, either. The man was just flat-out intelligent, well-spoken (in multiple languages,) and when he wanted to, he beamed with charisma. 

But the way he explained the game, the nuances, the mental approach, the chess match of it all, it pulled you in like a magic trick. All of which would've made him an incredible television analyst. Apparently, it nearly happened. 

According to Charles Barkley, who recently appeared on Draymond Green's podcast, Bryant actually signed a deal to join the "NBA on TNT" crew after his retirement in 2016, but when he found out there were additional PR requirements to the job -- interviews and such throughout the week -- he decided he wasn't interested in that part of the gig and pulled out. 

Listen to Barkley tell the story below.

Adding Bryant to the TNT dynamic would've been a no-brainer. Again, he was just such a basketball savant, and he really would've challenged the likes of Barkley and his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, both of whom still analyze the game through a pretty old-school, simplistic lens without much regard for more modern concepts. 

It's not all bad, the way Chuck and Shaq view the game. There's a lot of knowledge to be found in simplicity, and I actually agree we've gotten too analytical in some ways. But the communication is key. I think Bryant would've bridged the gap perfectly. 

Bryant's joining TNT also would've reunited him with Shaq, who was added in 2011. This would've sent ratings through the roof, I would think. To see those guys back together, having squashed their beef, just talking hoops and certainly having plenty of time to reminisce and tell old Lakers stories within the free-flowing TNT format, would've been amazing. It's too bad we never got to see it.