Kobe Bryant says he won't join Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley tried to do something Phil Jackson and Jerry Buss couldn't do.

Reunite Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

As outlandish as the idea might seem, TNT was reportedly attempting to recruit Bryant to join their set in a reunion of the most legendary one-two punch in Los Angeles Lakers history on their postgame set. Bryant will have plenty of time to kill in retirement, but it doesn't sound like he wants to spend it analyzing games for the Emmy winning panel.

"No," said Kobe when asked by a TMZ reporter outside of a Hublot watch show whether or not he wanted to join Inside the NBA. Well, hat certainly keeps things simple enough.

Bryant spending his retirement yucking it up with Shaq, Chuck, Kenny, and EJ every Thursday night always seemed unlikely, even if the always quotable and outspoken Bryant would have been a seamless addition to the boisterous studio crew.

Instead, Kobe seems to be fully committed to his work at Kobe Inc., which will debut his new animated documentary "Dear Basketball" this Fall. Maybe when it's done winning Academy Awards Bryant will have time to head over to TNT.

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