What Kobe Bryant got up to in whirlwind Melbourne visit

Kobe Bryant had the red carpet and VIP activities rolled out for his whirlwind Australian tour, but decided to enjoy a quintessentially Melbourne experience instead — and he loved it. This is what the basketball legend got up to.

Kobe Bryant has enjoyed a quintessentially Melbourne experience in his whirlwind visit.

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has hailed Melbourne’s major events might after a whirlwind visit to the Victorian capital.

The Los Angeles Lakers great went to see theatre blockbuster Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, strolled by the Yarra River and enjoyed a beer in Federation Square during his first Melbourne visit this week.

“I was just walking around and I saw this massive billboard, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, here in Melbourne,’’ he said. “I said: ‘What the … hold up, I got to go.’’

POTTER STAGE SORCERY A SPELLBINDING EXPERIENCE

RED CARPET ROLLED OUT FOR KOBE BRYANT

Turns out Kobe Bryant is a Potterhead too. Picture: Matt Murphy

Bryant attended a matinee performance of the Harry Potter spectacular at the Princess Theatre yesterday, before wowing a sold-out show of his own at Crown that shed light on his personal and public life.

He said the Melbourne theatre production blew him away.

“It’s just a fantastic show, brilliantly produced,’’ he said. “The actors are phenomenal. I had a great time.’’

Bryant — who was offered everything from private vineyard tours to shark dives — said he enjoyed exploring Melbourne on foot instead.

The NBA great — who last year won an Academy Award for his animated short film Dear Basketball — got some fresh air walking along Southbank this week and enjoyed lunch in the city.

He flew out of Melbourne on a private jet late last night but not before having thousands of paying sports fans on their seat at his revealing Mamba Mentality Experience.

The basketball legend enjoyed a beer at Fed Square and lunch along Southbank.

The five-time NBA champion told the crowd the one lesson he wanted to pass on to his children was “do what you love’’.

“It’s at the core of everything that we do,’’ he said. “It is to love and be loved and that means each other, that means a particular craft, with ourselves.

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY TO MEET KOBE BRYANT?

“Don’t compromise the love that you have for something because you decide to take an easier route or you decide to take a safer route.

“Do what you love to do and do it to the best of your ability.’’

Bryant — who gave his take on family, fame and fortune — also brought a smile to the faces of children involved with charities Make-A-Wish, Starlight Foundation and Helping Hoops.

There was a heavy presence of AFL identities hanging on Bryant’s every word at the event with the likes of Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell, Hawks star Jarryd Roughead and former Carlton gun Anthony Koutoufides attending.

[e-mail]

@rolfep