Following his basketball career, NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant turned to investing in companies like BodyArmor and may have been helped on this new career path by billionaire Elon Musk.

What Happened: Bryant spoke highly of Musk during an appearance at a 2017 convenience store trade show promoting BodyArmor, a beverage brand he invested in back in 2014.

"Elon Musk is I think a genius by all accounts," Bryant said in the interview, as shared by CNBC.

Bryant praised the commitment and work that Musk put into his companies during the interview. The former NBA star said that he asked Musk one time about how he continues learning.

"The amount of research and the amount of study that he does is unheard of."

Bryant said that Musk shared an important investment lesson with him.

"He will always say the most important thing is imagination."

Bryant shared with the interviewer that imagination could be the key to elevating great ideas beyond merely reading books and studying.

"If you don't have the imagination to then take it to another level, it doesn't mean anything."

Bryant said his conversation with Musk was great and a joy.

The interviewer asked Bryant if this meant he would buy Tesla stock, prompting a great sound bite from the NBA star.

"I'll buy into Elon," Bryant answered.

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Why It's Important: Bryant died tragically in a helicopter crash in January 2020 at the age of 41.

In the NBA, Bryant spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the second-most seasons with a single team in league history.

Bryant's 33,643 points rank fourth all-time and the NBA Hall of Famer holds several records and ranks among the top players of all time. Bryant won five NBA championships during his career and took home four NBA MVP awards and two NBA Finals MVP awards.

After his basketball career, Bryant became an investor in several companies, including BodyArmor. In 2014, Bryant invested $6 million for a 10% stake in the beverage company.

Coca-Cola later acquired full control of BodyArmor in 2021, increasing its existing minority stake in the company. The beverage giant paid $5.6 billion to acquire the remainder of the company valuing BodyArmor at $8 billion.

This meant that Bryant's early stake went from $6 million to $800 million, representing one of the best returns on an investment ever achieved by a former athlete.

Musk's advice for Bryant may have shaped the way he looked at the BodyArmor and other investments.

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