Kobe Bryant docuseries on CNN pulls no punches on life, career of NBA icon

“Kobe: The Making of a Legend,” a new three-part docuseries from the CNN Originals department, is not hagiography.

It is a clear-eyed look at Kobe Bryant the basketball player driven by championship dreams and the pursuit of greatness, his fractured relationship with his parents, his sexual assault arrest, his reclamation as a “girl dad,” and his second career in storytelling.

The series debuts with the first episode Saturday (9 p.m. ET, CNN), one day before the five-year anniversary of his death in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California. Eight other people, including Bryant’s daughter Gianna, died in the accident.

Each episode (the other two air Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on CNN) is about 45 minutes, and the documentary tells Bryant’s story from a wide cast – friends, teammates, teachers, classmates, former players, current players, prosecutors, journalists and video clips from Bryant and his parents, Joe and Pam.

The most knowledgeable Bryant aficionados will glean something from this series, even if it’s an obscure video of a young Bryant playing youth basketball in Italy while his dad played professionally in the country or video from his high school playing days at Lower Merion in the Philadelphia suburbs.

The first episode focuses on those early days, painting a picture of a youngster who knew what he wanted: to be an NBA player.

In a video of Bryant speaking in front of classmates in high school, he recalls returning to Philadelphia from Italy and being lonely, retreating deeper into his goal of playing professional basketball. “I discovered the hunger, the motivation and desire to be the best possible basketball player that I could be,” Bryant said.

The docuseries explores Bryant’s greatness on the court, especially his formative years and how they shaped his ultra-competitive mindset. “Winning means everything to Kobe Bryant,” former Lakers trainer Gary Vitti told an interviewer. “There wasn’t anything else.”

The series does not shy from the difficult and horrific aspects of Bryant’s life. Bryant once had a strong relationship with his parents who a teenaged Bryant said were the two people he admired most. But the relationship began to erode with his marriage to Vanessa. Joe died in July. His mom, Pam, and Vanessa declined CNN interview requests.

The second episode spends considerable time on Bryant’s 2004 sexual assault criminal case in Eagle, Colorado, stemming from a 2003 incident at a resort where Bryant, then 24, was staying before having surgery nearby. It does not shy from revealing testimony and the antics of Bryant’s powerful legal team.

The district attorney said he believed he had enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bryant was guilty of a class three sexual assault felony. However, the case was dismissed when the alleged victim declined to testify.

The documentary shows the full text of Bryant’s statement in which he says, “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”

The incident stuck with Bryant, but he reshaped his image in different molds: Black Mamba, two more NBA championships, NBA MVP, two Olympic gold medals, his recovery from an Achilles rupture, father, girls’ basketball coach, Academy Award winner.

In nearly 130 minutes, the docuseries covers a long arc, focusing on the topics that defined Kobe Bryant.

When is the new Kobe Bryant documentary?

The three-part series will air Saturday, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8.

How to watch the new Kobe Bryant documentary

The three-part documentary "Kobe: The Making of a Legend," will air on CNN. The first part is on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET. Part two drops Feb. 1 at 9 p.m. ET and part three will air Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

How to stream the new Kobe Bryant documentary

The series can be streamed on cnn.com and via the network's mobile app.

How long is the new Kobe Bryant documentary?

It is told in three parts, each about 45 minutes long.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kobe Bryant docuseries on CNN examines NBA icon five years after death