144. Meet the Man Who Captured 20 Years of Kobe & Lakers History ft. Andrew Bernstein

What’s up Rock Nation, today we’ve welcome the Hall of Fame NBA Photographer Andrew Bernstein. Andrew D. Bernstein isn’t just a photographer - he’s a storyteller who has spent over four decades documenting the greatest moments in sports history. From courtside at Lakers championships to behind-the-scenes with Kobe Bryant, his lens has shaped the way we see the game. A Hall of Fame photographer, longtime NBA shooter, and the co-author of The Mamba Mentality, Andy has built an unparalleled career capturing the essence of legendary athletes. Being that we both grew up in LA, we are huge Lakers and Kobe Bryant fans, so this episode was very special for us. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it takes to capture history through a camera, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Trailer

00:56 - Intro

1:46 - One Handed Crack

2:55 - Documenting Kobe for 20 years

5:20 - Making a book with Kobe

13:28 - How Andy formed a friendship with Kobe

16:31 - Iconic shot breakdown #1

17:39 - How Andy shoots an NBA game with 8 cameras

20:54 - Why no one is allowed to take pictures from the catwalk anymore

22:35 - The difference between shooting an NBA game with film vs. digital

24:56 - Andy was crazy obsessed with his craft like Kobe was

27:16 - Kobe hated the word “Potential”

30:07 - Iconic shot breakdown #2 - 2001 Finals Kobe with the Trophy

32:51 - Andy doesn’t edit his own photos

34:32 - Photographing Kobe’s last game

41:25 - Andy’s process for shooting an NBA game

44:28 - Andy on creating his company and working with the NBA

47:34 - How Andy shoots an NBA game

50:00 - Why Andy doesn’t talk to anyone during a game

52:37 - Kobe used Andy to get info about other players

53:47 - Andy’s dreams of being an NBA photographer

56:24 - What Andy learned from his Photographer GOAT - Neil Leifer

57:20 - Shooting on film and having to pull focus

59:25 - Shooting the photo that sparked AIR JORDAN

1:04:31 - Nightmares shooting film

1:05:46 - Andy’s camera settings

1:07:54 - Andy’s photography bible

1:10:00 - Why older NBA photos look so much more “Iconic”

1:11:34 - Getting “The Shot” back in the day was WAY harder

1:13:12 - Andy’s favorite lenses to shoot with

1:16:35 - Usage and Licensing with NBA photos

1:18:28 - Iconic shot breakdown #3 - Michael Jordan with the trophy

1:22:36 - Creating a photo book with Phil Jackson

1:31:42 - Advice to your 18-year-old self

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