Sharrie Williams recalls special moment of generosity by Kobe Bryant

Early in my career, I worked several seasons in the NBA interviewing players and coaches after games.

I'll never forget the lively exchange I had with Kobe Bryant after asking him about how Shane Battier had defended him!

But there's another characteristic that sticks with me: his generosity. He learned my mother was a middle school teacher and that she was working on a fundraiser at her school.

He kindly sent an item for the auction, but we also received something else in the mail - an autographed pair of Nike sneakers. It was a WOW moment.

We never expected that, but knowing his desire for excellence and to go the extra step, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised.

I'm grateful for our interactions. The interactions were few but they were meaningful memories that I greatly treasure.