Rape case helped me become a better person, says Kobe Bryant

Washington -  NBA star Kobe Bryant has revealed that the rape charges levelled against him by a 19-year-old hotel employee back in 2003 helped him grow as a person.

The sportsman, who had denied the sexual assault charges and claimed he had had consensual sex with the victim, admitted that the case not only helped him learn a lot about himself, but  also made him more mature.

Bryant opened up in front of the sports interview guru Graham Bensinger and talked about his state of mind during the 2003 legal battle calling the court proceedings a “dark time”, TMZ  reported.

“I think it challenges who you are as a person. To have to go through something like that not only individually but as a family. For the Lakers organization, my teammates,” he said. 

“It was extremely difficult and you kinda had to do some soul searching, because you’re fighting numerous battles at the same time.

“You just kind of try to figure your way through all of this mess. And the only thing that you can do is put one foot in front of the other, and just continue to move forward.”

The 33-year-old ultimately settled with his accuser and admitted no guilt.