Kobe Bryant's 2014 Visit To Boston College Class Left Professor In Awe
BOSTON (CBS) – Kobe Bryant never went to college, but he made his mark at Boston College in a memorable visit six years ago.
Professor Nick Nugent was teaching the first international marketing class of the semester in January 2014 when an unexpected guest walked into his classroom at the Carroll School of Management.
"He comes in with a stocking hat on and I thought it was probably a Boston College basketball player coming in late to class on opening night. So he sits down and he takes off his hat and I'm thinking, 'Jesus Christ that's Kobe Bryant,' because he's very recognizable. He has a very recognizable look about him," Nugent recalled to WBZ-TV Monday, a day after Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash. "I'm not in awe of famous people, but with this guy I was."
Bryant was in Boston with the Lakers to play the Celtics later that week. He stayed for the entire two hour class and then signed autographs and took photos with students.
"This was a really nice man, this was a good guy," the now-retired professor said.
By the time the class ended Nugent said there were "a couple of hundred people" in Fulton Hall waiting for the NBA legend. Nugent got about 150 emails immediately after the class as word quickly spread about Bryant's visit. Bryant even Tweeted about the class afterwards.
Learn. Learn. Learn. thank you #BC #internationalmarketing Education never stops.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 17, 2014
"I'm a 30-year college professor. I've been all over the world. I've published a ton of articles. Nothing got me anywhere near the notoriety of this young (35) year-old man dropping by my class," Nugent told WBZ. "I've been doing this for a long time and that was about the most amazing experience I've had."