Kobe Bryant says he finally joined Twitter so that he could interact with fans.
The fans are clearly eager to interact with him, too, as he is sitting at 480,000 followers and counting as of early Saturday evening.
One thing that is also clear is that Bryant isn't afraid to be real, as he Tweeted this message from the heart on Friday night after the Lakers lost to the Clippers to drop two games under .500:
Thoughts of self doubt Am I done? Is this how my career will end?? I REFUSE to give in to these thoughts. #strongwill #countonchallenges
It was Bryant showing in social media what he shows on the court, a complete lack of willingness to back down from any barriers that are put in his way.
He didn't back down when he spoke with reporters on Saturday, either. According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Bryant said of his vulnerable side:
"Everybody has it. I'm human just like everybody else," he said. "I think the way I react to it is probably a little different than anybody else. I don't feed into it. I'm able to face it. I'm able to deal with it. I'm able to roll through it."
Bryant also said it was good for his teammates to see that he had moments of doubt just like they did.
Doubting or not, it will be interesting to see what Bryant has to say on Twitter. He said he wouldn't join unless he devoted himself to communicating with fans. Now that he's here, it should be entertaining.
You can follow Bob Harkins on Twitter at @Bharks.