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Rob Pelinka is well-known in basketball for his work behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as playing a key role in Kobe Bryant's rise to the top of the NBA.
Early on, Pelinka decided that if he couldn't beat his fellow basketball colleagues, he would them after he gave up on his professional career to manage Bryant's professional career as his agent.
Now, he is predominantly known as the vice president of basketball operations and general manager for the Lakers.
He is tasked with trying to turn the Lakers into a dominant force in the NBA once more after a three-year barren spell since their last success in 2020.
Who is Rob Pelinka?
Pelinka is a former college basketball player and businessman born on December 23, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois. He played basketball at the University of Michigan after graduating from Lake Forest High School.
But he decided to end his career at college level to become a sports agent and went on to manage a number of star names as he made a name for himslef, including the late Kobe Bryant.
It seems he still maintains a close bond with the Bryant family after taking a recent selfie with Bryant's widow Vanessa, who shared a photo of herself and Pelinka near his birthday.
The image captured their enduring friendship, as Pelinka played a pivotal role as Kobe's representative during his playing days. The American basketball star tragically ed away in a helicopter crash along with the couple's daughter, Gianna, who was 13.
Is Rob Pelinka married and does he have children?
The 54-year-old married his long-time partner, Kristin Brett Schwarz, in 2005, and they are still together. They recently sold their $3.7million property in the Newport Beach area.
A doctor by trade, Kristin graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from Duke University in 1998.
She later went on to graduate from UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine in 2003 and later worked as a pediatrician, before setting up her own clinic in 2016.
The couple have two children together, a daughter named Emery and a son, Durham, who is set to follow in his father's footsteps as he plays basketball at high school level.