Alex Walinski and Kyle Sullivan
Staff Writers
Kobe Bryant is one of the most well known basketball players and one of the best players to ever play the game. Recently, not only was the whole basketball world shocked by his passing, but the entire world was touched when the news spread. Kobe was known by almost everybody. He is the name said whenever a kid mimicked a 3-point shot as they threw a piece of paper into a trash can. He was not only a great basketball player, but an Oscar winner for best animated short film. Most importantly he was a great father and family figure.
There are many stories that can be told about Kobe and his mamba mentality, but there were a few that really stuck out and showed what he left behind and taught to the younger generation. One story that showed everyone how Kobe feared no one and thought he could take anyone one-on-one. Kobe was new to the league and it was his first time playing against the league leader at that time, Michael Jordan. He was feared by almost all players and one of Kobe’s teammates was talking to him before the game. He asked Bryant “Want some advice?” because Kobe was matched up against Jordan that night. “Whatever you do, don’t look him in the eyes.” A grown man and teammate of Kobe was so afraid of what Jordan could do that he told him to not look into his eyes. Kobe looked at his teammate and responded “Excuse me.” He continued “I’m that too. Can’t look me in the eyes either.” Kobe was young and rather new to the league, and he walked around with that confidence, and he would back up how he played. Many kids want to be just like Kobe, and the attempt to have the same confidence that he had because that is a part of what helped him be a superstar.
Kobe always wanted to be the best possible player that he could be so when he was in high school he thought to himself “What advantage can I give myself that would stand out over everyone else?” He came up with the solution to get up and work earlier. His first class started at 7:45 a.m. so he would arrive at the gym at 5 a.m. to get shots up. This is just one of many stories that shows how willing Kobe Bryant was to be great. He was going to do whatever it took in order to be the best he could and at the end of his career he even mentioned how he was happy with what he did and was content to retire because he knew he gave basketball everything he had. He said there was nothing more he could have done to get better. He was alright with retiring because he felt like there was no one who outworked him and he let people know that they could not outwork him. He has kids look up to him and strive to get to his work ethic or at least as close as they can to how hard Kobe Bryant worked.
While he was in his prime in the league, Kobe once had a game against another star named Jay Williams. Williams knew he was playing one of the most elite players in the league, if not the most elite player in the league. He showed up at 3 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game to get extra shots up. When he got there he heard a ball bouncing already. Unsurprisingly, that ball was being dribbled by the great Kobe Bryant who had shown up at 2 p.m prior for their 7 p.m. tip off.
After Kobe had retired one of his major passions was to change the game of women’s basketball, and he pursued in making a stand for women’s basketball. He started coaching his daughter Giana Bryant who was a 13-year-old phenom and had love for the game like her father. Kobe and his daughter worked on her craft day-in and day-out at their own Mamba Academy in California as Giana had Division 1 college basketball scouts already looking at her to be a part of their future. Giana had plans on attending UConn to pursue her basketball career. With the help from her father, she was the face of youth women’s basketball, and they continued to get others involved and grow the game.
The early afternoon of Jan. 20 2020, Kobe Bryant’s chopper had crashed in the hills of Calabasas killing his daughter, numerous others and himself. When the news broke, it was too hard to take in and for a moment didn’t feel possible or real. Not only did Kobe pass away on this day, people’s lives changed forever. One of the best basketball players, Kobe was a family man, an Oscar award winner, and an all-around role model who has been taken from the world too soon.
In honor of Kobe and to continue his legacy, many players in the National Basketball League had changed their numbers from 8 or 24 on the night the Lakers retired his numbers 8 and 24, which will not be worn by purple and gold again. He was a role model for the younger generation and many still strive to be like him in all aspects of life, which is why Kobe’s legacy will live on forever.
