This was not how your story was supposed to end. This was not how you were supposed to go out. You were supposed to be immortal! I still can’t believe you are no longer with us. I am still waiting for someone to make a post saying that it was a joke. However, I must now accept the fact that the invincible Black Mamba was defeated by death when nothing else could stop him.
Kobe Bean Bryant was a symbol, a hero! Not because of the tremendous skills you demonstrated on the basketball court, but for the person you were! Not flawless by any means, but your pursuit of perfection and the sacrifices you made during that journey that made you a legend. You were known for being a killer on the court. It didn’t matter who you faced – from MJ to LeBron – nobody could intimidate you; always prepared for the competition. During the season and off-season, you put in work, day in and day out and that’s what made you special – never satisfied! Always hungry to learn more, to improve more, to become better each day; your dedication and passion for the sport of basketball were unreal. One of my favourite stories of you is when during a game against Michael Jordan, you asked MJ about his footwork for his infamous fadeaway. Even in a game, you wanted to learn, wanted to be better.
I was never a fan of you, Kobe, or the Lakers. Hell, I hated you man! Every season, you destroyed my teams. Whether the Chicago Bulls or Toronto Raptors (Canada’s Team), you were relentless! But you were definitely one of my favourite players. An athlete I respected the most in basketball, nay, sports. Like many hoopers, I was inspired by your work ethic, your smooth game, your perfect imperfections, and imperfect perfections, and yes, the “Mamba Mentality!” Yes, that’s it, the Mamba Mentality that made you a force to be reckoned with and one of my favourite players. Your “Mamba” persona elevated the game and the mindset of winning. Everyone knew when the Mamba came out, it’s game over. I idolized you in such a manner that I started imitating your moves. From the fadeaways to jersey biting, but of course to compare my skills to yours, that’s disrespectful for the work I avoided, and the work you put in.
Outside of basketball, you represented something else as well. A husband, father, friend, philanthropist and mentor, but for me, you were what success looked like; what the love for the journey meant. “Kobe clutch,” a term often used by my friends and I to represent closing out (winning) a specific goal or circumstances. Whether it was handing in the essay right on time at the deadline or getting a cute girl’s number – clutch, Kobe clutch!
Your death shines a light on what kind of person you were and how many were inspired by the great Kobe. From current NBA players to athletes of different sports, we all mourned your loss. Even individuals who aren’t involved in sports mourned the loss of one of basketball’s beloved figures. All the interviews I have watched post your passing and everything else people from all around the world are doing to honour you, it goes to show what Kobe Bryant meant to the game of basketball and as an icon to the world. Your death also put life into perspective for us. That it really is short, and to enjoy it without hate and with all the love.
Jimmy Kimmel worded it perfectly when he described your death; “The last person you would imagine something like this would happen… a hero in a way like Superman.” Unbelievable because everyone put you on a pedestal, a God, who was invincible to anything. This was the man who came back to play despite dislocated fingers and sprained ankles. This was the man who walked to the free-throw line to hit two free throws using his sheer will after have diagnosed with an Achilles rupture. He cannot die!
I, like others, grew up watching you, a fixture on the TV! You were the reason our generation picked up a basketball, learned to love it and found the drive to play the beautiful sport. You were the reason we kept the flame of our passions and worked relentlessly to make our dreams a reality. Although You have left us, you will continue to live through every one of us. Every one of the young NBA players, and athletes in general, who have inherited your will – The Mamba Mentality. Every one that yells “Kobe” when they throw something in the bin. Everyone that puts in the extra effort, day in and day out, to chase their dreams.
Clutch Points’ words put me at peace with your death – “Today is the first time we realized… Kobe was a person, just like us. “
Rest In Peace Kobe Bean Bryant AKA The Black Mamba !
*RIP to Gianna Bryant (Mambacita), John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Ara Zobayan. We lost some special individuals who had a lot to give to this world as well.
