Everyone has heard a crazy ‘Kobe Bryant story’. There have been entire podcasts made to tell them!
I have heard the story about 2008 USA Olympic Basketball team coming down to breakfast in the morning to see Kobe already there, already drenched in sweat, and already with ice on his knees, having done a 3-hour workout before anyone else had woken up!
I have heard the story about when a rookie Kobe shot 4 air balls in the clutch in a 1997 playoff series against the Utah Jazz. That night, Kobe left the arena, and he didn’t go home. He went to the gym and he spent the whole night there, practising his shots so nothing like that would happen again.
And I have heard the stories where Michael Jordan, Kobe’s basketball mentor and idol, talks about how Kobe would pepper him with questions about the finest details of his game, calling him up in the middle of the night to ask about his fadeaway jump shot.
These are some of the crazy and amazing Kobe Bryant stories we have heard. These stories just begin to show Kobe’s unparalleled dedication and desire to succeed and improve at the game of basketball.
However, this desire to succeed and improve, that Kobe persistently brought with him to the game, was not limited to the 92 feet between the hoops. No. Kobe brought this desire to succeed and improve to the game of life, from his post-basketball business ventures to his compassionate role as a father to his 4 daughters.
So, while we may picture Kobe, dashing up the floor of the Staples Centre running circles around the NBA’s best defenders, and think I could never be anything like this guy, we must remember what Kobe was really about. It wasn’t slam dunks or game winning buzzer beaters, of which he had plenty. It was getting the best out of yourself and improving at your craft every day. I know that everyone can do that if they choose to.
On that dark day, a little over a year ago, the world was heartbroken. We lost this hero, this icon, this man who represented greatness and achievement.
Me personally, I did not know much about Kobe Bean Bryant. All I knew was that he was a great basketball player who won a couple of championships in LA. Now, after having read and learnt about the life of Kobe Bryant, I can say that he was so much more than just a great basketball player who won a couple of championships.
With Kobe’s relentless approach to the game of basketball, very early into his NBA career, it became clear that the kid was a star. He was truly special. How many 19-year-old rookies can tell 7’2” Shaquille O’Neal to stop asking for the ball and grab the rebound? Not many. But this kid was truly special. He wanted to win so badly that he would stop at nothing. And it worked. When you think of Kobe and his 5 championships in 10 years, you think of winning.
But through the successes and the rings and all the winning, Kobe had a bigger goal. As he became older and drew up more of a following, his real goal was to inspire the next generation to succeed at whatever they wanted.
So, to remember Kobe Bryant, and to honour his legacy it is our duty to learn from him and the lessons he has taught us. It is our duty to take the approach that he took to his life and apply it to ours. By no means do you have to win the Slam Dunk Contest to follow in Kobe Bryant’s footsteps. You just need to show a desire to improve yourself each and every day.
And while we never saw Kobe Bryant during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, I think that it is safe to say that his desire to improve and succeed would not have been put on pause just because times were tough. So, let’s take a page out of Kobe’s book.
Now, in the words of Kobe Bryant, Mamba Out.
But in the words of us, Mamba Forever.
So, I invite you all to honour his legacy and write your very own ‘Kobe Bryant stories’.
Written by Theo Pliner, 11TL
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