January 26, 2020. It’s just like any other Sunday. From sociology reading to accounting homework, I definitely have plenty to do. No time to waste. I start to take my books out when I hear my phone buzz next to me. I take a quick side-eyed glance and see a Bleacher Report notification. No big deal. Probably just one of the many notifications I get throughout the day. But I look a little closer. And my heart drops.
Those times when you don’t feel like working. You’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream.
– Kobe Bryant
Five NBA Championships. Eighteen All-Star appearances. Eighty-one points. An MVP award. Averaging 25 points per game in his career. His jersey in the rafters. On his accolades alone, Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats. But the Black Mamba is so much more than that. He represents a city, a culture, and an organization. He is a family man and is the face of the “girl dad” movement. His work ethic and Mamba Mentality will be immortalized. He is someone for all of us to look up to and learn from. He is a legend.
Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.
– Kobe Bryant
I can’t focus on anything for the rest of the day. Anything except for Kobe. Anything except for his talented daughter Gianna. Anything except for his family, friends, the other people on the helicopter, his former teammates, the NBA world as a whole, the city of Los Angeles as a whole… my day is rocked. And as I sit at my desk and try to process this unthinkable event, I find myself falling back in time. Back to when I was a young kid. Back to that Mavericks vs. Lakers game in Dallas my dad took me to. I remember that game. There were just as many Lakers fans as Mavs fans. Almost every one of them wearing a Kobe jersey. And as I look out onto the court, at Kobe, he seems invincible. Like nothing can ever beat him. Like no challenge is ever too great for him. To think that he’s not in this world anymore doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t make sense. It makes you want to scream out in anger, cry in despair, and ask the powers above, “Why? Why him?” But his legacy will live on. Legends never die.
I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.
– Kobe Bryant
We owe it to Kobe. After everything he has given us. All the memories. All the incredible moments. All the inspiration. We owe it to Kobe to carry on his legacy. We owe it to Kobe to live all of our lives with the Mamba Mentality. We owe it to Kobe to follow our dreams and pursue our goals. Because that’s what Kobe would want. Cry, scream, sulk. Be mad and sad. But at the end of the day, remember Kobe’s actions. Remember his words. Remember his lessons. And be great. And through it all, Kobe will be looking down on us from above. With a smile on his face, Gianna by his side, and a basketball in his hand. Thank you Mamba. Thank you for everything.
The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.
– Kobe Bryant
In honor and memory of Kobe Bean Bryant (August 23, 1978 — January 26, 2020)