Thank You, Kobe

Thank You, Kobe

What kobe meant to me

Anyone that knows me on a personal level knows how much of Kobe Bryant fan I am and how much he meant to me, especially in my childhood. As I wrote this, I was ready to hit publish. I thought about it for a while – isn’t this embarrassing? You never even met him. But then, I thought about how much of who I am today was molded by Kobe and his lessons. How many memories I have of him over the years. As I sat here watching ESPN’s replay of Kobe’s 60-point final game on the night after he passed, I realized it would be an absolute disservice if I didn’t share how much of an impact Kobe had on me and the world for that matter.

On Sunday January 26, 2020, tragedy happened. I, like so many fans, was overcome with grief. I had never had that happen before with a “celebrity death”. How can someone that I had no direct relationship with have such a resounding and profound impact on me? But as we’ve seen the entire globe mourn the loss of an athlete so much bigger than basketball, it’s clear many are feeling the same. This time it wasn’t just another celebrity, this time it was my idol, my hero. This was my guy.

The story of my fandom for Kobe goes way back. From the time I started watching basketball, I can’t remember not watching Kobe. To this day, my favorite gift I’ve ever received was a white #8 jersey my mom got me when I was in 3rd grade that I still carry in my memory drawer along with all of his other jerseys I have collected over the years. If you had the unfortunate luck of being connected to me on social media or in person any time from the mid-2000s through college, you probably wish they invented the mute button far earlier so you didn’t have to hear about yet another Kobe story. During the 2010 NBA All-Star weekend, I may or may not have been pushing past children to get a better spot for Kobe and D-Rose at the NBA 2K10 booth. In college, my nickname in my fraternity was “Mamba” and as anyone that has shared the basketball floor with me knows damn well that the nickname couldn’t possibly have any relation to my incredibly sub-par basketball skills. It was simply due to how ridiculously over the top my fandom was for this larger than life athlete. My fantasy football team name to this day is still Team Mamba. I’m the type of guy that texts my sports group conversation “Happy 81 Day!” on January 22nd. You get it.

There’s something to be said about never meeting someone but feeling like they’re a part of your life. Growing up, I was in a super strict household and I wasn’t really allowed to do much. While everyone else looked forward to weekend nights out or sleepovers, I knew I’d be locked up in my basement. On the flipside, that meant countless nights and hours spent watching Kobe amaze and wow on the court. The Kobe and Shaq show, the rivalry with the Kings, the battles with the Mavs, I grew up watching this guy doing superhuman feats week in and week out. There’s a reason whenever anyone attempts a seemingly impossible shot, they scream “Kobe!”. For us, it’s impossible. For him, it was a good look… even if a teammate may have been open.

Two of the many Snapchats I sent on the day of Kobe’s Final Game.

Kobe’s legacy

The basketball memories: Where do we start? The infamous buzzer beaters, the 81-point game, outscoring the Mavericks with 62-points through 3 quarters, the 60-point farewell game, the 2 free throws and walking off on his own strength after a ruptured Achilles, 35.4ppg and the ridiculous scoring tear in the ’05-06 season, the Mamba face (yes, you know the one), Masked Mamba, playing through gruesome injuries over the course of his career, the ’08 NBA MVP Award that he finally got after being snubbed so many times (in my opinion), etc. Oh, and 5 championships (my old boss actually got me this photo as a gift that I used to have at my desk). I’m that weird fan that still throws on Kobe highlights to get motivated.

In fact, just this Sunday hours before the devastating news hit the internet, I was watching the August ’08 Olympic Gold Medal game highlights. In trademark Kobe fashion, he came up with a huge 4th quarter takeover masterpiece that we have grown so accustomed to over the years. On the biggest stage. In front of the entire world. What people don’t remember about that moment was in the summer leading up to the Olympics, the Lakers had just lost in the NBA finals in June. LeBron James was 5 years into the league and many were prematurely calling for Kobe to pass on the torch to LBJ as the best player. Kobe was in the middle of his prime being doubted and even though he was already a basketball immortal, he still felt that he had something to prove. For Kobe, it was another moment for him to relish in. He went on to win back-to-back championships after winning Gold that summer. That’s the type of guy he was.

The thing about Kobe was that he didn’t just talk the talk, he backed that shit up, constantly. He said he was fearless – here’s proof. He said he’s never afraid of missing in the clutch – he meant it. It was not only the message he offered but the way that he did it. He worked harder than anyone – see he meant it, here, and here. and let people know if they didn’t match his intensity.

He was as impressive off the court than on it. That might be the saddest part of this all, the world will never get to see what else he was destined to accomplish. No matter how many incredible things Kobe accomplished, there was always so much more to offer. Since his retirement, he won an Oscar for his animated short based on the letter he penned to announce his retirement, he released a best-selling book, he raised $100M as a co-founder of a venture capital fund that made some damn good investments. He was building an entire animation studio from scratch, writing a children’s book series, and amidst all his professional endeavors, he engaged in his most favorite activity daily – coaching his daughter’s basketball team. There’s been a lot of shared over the past couple days on the incredible father he’s been to his 4 daughters and I’ll leave it to those close to him to tell those stories. I will share this ‘girl dad’ video, though, and mention the fact that he took helicopters in the first place so that he could maximize the time he had with his family instead of sitting in traffic.

It wasn’t all pretty. I remember the ’03 Colorado incident and how much the public scrutiny he got. Phil Jackson called him uncoachable after ’04. I remember the ’05 season when he played with a starting 5 that included Smush Parker and Kwame Brown (which he carried to the playoffs still, by the way). I’m still wondering what could’ve been about ’07 trade rumors that he might end up on the Chicago Bulls (where I’m from). The ’08 finals 39 point blowout loss to the Celtics in the Finals. Side note: when asked why Doc Rivers had his starters in up 30 in the 4th, he said he refused to take them out until Phil Jackson sat Kobe. That’s the level of fear this guy put in others.

Ups and downs included, it’s rare to find someone that has impacted so many in their domain of expertise. Coaches loved his style of leadership and no-nonsense attitude. Opposing players loved him for being an unrelenting competitor. The current generation of great players loved him for being a elder brother figure to them and taking them under their wing. He was a global ambassador of the game if you couldn’t tell by the admiration that poured in ahead of his final dance.

Kobe Bryant celebrates after Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 17, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. GARRETT ELLWOOD/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Appreciate your heroes

He was an unwavering, relentless competitor. An unstoppable, indomitable force. He was by all accounts a true living legend. Kobe Bryant was a Superhero.

And that’s why this tragic loss was that much more disheartening. Kobe – the guy who could climb any mountain, rise to any challenge, come up with success in nearly everything he touched, met his untimely demise. He wasn’t perfect, no, but, in many ways, Kobe was larger than life. He pushed our collective boundaries forward. Kobe Bryant raised an entire generation of kids on a premise that institutions and parents all across the world have tried to do for decades – if you just work hard enough, you can accomplish anything.

The eventual grasp of mortality that comes for everyone came too for Kobe. Even Superheroes can perish.

It kills me that I’ll never hear the Hall of Fame induction speech he was going to make this year. Or that I won’t get to look up his reactions on social media when the Lakers win their next ring. To this day, a top 5 personal life goal of mine was to meet him so I could honestly just thank him for the impact he’s had on me. While that can never happen, on the bright side I’m elated the world is finally seeing all the incredible things Kobe has said and done throughout his career and beyond. They’re no longer obscure videos/interviews that I found that I’m sharing over text – they’re being shared in the open for everyone to appreciate.

If the tragic events on Sunday taught me anything, it’s to consistently be grateful and appreciative of the people that make you better in your life or inspire you – your parents, your friends, your coaches, your mentors, your idols. We didn’t just lose a celebrity. We lost a leader, a dreamer, a creator, a teacher, a cultural icon, and all-around legend.

People that meet me nowadays would be hard-pressed to describe me as quiet or shy. I used to be the kid that would hide behind my mother’s legs if I had to talk to people. One day I decided that I was no longer going to let my fear direct my behaviors. Kobe taught me that. People that know me know that everything I do I give it 100%. Kobe taught me that. People that know me know that I absolutely hate wasting time and am always trying to maximize my efforts. Kobe taught me that.

And for that, I am eternally grateful. So while I didn’t get to say it in person, I’m saying it now. Thank you, Kobe. You shared your Mamba Mentality with the world and we’re all better for it. Rest in peace, Mamba.

This post is dedicated to the 9 victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.