It’s been 5 days since the tragic news broke out. A part of me still refuses to believe it’s true. And honestly, it also might not ever accept that it’s true either. My heart goes out to your family as well as the family’s of the other 7 people who passed. After hearing about what happened on Sunday, I hastily wrote up a post on Facebook in less than 5 minutes talking about what you meant to me. But that won’t do you justice. In fact, nothing ever will. What I do know, however, is that me doing my best in writing about you through this post would make you proud, because that is all you would ever want from me: going out and giving it my all.
What I want to do is reflect on the greatest moments during your legendary 20 year NBA career, and then talk about the impact that you had on not only me, but thousands, no millions of people around the world. It really goes without saying that you influenced so many individuals, whether they were NBA players, fans, or even non athletes of any form. And I hope to use your story to encourage all my peers, regardless of how much they knew about you. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Rookie Year: 1996-97
On June 26, 1996, Kobe Bean Bryant was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets out of Lower Merion High School, then traded immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers that same night. Not that much had happened this year, but there was still a number of iconic moments. Becoming the youngest starter, the youngest dunk contest champion, and notably, squaring off against Michael Jordan, the man many would compare him to. Even though Kobe only averaged a modest 7.6 points per game during his rookie year, the matchup drew a lot of attention, as it felt like a handing over of the torch. Kobe said “Whenever I have the chance to guard Michael Jordan, I want to guard him. I want him. The ultimate challenge.” He certainly got the challenge, not backing down once during his time on the court that game. This was the start, and everything would go up hill from here. Kobe would eventually be named to the All-Rookie Second Team.
Three peat: 2000-02
I obviously was not a basketball fan at the time of this period, being only a toddler, but it would be ludicrous to not acknowledge these few seasons. Kobe was finally an established superstar, and with Shaquille O’Neal, they formed the best duo in the league. The Lakers finished the 1999-00 season with 67 wins. On June 4, 2000, which was game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers were trailing by as much as 16 points in the 4th quarter. But they made a furious comeback, with this play being the most iconic one of the series. What capped off the run of course was defeating the Indiana Pacers in the Finals, getting him his first ring ever.
On June 15, 2001, the Lakers would defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals for a repeat, ending a playoff run where the Lakers only dropped one game. But in spite of being champions once again, Kobe was upset, due to the rift between his parents. His parents strongly disapproved of him marrying Vanessa, and did not show up to the Finals, when they usually came and watched him. It goes without saying that the man was hurt and lost much of the joy from winning the title.
On June 12, 2002, the three peat was complete after sweeping the New Jersey Nets. Of course, the conference finals against the Sacramento Kings will always be arguably the most controversial playoff series of all time, with evidence of the referees rigging the games. Nonetheless, history cannot be changed and Kobe would win his 3rd ring at the age of 23. This season was followed by the Kobe-Shaq feud and ultimately Shaq would get traded to the Miami Heat, leaving Kobe by himself with the Lakers. While the Kobe and Shaq era ended rather anticlimactically, it was definitely one of the greatest runs by a team, and the two formed easily one of the most dominant duos of all time.
2005-06 season: best scoring season
This was the first NBA season I ever watched, and it was hands down Kobe’s best as an individual player. It was filled with so many great moments, like Kobe outscoring the Dallas Mavericks through 3 quarters on his own 62-61 on December 20, 2005. About a month later, on January 22, 2006, Kobe would have the second best scoring game of all time with 81 points, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. He would eventually carry the Lakers to the 7th seed despite guys like Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, and Chris Mihm being in the starting lineup. Even though they lost in the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns, he still had a couple of notable moments, both in game 4 on April 30, 2006. He made a game tying shot at the end of the 4th quarter to bring the game to overtime, and then a game winner in OT. I still believe if you gave him a competent roster that season, he would definitely would’ve made a deep playoff run.
2006-07 season: number change
This was the season when Kobe changed his jersey number from 8 to 24, and his scoring rampage kept going. Most notably, in March 2007, he averaged an absurd 40.4 points per game, including a stretch from March 16-23 where he scored 65, 50, 60, and 50 points on a 58 true shooting percentage (which was really good at the time, by the way). That week in March could very well be the best single player performance of all time.
2007-08 season: MVP year
The Lakers subpar roster got much better this year, especially with the arrival of Pau Gasol. Kobe would win MVP and lead the Lakers to the Finals for a classic Lakers-Celtics matchup. Even though the Celtics would win in 6 games, this fired up determination for Kobe for the next couple of seasons, as well as the Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he would lead the Redeem Team to a Gold Medal, coming up huge in the championship game against Spain.
2008-10: Repeat and Finals MVPs
The defeat from the 2008 Finals definitely sparked a fire in Kobe, as he would bring 2 back to back titles to the Lakers for rings 4 and 5 against the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics, respectively. These meant so much to him, because these titles would finally secure his legacy. Many critics and doubters felt that he could not win without Shaq, or that his play style was too selfish and would not lead to another championship. But they were wrong, as taking home the trophies in 2009, and especially 2010 shut down all those criticisms. He would always say that getting revenge in 2010 for ring #5 was by far his favorite one, because it was against the longtime rival Celtics, and he and the rest of the team fought super hard for it.
2012-13 season: one last chance
The previous couple of seasons saw the Lakers making the playoffs, but this one was the most notable due to the attempt at a superteam with the Lakers adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, a combination of injuries and coaching issues led to a disastrous season. Nevertheless, Kobe willed the Lakers into the playoffs, but sadly on April 11, 2013, he tore his Achilles, which pretty much ended his career. Before walking off though, he hit his two free throws, and then slowly limped to the bench. He would never fully recover, and the Lakers started to rebuild. However, this was, in my opinion, the most underrated Kobe season because of how hard he carried the team and he still had a very good individual performance.
April 13, 2016: Kobe’s final game
Even though his last few seasons were all rough, Kobe ended his career with a bang, scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz. He went complete bonkers, looking like classic Kobe and playing like the man everybody knew him for.
Post retirement
Kobe would win an Oscar in 2018 for his short Dear Basketball. He would start Mamba Sports Academy and coach his second oldest daughter Gianna. Fast forward a couple of years, and he would be gone at the age 41, far too soon. He is gonna make the Hall of Fame this year, but sadly we won’t hear him give his speech.
Kobe’s legacy
When I first heard the news on Sunday, I didn’t believe it at all. After hearing from more sources, I was still in denial, and sick to my stomach. I could not focus for the rest of the day, and I went to bed that night hoping that when I wake up it was all a bad dream. These past few days I’ve still been distraught, like many other people around the world. And I will certainly be taking my time to fully bounce back.
Kobe, you will always be known for your Mamba Mentality, focus, drive, work ethic, competitive spirit, and of course, your impact on the basketball court. Even though you aren’t around anymore, it’s very clear how much of an inspiration you were to many, many people. And to us you were more than just a basketball player. You were a father, husband, businessman, role model, mentor, hero, and much more. You were LA’s SUPERHERO. I have to admit, it still feels wrong using you with the past tense. Seeing all the reactions from this week along with the devastating news brought me to tears for the first time in 5 years. It hurt to see people like Vanessa, Shaq, D-Wade, T-Mac, Jerry West, among others talk about how much you meant to them. Additionally, it was also obvious that you were such great friends with many older veterans as well as retired players:
- LeBron James
- Kevin Durant
- Chris Paul
- Carmelo Anthony
- Steph Curry
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Jason Kidd
- And many more
On top of that, you also served as a role model, mentor, and inspiration to many young stars in the league today:
- Kyrie Irving
- Kawhi Leonard
- Paul George
- DeMar DeRozan
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Devin Booker
- Damian Lillard
- Russell Westbrook
- Jayson Tatum
- The list goes on and on
These guys all come to mind when you think of players who are Kobe disciples with Mamba Mentality. And of course, a lot of new players looked up to you as kids, which is another reason why you were so very special.
If people are still not convinced of your impact, they just need to look at how many non basketball players, and even non athletes have been mourning. Guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Mike Trout all took it hard. Derek Jeter wrote a page on The Players’ Tribune talking about you and what you did off the court. And remember, none of these guys ever played in the NBA, these are football and baseball players we’re talking about. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Alicia Keys, and Ellen DeGeneres all paid tribute to you in some fashion, and these people are known for their presence in the film and TV industry. I can go on and on with all the people that you’ve made an impact on, but I think I made my point: you’ve touched countless lives both in the NBA fraternity, and outside it.
In a few hours, the Lakers are gonna have their first game since Sunday. It’s gonna be a super emotional one, especially because Melo said on Instagram that you were gonna be there. Fans will be receiving shirts with your 8 and 24 on both sides. I’m not sure if I can even hold it together if I watch. But what I do know is that this team will go out and ball so hard, because that’s what you’d want. KD said that the one way the NBA should honor you is by going out there every night and playing as hard as they could. But even that might not be enough, and frankly, I think he’s right.
This applies to us normal people too. One thing I wish to encourage you, the reader, with is to go out there and be the best you can be. Follow your dreams with passion and conviction. That is one of the best ways to follow his example. I will definitely continue to apply Mamba Mentality to my life, and I hope that you do the same. If you’re truly passionate about something, go and work your ass off to become great at it. Kobe himself said, “Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.” In other words, make every moment count and shake things off. Even if you’re not a basketball fan, Kobe’s life and legacy can still teach you a lot, and it is evident by all the generations of people who have been motivated by him. His relentlessness and determination were not only present on the basketball court, but translated off it as well. I for one look forward to sharing Kobe’s story with the next generation, whether they be my kids or not.
Kobe, my favorite quote from you is this one: “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.”
I would love to inspire just one person someday the way that you inspired millions of people, including me.
Rest easy, to you, the Black Mamba, Gigi, and the other 7 people who lost their lives.
Sincerely,
RandomLakersFanOnTheInternet24.
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