Thank You, Kobe

It is nearly impossible to tell the story of my life without mentioning Kobe Bryant. I’ve collected endless pairs of his shoes, his jersey was the first I ever bought, and I have 2 whole paintings in my room dedicated to him. From the heart-stopping games that I played against my uncles in NBA LIVE 10 with his overpowered Lakers team, to waking up in awe on a Wednesday morning to witness his 60-point performance in his final game, to my participation in heated arguments to try to convince my 6th-grade friends at lunch that he was better than Lebron, to the hundreds of times over the years that I’ve screamed “Kobe!” while shooting a balled up piece of paper into a trash can, it is evident that Kobe was a name that was consistently a recurring theme in the different parts of my life. He conquered the NBA for nearly a whole decade. He was someone who inspired me to do better- a prime example of the fact that nothing can be accomplished without hard work and dedication. Even post-retirement, he still continued to try to help and inspire new people through his business ventures and his contributions to women’s basketball.  He was someone who always pulled through when it mattered, no matter the odds. To both 6-year old and modern-day me, he was Superman. He was supposed to be invincible. He was supposed to be untouchable.

So, how?

How could somebody who I idolized immensely growing up just be gone in an instant?

It doesn’t make sense to me now, and honestly, it probably never will. Never would I have imagined that one of my biggest idols growing up would pass away in such a tragic manner. I adored Kobe. He ignited my passion for basketball. Growing up, I would try to emulate his attitude, his technique, and most importantly, his iconic fadeaway jumper. As a young kid, I was perfectly content with spending entire weekends plopped on my bed burning countless hours scavenging through every single Kobe highlight that existed on Youtube. Kobe was one of the rare names that could be recognized not only everywhere around the United States, but everywhere around the globe. Kobe’s basketball career spanned longer than all of the years that I’ve been alive. His influence was worldwide amongst a plethora of age groups, and that’s something that can’t be said about many other people. The previous generation may have wanted to be like Mike, but we wanted to be like Kobe. Now our inspiration is gone.

Even though I feel like it’s ok to grieve, I also feel like it’s important to recognize the lessons that Kobe taught us. Seeing all of the reactions and tributes to Kobe have admittedly made me cry, but they’ve also honestly inspired me more than anything in recent memory.  He was always working to achieve new things, both during and after his basketball career. He proved it’s never too late to pursue new passions, and that we should ignore people’s preconceived notions about who we should be. Kobe broke through the stereotype that basketball players are only good at athletics, and that they aren’t smart enough to achieve success in other areas. Sitting alongside his five championship rings is an Oscar that he won for the short film that he wrote and narrated, “Dear Basketball.” Not only was he the first athlete to win an Oscar, but he was also the first black person to win an Oscar for a short film. He did something in 2 years that many lifelong filmmakers don’t ever achieve. In 2013, he opened his own capital firm, and in 2016, he opened up Granity Studios, a company that was centered around creatively expressing stories based on sports. Despite the fact that he only lived to be 41, he is still one of the most decorated Americans that I know of. He taught me that with a lot of hard work and sharp focus, anything can be accomplished.

While he achieved so much and inspired so many, it still feels like these three years after his retirement were the first years that he ever got to spend real quality time with his four daughters. He worked so hard during his career, ensuring financial stability for his family, and yet he barely seemed to truly get anytime to fully be there. Also, two of his three daughters are so young; it is likely that they haven’t even begun school and won’t remember their father as they grow older. This, and the tragic loss of his daughter Gianna, who still had so much to achieve and so much life to live, is the absolute worst part.

I’m grateful that I got to experience a chapter in Kobe’s life, and I’m grateful that I was able to be one of the many young kids around the world who was inspired by his actions, both on and off the court. 

You gave me countless memories that I will cherish forever. Thank you, Kobe. I’ll be telling stories about you for the rest of my life. I promise that I’ll never forget you.