Kobe Bryant Was More Than Just A Basketball Player.
- Updated: January 29, 2020
So many things could be said about Kobe Bryant, but he was more than a basketball player.
In a rap song a while ago, there was a line “like no other and there will never be another,” that was Kobe. When the word of his passing it seemed like the world stood still and everyone had to just look up to the heavens to see his infectious smile. He was a guy that made winning into an obsession and never considered losing as an option.
In his later years, he wanted to give back to the game he loved so dearly. His Mamba Academy was to teach the young players what he had learned from his journey through basketball.
The Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made the first step to honor Kobe’s memory by retiring the number 24. There are talks about changing the NBA logo to an image of Kobe.
Jerry West replied that he would not mind if the change takes place.
I was asked if any other athlete’s death was this stunning or impactful, simply put, No. I had an opportunity to
travel to Cleveland Ohio on February 10, 2016, the final game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe versus LeBron for the final time and it was a game to remember. LeBron scored 29 points, Kobe only had 17 points. But the response from the Cleveland fans who watched this game gave Kobe one of the loudest and longest standing ovations I’ve ever witnessed at any sporting event.
I had the pleasure of watching every Laker versus Sixers game from 1998 to 2015. He was the player everyone wanted to see. Long before load-management, Kobe played and wanted to play for everyone to see his greatness. No athlete has made an impact on people the way Kobe did. He was basketball and he gave his life for his passion. He was a man that was more than just a basketball player.
Kobe Bryant will always be remembered as a success story with the drive to be the best, no matter what the obstacles that were in front of him. The torn Achilles when he went to the free-throw line, sank the shots and walked off the court was just one of them. The constant rehabbing to return to the court for his final season was just one of them.
In the final game of his career, he had a game that we all will never forget. Kobe scored 60 points, the most by any player over the age of 35 and the most by any player in their final game.
He was a great family man, husband, and father to his girls. Our condolences go out to the families of the lives that were lost.
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