Yesterday I was very shocked and saddened at the tragic news that Kobe Bryant had died along with his daughter and several others in a helicopter trash. He was only 41 years old. To lose such an iconic sports figure who still wanted to do so much in his lifetime is only a testament of how unpredictable this life can be. His sudden death has impacted so many across the sports world and beyond, which truly demonstrates his iconic status. He was a basketball legend, among the greatest of all time, and although his basketball career was over, he was still very young and healthy which makes this all the more saddening.
Kobe began his professional career right out of high school in 1996, skipping college and going straight to the NBA, which was unprecedented at the time. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers where he remained for his incredible 20 year career. By the late 1990s it seemed he was the heir apparent to Michael Jordan as the new MVP of the league. From 1999 to 2002, he achieved superstar status when he and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive championships. The historic Lakers, now coached by the great, Phil Jackson (6x champion head coach of the Chicago Bulls), had re-emerged as the dynasty of the NBA. Kobe Bryant was the superstar of the team and had become the face of the NBA.
I remember watching him as a teenager in my high school days and enjoyed his game-play and especially his style. By this point he had become a celebrity with endorsements, commercials, and even an appearance in a Destiny's Child music video. He no doubt had a cocky swagger about him, especially in his early years with his mini afro and goatee (a look that I somewhat copied my sophomore year in high school). However he always remained focused on the basketball court, and his competitive demeanor was always on display.
The Lakers underwent a bit of a change by 2004 when head coach Phil Jackson took a year off and Shaquelle O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat. Kobe changed his number from 8 to 24, however he continued to lead his team to prominence making it to the playoffs multiple times and breaking many scoring records in the process. In 2008 and 2012 at the Summer Olympics he led team USA to two gold medals. In 2009 and 2010 he added two more NBA championships to his already impressive resume, making for a grand total of 5 in his career. He was an 18 time All Star, only missing out on the first two years of his career. After twenty years with the Lakers he retired in 2016 as the third all time leading scorer (which was shockingly just surpassed by Lebron James a couple days ago).
However even after his retirement Kobe remained very active in the NBA and the management of the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2018 he won an Academy Award for his short film, Dear Basketball, which was a homage to the sport that he loved. He had created an ideology known as the Mamba Mentality, which he hoped to instill on the game of basketball, on sports, and life in general. He had many business ventures, four daughters which he loved dearly, and it was clear that he still had so much he wanted to contribute to society.
His loss is such a devastating crush due to his monumental impact on the game of basketball. I feel due to his greatness and this tragic end, his number 24 should forever be retired across the league. Furthermore I support the idea of changing the NBA logo from Jerry West to Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a positive figure, a true champion on and off the court, and he will greatly be missed. His legendary status will live on forever.
I remember watching him as a teenager in my high school days and enjoyed his game-play and especially his style. By this point he had become a celebrity with endorsements, commercials, and even an appearance in a Destiny's Child music video. He no doubt had a cocky swagger about him, especially in his early years with his mini afro and goatee (a look that I somewhat copied my sophomore year in high school). However he always remained focused on the basketball court, and his competitive demeanor was always on display.
The Lakers underwent a bit of a change by 2004 when head coach Phil Jackson took a year off and Shaquelle O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat. Kobe changed his number from 8 to 24, however he continued to lead his team to prominence making it to the playoffs multiple times and breaking many scoring records in the process. In 2008 and 2012 at the Summer Olympics he led team USA to two gold medals. In 2009 and 2010 he added two more NBA championships to his already impressive resume, making for a grand total of 5 in his career. He was an 18 time All Star, only missing out on the first two years of his career. After twenty years with the Lakers he retired in 2016 as the third all time leading scorer (which was shockingly just surpassed by Lebron James a couple days ago).
However even after his retirement Kobe remained very active in the NBA and the management of the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2018 he won an Academy Award for his short film, Dear Basketball, which was a homage to the sport that he loved. He had created an ideology known as the Mamba Mentality, which he hoped to instill on the game of basketball, on sports, and life in general. He had many business ventures, four daughters which he loved dearly, and it was clear that he still had so much he wanted to contribute to society.His loss is such a devastating crush due to his monumental impact on the game of basketball. I feel due to his greatness and this tragic end, his number 24 should forever be retired across the league. Furthermore I support the idea of changing the NBA logo from Jerry West to Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a positive figure, a true champion on and off the court, and he will greatly be missed. His legendary status will live on forever.
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