Remembering Kobe Bryant

By Jack Fenner

On January 26, 2019 in Calabasas, California, the world lost a legend in a helicopter crash. Kobe Bryant, throughout his nearly 20 year career, became one of basketball's most iconic faces. His success on the court was one of the greatest that basketball has ever seen. With 5 NBA Championships, an mvp award, and 18 All Star appearances, he established himself as one of the greatest to ever play basketball, but his accomplishments on the court were just as profound.

Kobe affected all kinds of people around the world— whether they were basketball players or not. One of his biggest impacts was his representation of the “Mamba Mentality,” which was about bringing competitiveness and self-improvement into your everyday life. This mentality gave many people a role model that would encourage them to get better every day. Kobe was all about continually bettering yourself, paving a path for athletes and non-athletes alike with this philosophy.

Although the “Mamba Mentality” was the most widespread of his accomplishments, Kobe probably would have said his greatest accomplishment was parenting his 4 daughters. He had a relationship that he cherished deeply with his daughters and dedicated every second to them after he retired. He said that “being a dad is one of the greatest blessings that a person can have.” 

Kobe wanted to guide his four girls to be independent and believed that leading by example would promote this mentality in them. One of his daughters, Gianna, who was another victim of the crash, was heavily influenced by her father's guidance. At 13 years old, she was already becoming a great basketball player (much like her father). Kobe was both coach and mentor for herself and her entire team. On the morning that Kobe passed away, he was being a good father and flying with his daughter to her basketball game. Considering this, it is comforting to know that Kobe died doing what he felt was most important: being a dad.