By Austin Turner — Columnist
In late December, a video began to circulate on social media of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant with his daughter Gianna at a Brooklyn Nets game. Kobe appeared to be explaining an intricacy of the game to the 13-year-old, as they both shared a passion for basketball.
The clip was, of course, meme’d to oblivion, but it was intimate and endearing. Kobe loved basketball, but post-retirement, it looked like he loved being a father even more.
Less than a month later, that moment has taken a completely new meaning. Kobe, 41, and Gianna were among nine people tragically killed in a helicopter crash in the Los Angeles area Sunday morning, and the sports world will never be the same.
Kobe Bryant was the defining athlete of a generation. He was larger than the sport of basketball. An international icon.
There was no in-between with him. You either loved him or loved to hate him.
As a kid, I fell into the latter half. Growing up in Southern California in the early 2000s, Kobe was everywhere.
Going to the mall on a July afternoon? Kobe jerseys all over. All of my friends had his posters on their bedroom walls. A piece of trash couldn’t be disposed of without first yelling, “KOBE!”
I couldn’t stand him. Everybody was a Laker fan, and he was THE Laker. It was always Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. You couldn’t escape it.
But of course, there was a good reason for that. On the court, Kobe was a cold-blooded assassin. Any argument you had against him, he’d chop it into pieces with his game.
“Kobe isn’t efficient.” Watch out, now he’s shooting 45 percent from the field.
“Kobe is a ball hog.” Well by year five he’s averaging five assists per game.
“Kobe can’t win without Shaq.” Oops, he just won back-to-back titles with Pau Gasol as his number two.
He was easy to hate, but he commanded respect. The man just wanted to be great, and that he was.
But there’ s more to it than the rings, the stats, the “mamba mentality.” Kobe was an ambassador for the game he loved so dearly.
Whichever team-affiliation you have in the NBA, there is a certain level of respect you have to give the man if you enjoy basketball. He arguably grew the game more than anyone on this planet that isn’t named Michael Jordan.
In 2016-17, his final season, Kobe’s jersey sold more than any other player’s in China. Even a hobbled, aging player was popular just on the basis of his own name recognition. He was a member of the esteemed “first name only” group.
After his playing days had ended, fans speculated he might join the NBA’s coaching ranks, as sports fans do with most departing legends.
He put a stop to that thinking immediately. He had other things in mind.
In 2018, he won an Oscar for best short film with his tear-jerker, “Dear Basketball.” He coached his now-late daughter’s team and caught heat for his “tough love” coaching style with the young girls.
But that’s just how he lived his life. He expected nothing but excellence from himself and those around him.
Kobe Bryant was more than a basketball player. His legacy will live on forever.
He’s an icon. The purple and gold No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys will never go out of style. Kids will continue to shout his name while shooting a jumper.
In 1997, far prior to his greatness reaching its peak, he gave a quote that stuck with me
“I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
So did the millions you inspired.
Thank you, Kobe.
