NBA legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday, January 26, along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others. The helicopter crashed in dense morning fog in Southern California on a steep hillside. According to the Associated Press, “His sudden death at age 41 touched off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball.”
Kobe “Mamba” Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star, 5-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers (including a run of three championships straight) and the NBA’s 4th all-time leading scorer. He was a motivator and athlete whose actions and life surpassed both generational barriers and the boundaries of the athletic world.
For people who were too young to experience Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant was often the cornerstone of their teenage and young-adult athletic journeys from 1996-2016.
Northview boys varsity basketball head coach, David Chana, grew up in this timeframe. Bryant is one of the reasons he loves basketball today.
“As a kid I never had cable T.V., but I did have a VHS player. I remember recording Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson games on Sundays during the NBA season. I would rewatch those games over and over again during the week while reenacting my favorite Kobe Bryant fade away or finger roll,” Chana said. “He was someone we could look up to. He was someone we could dream to be.”
Bryant emphasized hard work and dedication throughout his decorated professional career. After bypassing college basketball to go directly to the professional level, Bryant knew that he would have to work extremely hard to compete with the best.
A former NBA player that competed against Bryant, Jay Williams, talked to Goalcast, a website geared towards motivation and empowerment, about Bryant. Williams recounted a story about Bryant’s dedication to his game.
One time, the night before a match-up between Williams’ Chicago Bulls and Bryant’s Lakers, Williams decided to get in the gym and work out. When he got there, Bryant was there too. After Williams’ hour and a half practice, Bryant continued to shoot baskets. Sure that Bryant would soon be done, Williams watched for another 25 minutes.
Bryant didn’t leave. Williams did.
After Bryant put up 40 points in the next day’s game, Williams asked Bryant why he was in the gym so long.
“I saw you come in, and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work that I’m willing to work harder than you,” Bryant said.
Bryant’s work ethic was hard to miss and it changed the way today’s athletes approach practice.
Chana recounted, “His work ethic was something that was unprecedented and it taught all of us that no matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement.”
Even students in this high school, who were in grades 5-8 during Bryant’s final season and almost too young to process his impact on the game, were moved by his passing.
Sophomore JV basketball player Cameron Martin said, “Kobe Bryant wanted to make a statement that hard work will always beat talent. Kobe has inspired me to try and be the best at everything I love to do.”
During the boys varsity basketball game on Tuesday, January 28, the Northview student section had a “Kobe-out” to honor Bryant’s legacy. A sea of purple and yellow filled the bleachers, many wearing Lakers jerseys.
Many of the students in the stands were impacted by Bryant’s death, even though they aren’t in his generation and don’t play the sport.
Junior Jules Hidalgo wore a Bryant jersey to the varsity game to show his appreciation for the late athlete.
“I didn’t really watch him growing up, but his passing touched me,” Hidalgo said. “There’s no reason not to celebrate a wonderful person and wonderful life.”
After Kobe Bryant’s final game in April 13, 2016, in which he scored 60 points, Bryant gave a speech to the crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Many rewatched it after his death, including Chana.
“Kobe said two things in that speech that really resonated with me. ‘Through it all, we stuck together’. Life has its ups and downs and through it all, you will need people around you to help you through it. No matter how hard times get, you stay together and fight through it,” Chana said.
Bryant understood the importance of his team, and the fact that just one person couldn’t win a championship.
The second thing Chana contemplated was Bryant’s phrase “We don’t run.”
“It gave me chills hearing him say that,” Chana said. “Kobe never ran. He never ran from pressure. He never ran from work. He always stood up, took it and kept fighting.”
Martin predicts that “Bryant’s death will motivate more people to continue his legacy,” even here at Northview.
“Life is unpredictable and fragile. We will all have our down moments and I think that’s a great lesson for all of us at Northview. When things get hard ‘We don’t run.’ We stand up and look at whatever is in our way and we attack it,” Chana said. “Wildcats, ‘We don’t run’.”
Kobe Bryant’s influence will surely be felt for a long time.
Very professional done Lila…
Great article, showing the impact even on kids that didn’t even know who he was. “Face adversity head on Never give up”
Go Irish!!!
My 2nd hr. read this article and they felt it was very motivating and inspirational. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the other people who lost their lives. Great article.