Kobe Bean Bryant
A Legend Never Forgotten.
“It’s not about the destination. It’s the journey. That’s what matters.” — Kobe Bryant
0 point.
That is my current score in my basketball ‘career’. No scores. No assist. No fancy footwork whatsoever. In fact, I am not a basketball player. Once I bounce a basketball, it will never leave the ground. It will turn me into the next Lionel Messi, ready to take on the next Fifa World Cup. (Watch out!)
I don’t even know what a ‘Point Guard’ or a ‘Power Forward’ is, not until I searched ‘Basketball basics’ on Google just for my research on this story. On the contrary, my brother is a HUGE basketball fan. From the different designs of a basketball to even watching animes, everything is on the topic — Basketball. Every weekend, he will drag me out of the bed just to play basketball with him first thing in the morning.
As you have guessed it, I always reject him.
But, there is one thing that I know about basketball. That is……
Kobe.
When Kobe Bryant was 11 years old, he scored zero points. No layout, not a free throw. He was terrible. He ran back to his father, dropped his bag, and cried into his dad's arm. His dad looked him in the eyes and said, “Listen, whether you score 0 or you score 60, I will love you no matter what.”
“That is the most important thing you can say to a child”, Kobe recalled in an interview. After that conversation with his father, he went on to play with people twice the size of his build.
Woke up at 3, train at 4. Come back relax. Back at it again. 9 to 11. Relax. Back at it again. 2 to 4. Come back relax. Back at it again. 7 to 9. That is the way he trains himself continuously. “Back and forth. Back and forth. Never stop. You want first place? Come to play with me. You want second place? Go somewhere else.”
Now, you might be wondering to yourself, “Yea, right. Hey writer, you know nothing about basketball. Stop talking.”
Kobe Bryant was more than basketball.
In everyone’s eye, he was a legend. A legend, quoted from Oxford dictionary, “An extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field.”¹ Many know him for his basketball skills. He is nowhere big and strong like Lebron, nor is he as tall as Wilt Chamberlain², but he has the pure skills to knock someone off the ground before the ball even hits the net.
This story breaks down 2 things that proved that he is not just a basketball player, nor is he just a legend, but he is someone who is irreplaceable.
1. Family
Family first — Kobe Bryant is a husband, a father, and a son. Whenever his name is called out, his family will always be the first to come to our mind. He always put family first before anything else. For all the glitz that swirled around Bryant, his family was an essential part of his story.
They were always there for him, including his parents and his 2 older sisters. They will always be supporting him no matter what he does, until the day where he met his then-girlfriend and present wife, Vanessa Laine.
Both were smitten in love. Soon after, the couple announced their engagement around the time of Laine’s 18th birthday and were married at a Catholic church in April 2001.
However, the romance opened a rift between Kobe and his family due to Laine’s descent and Kobe’s devotion to her more than the family. The tension was undeniably rough, but Kobe always took the first step to reconcile with his parents no matter what.³
“There’s a fine balance between obsessing about your craft and being there for your family. It’s akin to walking a tightrope.”
Power of love — Kobe Bryant was once asked by Lewis Howes about a thing that can bring him the most joy at the moment.
“Being with my family. Man, that is the most fun.” He answered, without any hesitation. The love for his family is beyond anything we could ever imagine. Basketball might be his biggest obsession, but the family is his legacy.
“And I’d go to practice and I’d train and I’d play the game and I’d come home and I’d be sore and I’d be tired, and she wants to go swimming, she wants me to take her to the park, she wants to just jump on my back, or whatever the case may be. You can’t say, “I’m too tired, I’m going to lay down.” That’s not fair. She doesn’t know what the hell is going on.”
This is the true power of love.
2. Passion
If passion is to become a magic word, Kobe Bryant would be the dictionary of it. Having a strong and uncontrollable feeling of knowing what you have to do is an easy thing. It can come and go anytime we want it to, but how we deal with it will determine how long that passion will last.
Most people don’t have a passion. But when we find our passion, it does not even reach the level that Kobe Byrant has.
Bill Gates, a business magnate, has a passion. Brandon Stanton, a self-taught photographer, has a passion. Gary Vaynerchuk, a businessman, speaker, and New York Times best selling author, has a passion. In fact, everyone will have a passion.
But not everyone has a dedication to their passion. Kobe Bryant has.
“Everything was done to try to learn how to become a better basketball player. Everything. When you have that point of view then literally the world becomes your library to help you become better at your craft. Because you know what you want, the world gives you what you want. One hundered percent.” — Kobe Bryant
A millennial's short eulogy to Kobe Bryant:
“Thank you for teaching me everything about life. Love, passion, courage. Everything. You have taught me to put in the effort into everything that I do. Because that is how I can become stronger. You will forever be in our hearts.”Like what Lebron James said — “In the words of Kobe Bryant, mamba out. But in the words of us, not forgotten. Live on, Kobe.”
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender.” — Tupac Shakur
The next time my brother wakes me up again, I will try to score at least 3 points.
Want more?
I write about self-development, life, and technology topics. Follow me on my journey with free exclusive updates to my content.
References
[1]: Legend: Definition of Legend by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of Legend. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2020, from
[2]: Adediran, A. (2017, October 03). Kobe Bryant: Best Basketball Player Ever. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from
[3] Kobe Bryant’s devotion to family became paramount when his basketball career ended. (2020, January 29). Retrieved June 21, 2020, from
