Kobe Bryant: Legacy of a Wizard

Bogdan Gryschuk

29 points in the NBA regular season match with Philadelphia moved LeBron James to third place in the list of the most successful basketball players in the history of the league. LeBron, who took to the floor in sneakers with the inscription Mamba 4 Life, surpassed the legendary “Black Mamba” – Kobe Bryant – in the number of points scored in his professional career (33,655).

Personality

In a post-game interview, James reminisced about the year 2002, when he received Bryant’s running shoes after the All-Star Game in Philadelphia as a gift. The 24th number of the Lakers has always been an idol for him, and the statistical achievement at the end of the regular season game caused a storm of emotions: “It’s incredible! I can’t believe that I was able to surpass this figure, the Universe is just making changes in your life. But this is not the most important thing. People associate us with sporting achievements, but the most important thing is human qualities. It is necessary to be able to appreciate people during their lifetime for human successes and achievements. For the way they treat what they love and what they leave behind.”

Appreciating Bryant as a person who devoted himself entirely to basketball – perhaps this was the message of James. Already after 12 hours, LeBron’s words, unfortunately, turned out to be prophetic. On Sunday morning, a helicopter with 9 passengers on board crashed into a hillside in the Santa Monica Mountains, killing Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and other fellow travelers who were in a hurry to watch a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy. Gianna was supposed to take the floor, and Kobe was to lead the team’s game from the coaching bench.

Kobe’s story, perhaps typical of the sport, was full of successes and disappointments. His relationship with basketball for two decades gave the fans endless emotions. And with a negative aftertaste from the ups and downs of his personal life outside the parquet, and with a sense of magical charm from the actions on the court.

After the end of his NBA career, Bryant continued to share his legacy with the world no less, but in a different role – a happy father, coach, philanthropist. He grew from a star basketball player for the Lakers into a more significant figure, becoming the face of not just one of the most popular clubs in the association, but the entire league. In 2018, Bryant’s relationship with basketball reached a new level when his animated short Dear Basketball won an Academy Award.

But the universe once again reminded that not all life stories end with happy endings, and you need to enjoy every day you live right here and now. Just a month later, Bryant was scheduled to assist Lakers forward and ex-teammate Dwight Howard in the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest…

Style

The most valuable NBA player in 2008, who took part in the All-star Game 18 times, the owner of five championship rings devoted 35 years of his life to his favorite game, 20 of which were spent in the Lakers – the only NBA club where he spent his entire professional career. He retired from the floor at the end of the 2015/2016 season, being at that time the third in the list of the best NBA snipers. In his last big game, the fans enjoyed every minute of Kobe’s stay on the court – Bryant then “brought” 60 points to the Jazzmen from Utah.

He was predicted the glory of Michael Jordan, but in his memory he remained himself – the one and only. He surpassed Michael in the number of points scored, and his game inspired a whole generation of new stars, including LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving. “Black Mamba,” a nickname he gave himself after watching Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, perfectly explains his killer instinct on the court: a short pause in possession and a split second to decide the episode. Like a snake throwing itself out of hiding.

On the greatness of Kobe Bryant

The 18-year-old phenom was drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 and traded to the club of his life for Serbian center Vlade Divac (current general manager of the Sacramento Kings). The virtuoso pirouettes in the air of the then completely green beginner inspired the audience, and in 1997 he took his first individual award by winning the Slam Dunk Contest. And the whole world for seven seasons watched the duet of Kobe Bryant – Shaquille O’Neal, who created another dynasty team.

The public has always loved Bryant, but Kobe had to constantly fight for the status of “one and only”, overcoming new challenges. He came to the NBA when Jordan was still playing and was the strongest basketball player on the planet, in the Lakers he had to share the glory with O’Neal. And for many years, Bryant was not associated exclusively with the club from California, as it was with Jordan and the Bulls. It’s all about the character and identification of Kobe: he simultaneously stamped victories with Shaq and competed with him for leadership in the team. In Bryant’s first decade in the NBA, his teammates weren’t shy about calling him “calle” and “cold,” hinting at excesses of a sports ego.

The stage after three championship titles with the Lakers and the exchange of Shaq to Miami was also difficult. In 2007, Bryant was on the verge of leaving Los Angeles. Luckily for the franchise and the player himself, the deal never went through, and the Lakers won the championship with Kobe in 2009 and 2010.

“You can’t make everyone happy, that’s not how it works. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. Sometimes you have to have someone around who creates tension so that you are constantly in good shape, ” That’s the whole point of the killer instinct. You do not ask permission in an effort to become the best, you just “kill” on the floor. Superiority over strangers and one’s own is the lot of singles. And Kobe has been just such a lone hero for half of his playing career. He argued with teammates, dragged games and at the same time “while away” time in court on charges of rape. The public forgave him everything, because it is precisely such eccentric personalities that leave no one indifferent.

Heritage

Kobe changed in his second ten years in the NBA, becoming a little slower and more traumatic with age. Spent most of the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons on the sidelines due to a torn Achilles tendon, knee and shoulder surgeries. But he got the opportunity to devote more time to his family. He became softer and learned to help others. I started to think more like a coach and tried to become a mentor for young guys in need of advice. Kyrie Irving won the championship with Cleveland in 2016, and according to the point guard, Bryant’s individual advice then played a significant role.

Five months later, Kobe held a joint training camp for NBA stars and the league’s rising hopes – previously for Kobe, organizing such a master class seemed simply unthinkable event.

After the end of his sports career, Kobe Bryant already knew exactly what he wanted to devote his future life to. He gave basketball his playing talent and the best qualities on the court, he continued to popularize it, being the ambassador of the game around the world. Kobe also opened the Sports Academy, in which he became a mentor not only for active basketball players, but also for children who want to someday become part of the game.

Now on the territory of the academy, despite the large number of people, it is unusually quiet. Fans continue to lay flowers and light candles at a makeshift memorial erected in memory of one of the most significant figures in basketball history.

Hundreds of people of all ages bring things with them – game t-shirts, banners, bouquets, Sports Illustrated magazines with a smiling Kobe and the Lakers logo on the front page. One of the bouquets says: “We love you Kobe and Gigi”, on the card next to it: “01/26/2020 is the day we lost the Legend. Thank you for being my role model.”

The death of Kobe Bryant was a real shock to the whole world, but he left a legacy for future generations in love with basketball.