Remembering the Legacy of the Great Kobe Bryant
Image by: Harry How/Getty Images
Kobe “Bean” Bryant the legendary shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and one of the greatest basketball players of all time, died from a helicopter crash Sunday afternoon in Calabasas, CA. Kobe was 41years. Among other passengers in the crash, was his daughter Gianna Bryant who was 13 years and nine other people from different families. The people on the helicopter were flying to Thousand Oaks, CA which is 30 minutes from where they live to play in an afternoon game for Gianna’s AAU team in which Kobe her father was the coach at his Mamba Sports Academy. Kobe was an influential figure for so many children, athletes, celebrities, and many other people across the world not only through his career as an athlete but in all that he had accomplished in his life on and off the court.
Kobe was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, 1978 but raised in Italy which gave him the ability to speak four languages, fluently but also impacted who he was on and off the court. Kobe’s dad Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was an NBA player from 1975-1983 but after his years in the league he went to play overseas in Italy which led Kobe to spend his childhood years, ages 6 to 13, in outside of the United States.
In 1996, Kobe was the 13th overall pick in the NBA Draft at 17 drafted to the Charlotte Hornets but eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was one of the first players in history to go from high school straight to the NBA coming out of Lower Merion High School. In 1996 he was one of the best basketball players in Philadelphia which led him to receive the accolade of being a McDonald’s All-American.
Kobe played 20 seasons with the Lakers from 1996-2016 and won many honors. He was a five-time NBA champion, was the NBA MVP in 2008, 18-time NBA All Star, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, and many more. Kobe is the only player in the history of sports with two jerseys retired hanging in the rafters of Staples Center for the Los Angeles Lakers #8 and #24 on Dec. 18, 2017. Many players are not always happy going into retirement and never find solace after their careers in the NBA, but Kobe was enjoying his post NBA career. He became the first athlete ever to win an Oscar for his poem “Dear Basketball”. Kobe mimicked his game after the great Michael Jordan and as he said in the Netflix documentary, The Last Dance, “There is no me without Michael Jordan everything I get is from him. He was a “take no prisoners” type of player and was a prolific scorer who took the hearts of his opponents by his great footwork, legendary fadeaway, and ferocious dunks”.
Kobe is considered as one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he will also go down as the greatest Laker of all time. From becoming the second leader in most points in a game by scoring 81 points in the Jan. 22, 2006 game of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors. He is also remembered for scoring the third most points in the league with 33,643 total points in the Dec. 17, 2014 game of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves. Where Kobe passed Michael Jordan on the all-time points scored list.
Kobe and his legacy lives on through his three daughters Natalia, Bianka, Capri and his wife of over 20 years, Vanessa Bryant. On Feb. 24, 2020 there was a public funeral that took place at the Staples Center for Kobe and Gianna in Los Angeles, CA. They respectfully chose the date Feb. 24, 2020 by how the numbers 2/24 stand for Gianna and Kobe’s jersey numbers. The Staples Center was chosen as the location for Kobe’s public funeral because he gave the Los Angeles Lakers organization his all for 20 years through a legendary career. Fans refer to the Staple Center as “the house that Kobe built”. His wife Vanessa Bryant gave a heart-rending speech. Many famous celebrities and athletes such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Jay-z, Snoop Dogg, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, and Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss were in attendance. Kobe and Gianna were buried on Feb 7, 2020 at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, CA. Kobe’s legacy will live on forever.
