8. 24. The Black Mamba. Bean. Vino.
These are the words to describe Philadelphia's own Kobe Bean Bryant. When Kobe was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon due to a helicopter crash, it felt like the entire world just stopped moving; like this can't be real, not Kobe. Bryant not only had an impact on the city of Los Angeles, but he also had a tremendous impact on the entire world. It was no way that you could discuss basketball without adding Kobe's name to the equation. From his work ethic to his overall black excellence, Kobe became a role model for countless people, whether young or old, or big or small. What made me love and admire Kobe so much?
My mother is the biggest Kobe Bryant fan that I know. When it came to Kobe, you couldn't tell her JACK. Every time he would appear on the television screen, I would always hear her roar out, "BLACK MAMBA!"She saw greatness in Kobe, and you couldn't convince her otherwise. Seeing her passion and admiration for him made me become a fan at an early age.
When Kobe was playing in the league, there wasn't just a normal basketball game or regular season. You knew that he was going in for the kill every single night that he touched the court. That's that Mamba Mentality.
"Mamba Mentality is a way of life. It's trying to get better every day."- Kobe Bryant
As simple as it sounds, and looking at all that Kobe accomplished in his career, it's important to remember that becoming one of the greatest players in NBA history was never an easy path for the Black Mamba.
For the first two seasons of Kobe's career, he came off the bench and played limited minutes. He averaged 7.6 points in his rookie year and 15.4 points in his second year. He also saw an increase of minutes in his second year.
Source: Sports Illustrated
On an episode of the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Kobe revealed that his few years in the league were a nightmare.
"Man, if I knew the s*** was going to be like this, I would have went to school,” said Bryant. “I felt like my coach, Del Harris at the time, was trying to make sure he did not show favoritism to the young kid, and as a result, he swung completely in the opposite direction and doing things that weren’t fair."
It wasn't until Kobe's third year that the world saw a young player merge into his lane. The Lakers decided to "play small." This meant that Kobe played as a small forward, which as a result increased his minutes and points. Kobe at this time was averaging nearly 20 points a game. Rocking the mini afro and the number 8, the early '90s and '00s became an era where Kobe will take his talents to new heights.
Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league. Phil Jackson then became the Lakers head coach in 1999. Jackson utilized the triangle offense that helped the Chicago Bulls win six championships, in which Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal became the forefront of the offense. Bryant and O'Neal would then form one of the most iconic guard-center combos that would change the league. As a result, this formula resulted in three straight championships for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe's numbers will continue to increase, reaching up to 30 points per game.
One of my favorite memories of Kobe from the #8 era was the 2004 Finals between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons. Even though Detroit would move on to win their first championship since 1990, it was amazing to see Kobe go against R.I.P. Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, etc.
At the start of the 2006-2007 season, Kobe decided to change his number from number 8 to number 24. This was a huge deal because this marked a new era for Kobe, as well as a crossroads in his career. Shaq was no longer on the team, and Bryant was having a rocky relationship with Jackson. Still, Byrant never changed himself or his mentality. He still approached the game the same way he always had, which was to keep working harder.
Bryant's 81-point game in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors was one of the best performances from a player in NBA history. Kobe moved through the court in that game like a lone wolf, attacking the wolfpack with no hesitation. When he explodes, that was everyone's cue to clear out because there was nothing stopping Kobe.
In Bryant's #24 era, he went through a lot of success, as well as a lot of trials,
In 2009-2010, Kobe played on a Lakers team alongside the following players: Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest), Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, Derek Fisher, etc.
Losing the 2008 Finals against the Boston Celtics was a bad look for the Lakers. Many doubted that Kobe would carry that 2009-2010 Lakers team to a championship. But he ended up doing so. Twice. They had to face the Celtics again in 2010, and this time they won a Game 7 against Boston for the first time in history. Kobe told ESPN around that time that the 2010 Finals win was the most satisfying Finals win of his career.
The next 5-6 years later after the 2010 championship, Kobe faced many challenges. He had to deal with multiple coaches, as well as adjust to multiple different lineups. Also, Kobe faced numerous injuries, more than he ever had to face in his entire career, including a rotator cuff tear and a torn Achilles tendon. It was tough for many fans to see Kobe Bryant in so much physical pain, and probably mental pain as well. But throughout the last years of his career, Kobe kept his composure. Again, that Mamba mentality never changed, as he continued to play through the injuries and play the best that he can. He also served a mentor for many of the younger players who were his teammate, like D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson.
Reaching to the point of retirement most likely was something that Kobe never thought he would have to do given his circumstances, but it seemed that it was sign of relief for him, knowing that he remained with the Lakers for the entire duration of his career, as well as knowing what legacy he left behind through his accomplishments:
• 5-time NBA-champion (7 Finals appearances)
• 1997 Slam Dunk Contest Winner
• Youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history (18 years, 158 days)
• 1 of 6 players to average 35.0 PPG in a season (2005-06 season)
• 60 points in final NBA game (NBA record)
• 15 All-Star Game appearances
• 2008 MVP
• Two-time NBA Finals MVP Awards
• Four-time All-Star MVP Awards
• 4th on All-Time NBA Scoring List (33,643 points)
• Los Angeles Lakers All-Time leader in points, steals, game played, etc.
Looking at the list above, it's amazing to see how Kobe Bryant has created such an astounding NBA resume as a Laker for 20 straight seasons. But Kobe Byrant was far more than just a basketball player:
Kobe was a cultural icon. Everyone was rocking the wristband on the bicep as Kobe did in the early 2000s. Every kid in school would ball up wads of paper, screaming "KOBE!" at the top of their lungs, as the wads of paper descended into trash bins.
The music world, particularly the hip-hop community loved Kobe, as he's been name-dropped in hip-hop for decades:
"Kobe doin' work/ 2-4 on my shirt/ He the greatest on the court/ And I'm the greatest on the verse/ Going for the fourth ring like it was his first/ Gotta get the bling." - Lil Wayne, "Kobe" (2009).
"Kobe 'bout to lose a hundred fifty Ms/ Kobe my n----, I hate it had to be him/ B----, you wasn't with me shootin' in the gym." - Drake, "Stay Schemin" (2012).
"N---- with an attitude, I feel like O'Shea/ Walkin', livin' legend, man I feel like Kobe (Kobe)." -Kanye West, "THat Part" (2016).
Kobe was a mentor. Multiple players, including Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokoumpo, and Jayson Tatum all viewed Bryant as a hero, modeling their game after him and even participating in workouts with him.
But most importantly, Kobe was a loving husband to Vanessa, as well as a loving father to his four beautiful daughters. Hearing that Kobe died on the plane broke everyone's hearts. Hearing that Gianna "Gigi" Bryant was also on the plane with Kobe just completely crushed it. What seemed to be a retirement where Kobe would have to deal with never playing basketball again, Gigi gave him that hope that it wouldn't happen. She, herself was blooming into a bright young star, Kobe being there to guide her along the way.
Kobe Bryant, like every person on this earth, was not perfect. But if anything, Kobe was a person that was deeply loved by everyone, from his family and closest friends to his biggest fans. Watching Kobe's 2016 farewell game against the Utah Jazz, I thought that tears would fall. Instead, there was joy and laughter from watching his final game. That night at the Staples Center was an absolute celebration. People filled up the seats with joy watching the Black Mamba score 60 points in the last game of his career. Kobe made people smile. He made people motivate themselves to be better, to do more. In his 2013 Nike campaign commercial, Kobe told Kanye West that he wanted more from him: to break more records, to be more successful.
If Kobe was your childhood hero, if Kobe impacted your life in any way, shape or form, the next time you're dealing with a hardship or challenge, just take a moment to think, "What would Kobe do?"
*Sending love and prayers to Vanessa Bryant and her family, the Antobelli family, the Chester family, and to anyone else whose lives were impacted from the plane crash.*
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