Understanding Kobe

My evolving understanding on why Koby Bryant has left such monumental legacy.

With the one-year anniversary of the helicopter accident that took the lives of Kobe and Gianna Bryant; John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser; Sarah and Payton Chester; and Ara Zobayan on January 26, I have been thinking a lot about Kobe. When the crash happened, there was an outpouring of emotion from people around the world. So many of the players that I am fortunate to coach were devastated. The following day, Joe Dowling, who serves as our team’s mental strength and peak performance coach but also has a private practice in counseling, brought the team together, players, coaches, and managers, to discuss the passing of Kobe and what he meant to us. I was taken by how deeply the players were affected by the life and death of Kobe. For many, he was one of their heroes, an inspiration.

We had had discussions about Kobe before, with the young fellas often arguing for Kobe’s greatness and the older guys so often reverting back to Jordan. At the time, my thoughts on Kobe were not as glowing as our players. From the perspective of his career, I knew that he was an all-time great, but I did not think he belonged on the short list of the all-time best, in fact, I would have rated him lower than most I believe even at his position. This opinion has not changed much in a year. I am much more inclined to agree to the inclusion of Lebron and KD in the all-time discussion than Kobe. His lack of efficiency compared to others who have played is probably the greatest hurdle for me. Additionally, his well-documented surliness and cruelty towards teammates was hard for me to ignore (something he shares with Jordan perhaps). Possibly, I was put off by what, at the time, felt like a manufactured affect: the sunglasses when he announced he was going from high school to the NBA, the way he seemed to be mimicking Jordan in how he moved and chewed gum and spoke to the press, the 8 airballs he shot in a playoff loss on a team with many more accomplished players at the time. Most ominous, is the memory of his sexual assault case during his career that preceded his number change.

It is not that I have fully reconciled all of those things in my mind, as I said, I do not see him as high on the list of greats as many do and I will always hold grave reservations about what happened in Colorado, the consequences that were felt by the victim who was dragged publicly through the media mud, as well as his wife and family who had to endure the awful attention of the publicity forced on them around an assault occurring during an extramarital affair. That notwithstanding, I think I have misunderstood why Kobe has made such a sizable impression and exacted such a huge influence on so many in the generation or two younger than I am. I think the shadow of impact that he has had on so many is much more than just his ability as a player. In that way, I think it is similar to a player beloved in my generation, Allen Iverson. However, Kobe is beloved for different reasons. Here is my evolving take about why he is so beloved by so many inside and out of the world of basketball.

Post-Career Success

In a short period of time, Kobe’s ventures after retirement were amazing. Sure, he had money and a platform at his disposal that most of us will never know, but it seemed nearly everything he tried after his career was successful. Not only are there many former athletes that do little after their career comes to an end, resting on past glory and accolades, stuck in purgatory with no outlet now that they are physically unable to do what they have done most of their lives at such a high level, but the ones that are successful are almost always utilizing their station in life earned through athletic supremacy to garner business success. Kobe won an Oscar and Emmy for a short film “Dear Basketball” which was based on a poem he wrote announcing his retirement. He founded a multi-media company that produced a series that analyzes professional athletes’ performances (“Detail”) and a number one ranked children’s podcast (“The Punies”). He oversaw his storytelling company and its employees. Yes, he did open training facilities called “Mamba Sports Academy” but he also coached his daughter’s AAU team (more on that to follow). He did not slouch into the depression and malaise that afflicts so many just retired athletes, eclipsed only briefly by fleeting moments of intoxication reveling in nostalgia.

Mentorship

Towards the end of Kobe’s career, as the Lakers were mired in their lack of contention, Kobe softened it seems. He was friendlier with the media. He allowed a glimpse into the amazing mind that had helped him become so singularly focused on athletic greatness. He showed a depth that athletes who are stricken by that level of focus rarely do. Most importantly, he became mentor to seemingly every young player in the NBA. It was as if now that his hopes of one last title seemed to be vanquished, he no longer needed to cling to that competitive advantage of not befriending opponents, and he shared selflessly with so many.

Girl Dad

The world of male athletics can be so misogynistic. Obviously, this is a disorder that Kobe himself suffered at times. Still, he embraced his role as father to a daughter with zeal that is commendable. Furthermore, his championing of women’s basketball from the youth level all the way to the WNBA was wonderful. As the father of a daughter of my own, I have come to feel that the impact this has had on males the age of those that I coach, the acceptance and celebration of women’s sports, is worth all of the accolades and affection that Kobe has received.

Work Ethic

The ridiculous work ethic that Kobe maintained throughout his life in his drive for greatness in basketball is often discussed. There are countless stories I have heard of players, many of whom are among the greatest to play in their own rights, talking about how Kobe was in a class by himself in terms of his work ethic and drive. This is something we all could benefit from regardless of our passion. As my father used to say, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Kobe took that to its absolute exhaustion.

Mamba Mentality

This seems to be the greatest piece within the mosaic of Kobe’s legacy that resonates for people. You hear so many references to Mamba Mentality, many of whom seem unlikely to have ever played the game of basketball. First, it is so rare that someone gives themselves a nickname and has it stick in a complimentary way. It also seems, that the Mamba persona was borne from a dark time in his life. Still, Mamba Mentality has come to touch so many. Not only his work ethic, but his sheer will, in the face of anything: 8 airballs as a rookie, doubters that he could succeed in his jump from high school to the NBA which included many of the leagues’ top scouts at the time, winning titles without Shaq. So often for the truly great, they have irrational confidence and belief that they will overcome despite any and all obstacles. This unsurpassed will makes the post-career success, the mentorship, and the embracing of the girl dad role all the more astounding.

Much more important than whether I feel he should be included in the discussion of greatest player of all-time, it is in these 5 qualities that I now view the greatness and legacy of Kobe Bryant.