It’s been about seven months since the passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven other people in a tragic helicopter crash. That horrific January morning will never really leave us because no one could ever forget where they were when they heard the devastating news.
Time heals but scars linger, and the ones left by losing the greatest Los Angeles Laker of all-time aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Not that we want them to.
The massive Lakers fanbase has sometimes been criticized for being too captivated by Bryant; too willing to defend him at all costs. But those who lived through the two decades that Bryant spent in purple and gold know that the passion comes from someplace deeper than simple sports fandom.
Sure, Bryant provided plenty of unforgettable moments on the floor. From scoring 81 points in a game, the buzzer-beaters, the championships, the awards, the impossible shots, and of course, to that incredible 60-point finale, Bryant’s career spoiled fans with magic for two decades.
Twenty years!
When Bryant started his Lakers career, flip phones were king, the Spice Girls topped the charts, and “Independence Day” ruled the box office. Bill Clinton was in the White House. A Disneyland admission ticket was $38.
The world has changed a lot since then. On an individual level, our lives changed, as they tend to do. We found success, suffered setbacks, felt heartache, love, loss, fear, courage, despair, and perseverance as we grew as human beings.
Change is the one constant in this life. Nothing lasts forever. But for two decades, Bryant was there. Every night, lacing them up for the Lakers, willing himself to new heights regardless of the obstacles that stood in his way.
He often was the reason for some of the greatest instances of pure joy in our lives. Some moments will always stand above Bryant’s heroics, like the birth of a child, weddings, or other personal milestones.
But the Lakers beating the Celtics in 2010 and Bryant leaping onto the scorers’ table as confetti rained down is a moment we would all like to go back and live in for a while.
Moments like those have a unifying effect, bringing people together through shared experience.
Still, what Bryant represents is even bigger than that. Bigger than the Lakers, bigger than the NBA, bigger than the sport. What he showed all of us was something ancient and endless: the struggle against our own limitations.
He was a steadying anchor as we navigated the seas of change, but his fight against the shortcomings of his own body and mind resonated as a very human, and thus relatable, struggle.
Bryant, perhaps more than any athlete who came before him, maximized every ounce of talent in his body. His obsession with perfecting his game both physically and mentally is legendary, from grueling training sessions to his constant search for basketball wisdom.
Over the years, Bryant fought the battle we all fight. Just on a different scale and in a different medium. Time is fleeting, and too often we shrink from the task of becoming the best version of ourselves. It’s too difficult, takes too long, the cost is too great and the pain too much to bear.
But not for Bryant.
He made a life out of busting through those walls, of finding success where others would have accepted failure. Injured right shoulder? Shoot with the left. Air balling 3s in the playoffs? Practice until the nerves go quiet, then practice some more. Torn Achilles? Grab it with your hand and try to re-attach it, of course.
Such was the mindset of Bryant. Through will and determination, he pursued success in situations where others wouldn’t, and it inspired us all. That’s what “Mamba Mentality” is all about.
It’s not ball-hogging or shooting constantly in search of personal glory. It’s about bettering yourself despite yourself, finding ways to adapt to and overcome whatever challenges stand in your way.
It’s that universal struggle that forged such a strong bond between Bryant and his legion of fans. That connection may have been born on the basketball court, but Bryant lives on because he transcended sport, and in the process, inspired millions.
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