Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest basketball players in history. But more importantly, he taught me and other millennials three valuable lessons that will stay with us forever.

1. A Tenacious Work Ethic: “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.” – Kobe Bryant.

Kobe knew that success wouldn’t be handed to him, even though his father, Joe, was a former NBA player. In high school, he would make teammates play games of one-on-one to 100 points.

Kobe’s former Lakers teammate, John Celestand, said he was always the first player in the gym, even if he was injured. In 2013, Bryant stayed in a game and made two free throws with a torn achilles before walking off the court on his own power.

Bryant also spoke three languages: English, Italian (he spent part of his childhood in Italy) and Spanish. During games, he would communicate in Spanish with his teammate, Pau Gasol, in order to set up plays without divulging them to the opponent.

Kobe was so obsessed with being the best player he could possibly be that according to teammates, he would occasionally watch video of himself during halftime of games in order to make the necessary adjustments for the second half. He may have skipped college to go straight to the NBA, but he was an incredible student.

2. The Value Of Family: “We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision.” – Kobe Bryant

During his 20-year NBA career, Kobe Bryant traveled the world. He spent a lot of time on the road but once he retired, you could tell he was looking forward to being a family man. He coached his daughter, Gianna, who he tragically perished with on Sunday. He said that he didn’t need a son in order to raise a future basketball superstar.

The bond between Kobe and Gigi was made stronger by basketball. pic.twitter.com/jq4CNmvZf1 — The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 27, 2020

Kobe and his widow, Vanessa, worked through difficulties in their marriage and called off a divorce. Their fourth daughter was just born in June.

Sure, he was embarking on an Oscar-winning career in film. But Kobe Bryant was truly dedicating his post-playing career to his family, and Gianna in particular.

3. Paying It Forward: “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant