“Warning! This series is not meant for debate. This series is not meant to entertain.” This is the quote that would appear on Kobe Bryant’s show “Detail” that played exclusively on ESPN+. Kobe would breakdown individual players’ performances and dissect the game like few others could. He did the show the way he wanted to. After all, this is the only way Kobe did things. Because of this, this piece is dedicated not to entertain anyone. I don’t care what people think about this writing because I feel inclined to write it. That is the mentality of this article. That Mamba Mentality.

In all honesty, I despised Kobe growing up. I didn’t dislike him because of his off the court flaws. I didn’t loathe him because I hated the Lakers. I hated him for the simple fact that I was a huge Shaq fan. The way Shaq dominated the game amazed me as a little kid. I thought he was the greatest and I instantly became a fan of whatever team he went to because of this. the oldest memory of Shaq is actually my oldest memory of Kobe. This is game 4 of the 2004 NBA finals. I remember Shaq was dominating that game. He was doing practically anything he wanted to do on the court. The sad part is the one person who stopped him that night happened to be #8 on his own team. Kobe scored less points than Shaq on more shot attempts. It wasn’t like Shaq barely squeaked out more points than Kobe either. Kobe scored 16 less points than Shaq while shooting 4 more shots on 32% field goal percentage. I remember turning to my dad and saying “Why don’t they just give the ball to Shaq instead of letting Kobe shoot?” This would be the second to last game Shaq an Kobe played together before their feud became public nationwide and Shaq was traded. Ever since then, I hated Kobe growing up. Reminiscing now, it is poetic justice that the reason I started to hate Kobe was because of the fact that he didn’t pass the ball.

When I eventually got over my childhood emotions, I appreciated Kobe. His dedication to the game with his work ethic and attention to detail is what I strived to be. I never adopted his play style, but I admired what he was able to do. Prolonging his prime to win 2 more titles after Shaq was gone. Making the free throws after he tore his achilles. Scoring 60 points and willing his team to a victory in his last game. All of this added to the legacy of what we know as Kobe Bryant. This once in a generation ultra competitive athlete who always seemed destined for greatness. Someone we could look up to as a hero and strive to be as long as we put in the work and time like he did. He was this tangible legend that we could become.

I think now is an appropriate time to give the full scope of why I think of Kobe Bryant as a hero. It is not only because of his on the court performances. Someone who only has success in their lives without any set backs can’t be a hero. It’s hard to relate to anyone who doesn’t have any kinks in the armor. And Kobe had kinks in his armor all around. We all know of the sexual assault case that has always plagued his image. But there were other things that he did and were involved in his career which made us realize that he is a human to and he makes mistakes. And as heroes do, he tried to right his past wrongs. In a game in 2011, Kobe called a ref a gay slur towards a ref. In the weeks following, he apologized multiple times and him and the Lakers organization worked with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to continue to work ahead. He also had family problems. While the Lakers dominated the league winning three straight titles in the early 2000’s, his family practically disowned him. They hated the fact that he didn’t marry an African American woman. Imagine being in your early 20’s, playing basketball at the highest level possible under immense amount of pressure and stress, living across the country from where you grew up, and then have to have the weight of your family’s anger on top of you. Almost everyone would crumble with that on them. Not Kobe. He continued to play his game and win championships and eventually reconcile with his family. This wasn’t the only time Kobe would reconcile his differences. Him and Shaq eventually reconciled themselves where they would become uncles to the other’s children. It was moments like these where I think Kobe Bryant was a true hero that we could relate to. The constant faults and eventually overcoming these faults is what made Kobe Kobe.

This heroic persona inspired millions spanning the globe. His impact on the current generation of players in the NBA is indescribable. From LeBron and Carmelo to the younger players like Trae Young and Jayson Tatum, he impacted each of them and their games. He has gone on to mentor a lot of players and working them out in the summer time. He would text and call current players giving them advice on whatever questioned they had for them. We would see him court side with his daughter Gianna. We would see pictures of him with current and former players that would almost describe in itself just how much of an impact he had on the game of basketball.

One of my favorite parts about Kobe though has to be what he did in his short retirement from the game of basketball. He used basketball to jumpstart his second life by creating “Dear Basketball” which he won an Oscar for in 2018. He would go on to write books for little kids and try to further his knowledge in storytelling. I find this incredibly inspiring on the pure fact that former athletes of his caliber are defined only by the sport they play. They most often go often to coach or join the front office of an organization. Some will go to broadcasting. Others go to other forms of media to discuss the game. But Kobe decided to do things his own way and try something unusual by chasing after something unrelated to basketball. Of course, this all changed when his daughter Gianna showed her passion for the game of basketball like her father had. When he saw this in his daughter, he couldn’t resist giving more back to the game of basketball even after giving so much to the game in the 20 years he was in the league. He coached his daughter’s team and would take his daughter to NBA and WNBA games. Not too long ago we saw the clip surface of hm describing some part of the game to his daughter while they were at an NBA game. It was moments like this where his love for the game and his family became intertwined in the public eye.

There were more moments like this too. When Kobe would go on TV, he always seemed to talked about his family and his four children. People who knew Kobe said that he loved to talk about his kids and always said how proud he was of them. Kobe’s obsession to be the best extended to his kids. A lot of people know that Kobe rode in helicopters to LA for practice and games, but not many people know why. Kobe took a helicopter so he could drop his kids off or pick them up at school before going to practice or games. He wasn’t taking helicopters for the clout or to flex. It was purely to spend as much time with his family as he could. Just go look at his Instagram. Almost every picture is of his wife and/or his daughters. His love to them was everything a father and husband should strive to be.

Unfortunately, his wife and three other kids are still here without him and Gianna. The shock, pain, and sadness that they feel right now can only be imaginable. When I lost my father in 2014, I was heartbroken and lost. Never could I have imagined losing my sister at the same time. The pain I feel for his wife and other children is real. It hits close to home. This is the same way that I feel to the other families affected by this tragedy. No family deserves to go through what these families are going through. The suffering that results from something like this can’t be compared. I only hope that the families of these victims can find peace and comfort through these terrible times.

Kobe’s legacy makes him one of the few true icons of the game of basketball. He created an identity that the city of Los Angeles embraced for 20 years. He never turned his back on them and they reciprocated. We watched him become the man that he became right in front of our eyes. The skinny lanky 18 year old from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania was able to grab ahold a nation of people like few people have done. The respect that he garnered from his peers and fans was something special. Because of this, I only have one thing left to say about Kobe Bean Bryant. Thank you. Thank you for the life that you lived and what you were abel to accomplish. Thank you for showing all of us how to embrace and overcome adversity. The basketball community lost a legend in you and I hope that you are never forgotten.