By John Ballowe

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, along with eight other passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, on the morning of January 26. He is survived by his wife Vanessa and three daughters: Natalia (17), Bianka (3), and Capri (7 months). Bryant was 41 and just beginning his life after basketball.

Bryant’s professional basketball career began in 1996 when he was drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, who would trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers shortly after. But Bryant’s basketball career began long before this. When Bryant was six years old, his father, professional basketball player Joe Bryant, decided to move from the NBA and sign with AMG Sebastiani of Europe. The Bryants moved to Italy, where Kobe’s love for the game grew. He would watch tapes of the Lakers, Rockets, and Celtics that his grandfather sent him. He fell in love with the game and with Lakers. At 13, Bryant moved back to the United States with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he would begin his new basketball career. 

At Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Bryant would become a dominant basketball player and win a state championship in 1996. After this, he declared for the NBA draft out of high school and became a professional athlete at age 18. When signed by the Lakers in 1996, Bryant called it a “dream come true” and was ecstatic that he could play for the same team that legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin “Magic” Johnson once played for. Bryant’s career started slow, and he averaged 7.6 points in 15.5 minutes per game in his rookie season. By 2002, however, Bryant had won three NBA championships in a row with the Lakers. 

In 2003, Kobe’s legacy would be tainted forever when he was accused of sexual assault. He allegedly forced a 19-year-old woman to have sex with him at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Colorado. After the victim pressed charges for sexual assault in 2003, the prosecutors ultimately dropped the case after the accuser refused to testify. It was settled in a civil lawsuit in 2005 after Bryant had realized what he had done was not consensual. With Bryant’s death, this moment in his life has come up again and caused uncertainty regarding his legacy.

After Bryant retired in 2016, following an undoubtedly Hall-of-Fame-level career, his life after basketball began. In 2017, the Lakers organization retired both of Bryant’s numbers, 8 and 24, making him the first player in NBA history to have both career numbers retired by a team. Bryant has also been an advocate for women’s basketball, helping the game grow as he supported his daughters in the sport. He would often give interviews and commend the women’s game of basketball, something other professional athletes rarely did. In addition to his contributions towards women’s basketball and countless charitable organizations, Bryant was also an Academy Award-winning writer and narrator for his short film Dear Basketball. The film garnered praise from around the world and was based on a letter he wrote to The Players’ Tribune that announced his retirement from basketball. 

Bryant’s death sent shockwaves throughout the world. The basketball star’s death has been nothing short of tragic, along with the deaths of the eight other passengers on the plane, including his daughter Gigi. Outpourings of condolences have been sent to Vanessa Bryant and her children during this time, especially via social media. Celebrities from around the world have sent prayers to the family, and he has been honored at many sports games and television programs. Most recently, at the SuperBowl, players from both teams lined up at the 24-yard line for a moment of silence to honor the basketball player. Vanessa Bryant has spoken on this impact, saying, “Every memorial means something.” In the Philippines and around the world, artists have painted murals of Kobe and Gianna, and many citizens have made shrines to honor them. 

Bryant was an inspiration to many, showing his perseverance many times throughout his career and adopting the Mamba Mentality, the fierce way he played the game. In game 80 of the 2013 season, Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon at age 34, an injury that is a career-ender for most athletes. But not Bryant. Showtime produced a documentary following Bryant on his recovery and released it in 2015 as Kobe Bryant’s Muse. The documentary showed Kobe’s relentless effort in everything he did. This mentality has been transcendent in the sports world. NBA star Russell Westbrook said, “I wanted to emulate his Mamba Mentality” after meeting him during a pick-up game at UCLA where “[Kobe] played like it was the NBA finals.” From NBA athletes and legends offering their condolences to the President of the United States, Bryant was able to etch his legacy into the game of basketball forever.

Featured image credit: Bleacher Report.