January 26 became a day people will look back and talk about where they were. The tragic helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other people, most of whom were parents and teammates to his daughter, will be remembered as an unforgettable day.
January 26 became a day people will look back and talk about where they were. The tragic helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other people, most of whom were parents and teammates to his daughter, will be remembered as an unforgettable day.
For me, I had just returned home from breakfast with my parents, who had come to Hattiesburg to visit me.
Bryant's death was a moment where it seemed like time just stopped and people really appreciated life and their loved ones. Bryant's death is not just a loss for the NBA community and the city of Los Angeles, but instead, his death is a lesson for everyone in a variety of ways.
As a kid, I was fortunate to watch Bryant play twice against the New Orleans Hornets. Once in the 2008 regular season and again during the Hornets' playoff series against the Lakers in the 2011 playoffs.
Watching Bryant was an experience of awe because, like many, I was able to say I watched one of the greats. The most notable part of Bryant's game that I remember was his self-described Mamba mentality.
Bryant's Black Mamba nickname is more than just a persona on the court but rather a way to live. The definition of Mamba became redefined in his life after basketball. The Mamba mentality is not to embrace the success after the hard work but instead embracing the hard work itself and, in doing so, trying to always be better at what one does.
There are countless stories of Bryant's competitiveness to outwork anyone on and off the basketball court.
My favorite is a story from former Miami Heat greats and NBA champions Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who recollected about practicing with Bryant in the 2008 Olympics.
"We're in Las Vegas and we all came down for team breakfast at the start of the whole training camp," Bosh told ESPN. "Kobe comes in with ice on his knees and with his trainers and stuff. He's got sweat drenched through his workout gear. And I'm like, 'It's 8 o'clock in the morning, man. Where in the hell is he coming from?'"
"You never forget stuff like that. I felt so bad. I'm like, 'What is he trying to prove?' But he was just doing his normal routine. We're all supposed to be big-time NBA players, Olympians and stuff and then there's Kobe, taking it to another level from Day 1. And I had been off for like three months."
"Everybody else just woke up. We're still stretching and yawning, and he's already three hours and a full workout into his day," Wayne added. "We're all sitting there thinking, 'Man, I've got to reevaluate what I'm doing as a player.'"
It's hard to believe that Bryant could have almost ended up as a New Orleans Hornet…
Anyways, what made Bryant's legacy more special was his life after basketball. His involvement as a father is something anyone could admire, his contribution to men and women's basketball and the work ethic he showed in his other ventures was just as impressive as his NBA career.
Bryant's death is not just the loss of an admirable legend, but the legacy he left behind is something anyone can look to and strive towards.
From NBA championships and gold medals to coaching his daughter's basketball team, the man did it all to the best of his ability.
His death made people have to do a reality check and reminded everyone how quickly life can be taken away and why it's essential to do everything, whether it's the small or big things to the best of our ability.
I'll finish this one out with a quote from Bryant that, to me, is the illustration of his Mamba mentality, career and legacy.
"Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling."
Abadie is a New Orleans native and proud graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He’s also theSports Editor of The PineBelt NEWS.
