Remembering a legend
Kobe Bean Bryant was one of the single most influential athletes to ever live. Because of his performance on the court, we’ve all yelled “KOBE!” at least once in our lives.
It’s now been two weeks since the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, killing Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others. It’s heartbreaking. It’s unbelievable. It reminds us that life isn’t promised. It tells us that Kobe was mortal, despite many of his seemingly god-like qualities. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to Kobe. Not to the player who changed the game and inspired millions to pick up a basketball. Not to the father who loved his children.
It’s been two weeks. Two weeks full of tears, tributes, memorials and remembrances for the historic player, his legacy and a life lost far too soon. All nine lives on that helicopter were lost far too soon.
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA in 1996 when he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. He wasn’t in Charlotte for long; a predetermined trade sent him to Los Angeles. He would spend his entire career in LA, destined for greatness.
There are many record-shattering and astonishing highlights in his 20-season career. Here are four of those moments:
1. In 2006, Kobe scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. He did it with a field goal percentage above 50%. It isn’t the single-highest point total in a game, but it’s damn good.
2. Remember when Matt Barnes was in-bounding the ball? He tried to fake Bryant out. He tried to trick him into stepping back so he could get one of his teammates in a better position to catch and shoot, but Bryant wasn’t fooled. He didn’t flinch when a basketball, and the force behind it, landed about half an inch from his face. You could see his intensity and focus and he didn’t even have the ball in his hands.
3. The NBA has seen brutal injuries, but Bryant’s ruptured Achilles tendon in 2013 is one of the most memorable. It happened when he was trying to tie a game against Golden State with three minutes left. He hit the ground, hard, but proceeded to get up and make two crucial free throws. The Lakers won the game by two points. He was always a competitor.
4. Kobe Bryant’s last game was in 2016. He scored 60 points in front of a crowd who was sad to say goodbye, but grateful for their star. Kobe completed his career contentedly, ready to focus solely on his family.
Within those 20 years, Bryant had 15 All-NBA Team sections, including 11 First Team finishes, 12 All-NBA Defensive Team sections, nine First Team sections and 18 All-Star Games appearances. He was also the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, and competed in five NBA Finals, two of which he was the MVP. He also won an Academy Award for Best Short Film: “Dear Basketball.”
The Lakers played their first game since Bryant’s death on Friday, Jan. 31, after a 30-minute tribute to their fallen teammate and leader. Players on both teams were overcome with emotion. The game was sloppy. The players weren’t thinking about their form or their defense. They were thinking about Bryant.
Members of the 2020 NBA All-Star Team already have tributes planned to honor Bryant, Gianna and the seven passengers. LeBron James, a team captain, will wear no. 2 during the game in memory of Gigi. That was her AAU number. She was only 13 years old. She wanted to play for the University of Connecticut when she was eligible and had WNBA potential.
We continue to grieve this heavy loss, stunned by the horrific events leading to the death of a one-of-a-kind player who strived to be his best self and overcome every challenge. He once said of his legacy, “It’s the one thing you can control. You are responsible for how people remember you—or don’t. So don’t take it lightly.”
We’ll remember. How could we not?
Co-written by Will Harper and Julia Funderburk, a contributing writer