Searcy, AR. (LP) — The world was shocked last weekend to learn that basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people, had died in a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon. The public mourning was immediate and intense. But as the surprise nature of Kobe’s death began to wear off, or at least slightly fade, the enormity of what had happened started to sink in.
Bryant’s death was unnerving, and he meant so much to so many people, both inside the world of basketball and outside of it.
Coach Wayne Herren, lifelong lakers fan states, “I have used Kobe as an example on many occasions when emphasizing the importance of work ethic, practice habits and mental toughness needed to become an elite level player. Kobe was arguably the hardest working player to play in the NBA so it was no surprise why he was one of the greatest to ever play.”
Kobe Bean Bryant was born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. Joe Bryant is a former Philadelphia 76ers player and Los Angeles Sparks head coach. Bryant is the youngest of three children and his parents only son. Bryant spent much of his childhood in Italy. The family moved there for his father’s basketball career. He completed High School at Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia Suburb of Lower Merion.
Bryant’s SAT score of 1080 would have enabled him to receive a basketball scholarship to multiple colleges. However, at the age of seventeen, Bryant went directly to the NBA.
Herren states, “I’m not one of these guys who is a fan of just players, I’m sort of old school in that I pull for my team. I’ve just been fortunate to have some of the best to ever play the game on my team. Kobe only played for the Lakers during his 20 year career so I got to watch him go from a 17 year old teenager to a grown man father of four.”
He was only the sixth player in NBA history to go directly from high school to the pros. He would have chosen Duke University had he decided to go to college first. In 1996, Bryant was the third overall draft pick for the Charlotte Hornets. On July 1, 1996, a trade was made for the Los Angeles Lakers to obtain Bryant’s draft rights.
Only being seventeen, Bryant’s parents had to cosign his contract with the Lakers. Bryant was able to sign the contract on his own when he turned eighteen before the season began.
Herren adds, “He serves as a role model to many of today’s generation of players. The impact of his death has been felt by millions worldwide.”
In his second season with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19.
Brandon Benson, football player at Searcy High School states, “Kobe did everything he could to be one of the greatest basketball players ever. He influenced a lot of people to work hard at your dream and it shall come true, but you have to be willing to work hard and put in a lot of effort towards that dream.”
The transition from elite athlete to whatever comes next can be difficult. Bryant made it look easy. He founded Granity Studios, a multimedia company. He won an Oscar. He won an Emmy. He opened a sports academy. Then another. He opened a publishing house. He became the world’s most famous AAU coach.
Benson says, “I consider Kobe a hero because he was a hardworking, brave, and kind. He helped people believe anything was possible if you put your mind to it.”
The loss reverberated around the world. Kobe left behind deep, memorable words that detailed the ideas behind his life of prominence. “When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. My brain, it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I have to sit there and face myself and tell myself ‘You’re a failure’ I think that is a worse, that is almost worse than death.” – Kobe Bryant.
