In examining history, there seems to be a tight correlation between unparalleled human genius and brevity of life. These individuals grace the earth with a charge to become a beacon of light to illuminate a social problem, solve an insurmountable challenge, or give us out of orbit inspiration. When people accomplish their mission, I believe (or take comfort in) that God says, “Your work here is done!”
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X provided servant leadership and biblical stratosphere speeches that helped to shepherd us through the Civil Rights movement; however, they each died, equally, at the age of 39. These examples also lend themselves to sports. First ballot baseball Hall of Famers, Lou Gehrig and Roberto Clemente, both died during the latter stages of their playing careers. Both players were well known for their hitting prowess and enduring consistency. Their deaths shined a light on human needs: Lou Gehrig’s death brought awareness, and research, to ALS (a vicious neurological disease), and Roberto Clemente’s death highlighted the need for aid throughout Latin America. Each of these individuals did exceptional in their respective fields but met death at “noon” of their life expectancy.
On Sunday, January 26, 2020, we all found ourselves standing again at the intersection of unparalleled human genius and brevity of life with the death of Kobe “Bean” Bryant at the ripe age of 41. We will nonetheless remember him for his basketball mastery that lead to him accomplishing the following:
- 18x NBA All-Star
- 15x ALL- NBA Team
- 12x ALL Defensive Team
- 5x NBA Championships
- 4x NBA All Star Game MVP
- 2x NBA Finals MVP
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist
- 1x NBA Most Valuable Player
These achievements transcended him to become the global personification of “winning.” Although tangibly flattering, he left us with something much more precious. He left us with intangible jewels of inspirations such as a tireless work ethic, commitment to one’s craft, embracing a competitive spirit and a fearless dedication to excellence.
By embracing these principles, we saw a basketball artist give his best to the easel (court) every night, but much like a diamond, he shined his brightest when pressure was at its highest point. “The Black Mamba” would fearlessly command the basketball to utilize then both the “art and science” of basketball footwork to get to his preferred space on the court. Where sometimes two, three or sometimes four defenders would await his 
arrival, he would seemingly rise among the crowd to shoot, with textbook form, and then sink a game winning shot; sending his venom throughout the arena to collapse the opposing team and fans within seconds. Whether you rooted for Kobe or against him, we all admired his courage, his sense of self-belief, and sheer audacity to shoot in moments where the stakes were the highest.
These seminal basketball moments drew parallels to life. That whether we mustered the courage to pitch a new idea, push for a promotion, ask an attractive person out on a date, after accomplishing the feat, we move our arms in a shooting fashion, while simultaneously yelling, KOBE!!! What I learned from Kobe’s career – and drew from these human moments – is that when our systems and processes align to our goals in life, we must shoot (Kobe):
- In spite of our fears and insecurities
- Despite our failures
- Because of our preparation
- And to inspire the next generation
We must shoot (Kobe) in spite of our fears and insecurities.
I have self-doubt. I have insecurity……… We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it” – Kobe Bryant
In 1996, Kobe was drafted to a talented and veteran-heavy Lakers team; hence, his role as a player was limited. Not only was Kobe furious about his appetizer-size playing time; but he was envious of his draft peers who were able to display their talents on a full entrée of NBA minutes. In a recent interview, Kobe revealed that during those moments, he had doubts about turning pro, and perhaps questioned his decision not to have gone to Duke (college) instead. These doubts were further exacerbated as he had a challenging time gelling with his fellow teammates, because of his adolescent age and international living experience. Hence, Kobe had doubts if they would embrace a non-urban multilingual basketball savant. Under these circumstances, Kobe evolved into a recluse (a loner).
He then realized that acceptance from his teammates and peers would only come by focusing on his “north stars”: becoming the best basketball player of all time and winning championships. He, in turn, used his solitude to his advantage, quickening his path to 10,000 hours (time required for mastery of skill). Kobe would spend countless hours before and after practice working on his craft, pulling assistants aside for extra workouts and shooting sessions. More than just on-court preparation, Kobe had a natural curiosity of the sport; hence, he tapped into the minds of Laker legends for mentorship:
- Jerry West schooled him in shooting mechanics,
- Magic Johnson tutored him in the science of passing angles
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar educated him on post scoring
- Michael Cooper trained him in individual defensive principles
With time spent and knowledge in hand – and coaches taking notice, Kobe earned more playing time in the latter half of the “96-97” season. He immediately demonstrated some success — and earned respect from teammates — with multiple 20-point scoring games. He carried this moment into playoffs, but in the second round, they faced a well-oiled veteran Utah Jazz team. Here, Kobe learned about his young body’s physical limitations. In the elimination game against the Jazz, Kobe shot four air balls in the critical stages of the game, landing his playoff embarrassment on the front page of the LA Times.
We must shoot (Kobe) despite our failures.
Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise – Kobe Bryant.
After embarrassing himself on the highest stage of basketball, the NBA Playoffs, Kobe took comfort in the fact that he may have experienced his career’s lowest moment, so he could only go “up.” Taking a positive perspective of shooting four air balls, Kobe took inventory of the problem, realizing that he lacked necessary leg strength and endurance for an entire NBA season. That summer, Kobe began his profound training sessions, in which he would lift for two hours for five days a week. Also that summer — drawing from his comprehensive knowledge of NBA history, he contacted the most prolific playoff shooter of all-time, Larry Bird, to gain insight into his shooting regiment. Larry revealed to him that he shot 500 times per day; Kobe leveraged that information to shoot 1500 times per day.
The combination of strength and a rigorous shooting schedule garnered Kobe early success in 97-98 season. He doubled his season scoring average (7 to 15 points); in addition, he made his first all-star game, becoming the youngest player ever to earn the recognition. Understanding that his skill and preparation got him invited to the “best players” event, Kobe used his time smartly to cultivate a relationship with Michael Jordan. To 
deepen his understanding of engineering open shots, he asked Jordan about patent moves and counter-attacks against top defenders. This information proved to be fruitful to Kobe’s game in the 1999 season, netting him his first All-NBA Team (third team). Although he established himself as a premier individual player, he didn’t meet his team goals, as the Lakers lost in the semifinal round in the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
We must shoot (Kobe) because of our preparation
Be willing to sacrifice anything, but compromise nothing in your quest to be your best.” – Kobe Bryant
Having mastered individual basketball concepts, Kobe wanted to generate more team success; he wisely knew that would only be possible by sharpening the mental aspects of the game through film study. In 2000, the Lakers replaced their coaching staff with championship pedigree coaches, Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. The summer before the 2000 season, Kobe sat at the feet of the “X and O” aficionado, Tex Winter, studying hours of film to learn the micro concepts of the triangle offense. However, Phil Jackson wanted to elevate Kobe to a macro level by introducing him to the holistic concepts of basketball by understanding the rhythm and spirit of the game through meditation and visualization.
Now armed with the technical and spiritual knowledge of basketball, Kobe was “enlightened” that he would best be served by harassing opponents on the perimeter defensively and pacing himself offensively through the first three quarters — allowing Shaq to find his offensive “chakra.” Then in the 4th quarter, Kobe would unleash his offensive repertoire to demoralize opponents and pacify Shaq’s weaknesses in his inability to “close out” games. This proved to be a championship recipe as the Lakers went on to win three straight NBA finals and four finals appearances (2000- 2004).
At the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, Kobe found himself on an unfamiliar stage, with Shaq traded to the Heat; he was now the premier act. Having modified his game (facilitating) to the share the stage with one of the most dominant centers, The Black Mamba could now retreat to its natural habitat, scoring. Kobe could now unleash the full breadth and depth of his training. On January 22, 2006, the constellation of his preparation:
aligned perfectly for one evening, as we witnessed an athletic feat as rare as a comet running across the sky. Against the Toronto Raptors, Kobe unleashed an 81-point performance, demonstrating his God-like scoring ability. That season, and over the next, Kobe was an artist in complete union with his craft, recording his highest-scoring averages, giving us nightly performances equivalent to a Miles Davis’ trumpet solo, or a Denzel Washington monologue. Although Kobe’s new status was the Michael Jordan of our generation, he didn’t raise the level of his fellow Lakers cast members, as they fell short of their championship aspirations.
We must shoot (Kobe) to inspire the next generation.
The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they do- Kobe Bryant.
Kobe believed that playing basketball as a profession was a privilege and that players should never cheat this honor by giving something less than their best. To impart this wisdom on to his fellow Laker teammates and NBA peers, he lead by example in practice: leading every conditioning and situational drill, diving for loose balls, and staying late after practice to teach fundamental basketball principles.
His leadership style was on full display during the 2008 Olympics. Even though the team featured the best players on the planet (LeBron, D WADE, Chris Paul), they, too, should cherish every moment of the game. Kobe — believed to be the best player on the planet at the time — set the tone by arriving to practice 3-4 hours in advance to work on his craft, and took on the hardest defensive assignments in practice to elevate the importance of defense to winning “the gold.” Over that summer, many of the games youngest stars took a step forward in their careers, realizing what it takes to be the best; they too joined him for early workouts, and brought their best in practice. Kobe’s leadership style not only elevated Team USA to win the gold medal, but it also raised the play of his Lakers teammates, which lead to back to back championships in 2009 and 2010.
In the twilight, and into retirement, of his career, Kobe wanted to preserve the purity and honor of the sport by inspiring the next generation of players; he has since mentored the following top players:
Kobe wanted to democratize this inspiration to youth in basketball and other sports. Hence, he opened the Mamba Sports Academy, focused on a holistic process of sports development—mind, body and spirit.
Kobe believed that basketball was one of the most excellent teachers of life and that these lessons are not limited to only sports. In his post-basketball life, he created Granity Studios, to develop sports stories centered on overcoming adversity. He also created an investment firm, Kobe Inc., which focused on growing sports brands that challenged and redefined the sports industry, while inspiring the world.
Although we all mourn knowing that we only had Kobe for ten leap years, 41 summers and 164 seasons; we should celebrate in watching a genius at work that gave billions inspiration to pursue their own goals. Just in the same light, we honor Dr. King, Malcolm X, Lou Gehrig and Roberto Clemente. We also would best serve ourselves by carrying forward Kobe’s Mamba Mentality by focusing on the process and journey to our life’s mission through deliberate practice, in-depth study, sound mentorship, a community of talented peers, and spiritual guidance. Although his earthly existence is no longer with us, we can keep his spirit alive because,
Heroes come and go, but legends are forever – Kobe Bryant
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