Kobe Bryant – 41 years of Greatness

Kobe Bryant Greatness 41 years of

Shoaib Ahmed

January 26th was a dark day for the basketball community, as well as the entire world. People woke up to one of the saddest moments in sports history. The internet was flooded with tears. Condolences, and nostalgic moments showered from people all over the world. 41-year-old Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, tragically passed away when a private helicopter which carried several other souls crashed in Calabbasas, California. The crash resulted in the loss of everyone on board and the internet plunged into overwhelming sorrow. As people still find it difficult to grasp that Kobe is no longer among them, Brew takes a look at the life of one of Basketball’s all-time greats, and a man of the purest character.

It is undebatable that Kobe Bryant was one of the most dazzling players of the game. His movements, his control of the ball, his shots - one could look at them a hundred times, and still go back to watch him in action again. Coaches and managers saw him as someone who “didn’t make any unnecessary movements”. This natural flair with the ball had probably been passed down to Kobe by his father, Joseph Bryant.

Kobe spent most of his early childhood in Italy. This is understandable since his father, Joe Jellybean Bryant, after ending his NBA career in 1984, moved to Italy to play in the Italian League, and did not return to Philadelphia until 1991. During this time, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School Basketball team. He knew his time to shine was now.

Kobe didn’t miss an opportunity to sweep the crowd with his sharp passes and headturning shots. If you hadn’t witnessed Kobe’s dunk; well then you haven’t seen Basketball. Yet Kobe had no plans to stop there. He went ahead and started working out with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Surely enough, all those back-breaking, knee-shattering practices paid off. In the 1996 NBA draft, Charlotte Hornets picked Kobe, only to trade him off to the Los Angeles Lakers later the same day thus handing over Kobe’s pen to himself to write his story. He went on from a substitute at the benches to becoming one of the greatest players ever to don the gold and purple jersey.

“I don’t think there’s any question in my mind ... that he has been the greatest Laker player.” - Jerry West

If I could pinpoint the exact career-defining moment for Kobe Bryant, it would most certainly be on the fated day of February 8th, 1998. The Western Conference AllStars played The Eastern Conference AllStars in the 48th NBA All-Star game. A lot of surprising events entertained the match and Kobe (19) became the youngest player in NBA history to debut at an all-star game. Not only that; This was also the first time he featured opposite Michael Jordon.

Game recognizes game, and it wasn’t any different that day. Kobe wasn’t star-struck by the legendary players around him. Instead he was set on proving himself. A brilliant team-high score of 18 points had the crowd biting their nails with bated breath. But Michael Jordan showed Kobe just how huge the difference in skill and experience between them was. Although he was down with the flu, MJ scored. And he scored again. And another one. By the end of the match, MJ had 23 points to his name, with 8 assists to further boost the Eastern Conference’s scoresheet.

You would think this may have destroyed Kobe Bryant who at 19, was tougher than most professional players at 30. But the match only added fuel to the fire burning within him. Kobe realized that his dreams had a price, and Boy! Was he more than willing to pay them.

Many realizations were established that night, but the one which stood out was - Kobe Bryant was a force to be reckoned with. Though he lost, he had gone down fighting. This was seen as a trailer, if you will, to a much bigger and nail-biting show. One which would be spoken for generations.

Kobe made his spot on the starting lineup. He teamed up with legend Shaquille O’Neal as a shooting guard, and proved his steel by forming one of the best team-ups the sport had ever seen. The duo went on to lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships.

2002 through 2004, Kobe was voted firstteam All-NBA. It was also during this time that he signed multiple deals and endorsements with brands like Adidas, Sprite, and so on. Money also recognizes game.

After Shaquille O’Neal’s parting from the club in 2004, Bryant had some big shoes to fill, and he did so brilliantly. The Lakers did struggle for a bit, but Kobe made sure their worries were in vain. In January of 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Rappers. This was the highest single-game mark in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain, who pocketed 100 points way back in 1962.

Kobe led the scoring table for the year, as well as the next. In 2008, he was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) after leading his team to the NBA finals. Although the Boston Celtics stole the spotlight, Bryant’s play inspired the Lakers to keep pushing and eventually in 2009, the Lakers beat Orlando Magic to win the NBA championship trophy and furthermore winning a second one the consequtive year, getting their much-cherished revenge on the Boston Celtics.

And just when you’d think he had it all, in 2008, he got called on to represent his country at the Olympic Basketball team. He was essentially now on the level of the phenomenons of the game, playing alongside Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony.

December of 2014 followed suit. It was payback time. Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves. Kobe Bryant on the ball. The Lakers had won a foul, resulting in two free-throws. The first one goes in effortlessly. No doubt on who’s shot it was. Kobe sets his shot for the second one. A defining moment in history. If it goes in, Kobe Bryant becomes the third-highest point taker on the NBA scoring list, surpassing the one and only Michael Jordan. The wounds from 1998 were still fresh. And BOOM! He slots it home as smoothly as the first one. Kobe Bryant becomes the third-highest point taker in the NBA’s career scoring list!

Nonetheless, if you’re wondering who was Bryant off-court then the answer is simple. Bryant was an incredible man. In 2009, he was one of the few trusted friends who were part of the memorial service of music legend Michael Jackson. Among his various other endeavors, Kobe also partnered up with a non-profit organization called the After-School All-Stars, which served with the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation for years to come. The family also held an annual summer camp, named the Kobe Basketball Academy.

Alas! The star’s career was not all bright. In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old. Kobe asserted that he was “guilty of adultery, but innocent of rape”. The case got dismissed in 2004, following an undisclosed off-court settlement.

In April 2013, Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Although he recovered in time for the season, his dreams were cut short after six games, due to a knee fracture. Just after surpassing Michael Jordan in 2014, his season was again cut short due to a torn rotator cuff in January, 2015. His body struggled to keep up with his determination to play.

Alongside a much younger team with a struggling body, during the 2015-16 season, Kobe decided to throw down the towel. On November, 2015, the icon declared that he would be retiring from the game at the end of the season.

“This season is all I have left to give….My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” - Kobe Bryant

Perhaps NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reacted to this announcement the best:

“With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game

Bryant did have one last treat up his sleeve. In the final game of his career in April 2016, Kobe Bryant stunned the sold-out crowd, scoring 60 points - his sixth 60 point game. After the game, an emotional Kobe stood in front of a teary-eyed crowd and thanked them for their constant love and support throughout his 20 years of play.

“I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by. This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we’ve been on — we’ve been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout.”

At 22, Kobe married a 19-year-old Vanessa Laine, on April 2001. The couple welcomed a beautiful baby girl, in 2003. Natalia Diamante Bryant soon had a younger sister to play with, when Kobe and Vanessa brought Gianna Maria - Onore Bryant into the family, in 2006. Bianka Bryant and Capri Bryant followed suit a while later, being born into the family in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

The two elder daughters took to their beloved father, and passionately played the game. Gianna and Kobe passed away on January 26th, 2020, when the private helicopter they had been flying in crashed near Calabasas, California.

With 33,464 points to his name, in a career span of 20 years, Kobe Bryant will forever be one of the greatest players to ever set foot on court. A loving husband, a doting father, a truly amazing person and friend on and off the court, one can only console themselves with the fact that Kobe and Gianna, along with the other members on board the helicopter, are all in a better place right now.