What Basketball Superstar Kobe Bryant Meant to Filipinos
The world came to a momentary halt last January 27 for the Philippines with the news of Kobe Bryant‘s untimely death. The basketball superstar together with his daughter Gianna and seven other people did not survive when their helicopter crashed in California.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant/Jae C. Hong, Associated Press
Basketball fans, fellow athletes, celebrities and even those who do not follow the sport expressed grief with the passing of the former Lakers player who is considered to be one of the greatest to ever play in the NBA.
Greatest in the league
Kobe played in the Los Angles Lakers from 1997 to 2016. During his stint with the team, he won five NBA championships with two finals MVP awards and a season MVP award (2007-2008). To add to that, he was part of 18 All-Star teams, achieved 2 scoring titles, 2 Olympic gold medals, and the fourth spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list before retiring in 2016.
His famous moniker in the league was “Black Mamba” (which he got from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill) and popularized the phrase “Mamba Mentality” that was widely referenced inside and outside of sports. But what exactly does it mean?
In an interview with Amazon Book Review back in 2018, Kobe explained that Mamba Mentality is all about “focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most.”
Still can’t believe it until now #mambaout pic.twitter.com/tf3PPeugFf
— Chot Reyes (@coachot) January 26, 2020
The world lost a legend today but the impact and legacy he leaves behind will last forever! #RIPMamba pic.twitter.com/Sp56zAvrht
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) January 26, 2020
The mindset indeed carried Kobe through the toughest of times in the game and led him to an illustrious career worthy of the hall of fame.
Life after basketball
Kobe may have retired from the sport but that didn’t mean his love and passion for basketball will stop. The 41-year old was an advocate of women’s sport, basketball in particular. He advised the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, held coaching camps for younger players, and even became the coach of Gianna’s middle school basketball team.
Mamba Sports Academy, his multi-purpose sports campus in Newbury Park, Southern California, has also become an avenue for both amateur and pro players to learn and practice their skills under the tutelage of the legend.
Among his philanthropic works, the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation has been the most impactful. It is dedicated to helping improve the lives of young people and their families worldwide through financial resources and unique programs.
Through it all, perhaps the biggest contribution Kobe had to the world is the inspiration and motivation he brought to millions of people around the globe. One way or another, Kobe Bryant had pushed someone, somewhere to stand up, defy the life’s adversities on, and reach their goals.
Here in the Philippines where basketball is the most popular sport, Kobe is seen as a role model of hard work and perseverance. He had a total of seven visits to the country where the fans always made him feel like a total hero. With his passing, Filipinos paid tributes after tributes to honor his memory and legacy.
Kobe Bryant’s visited the Philippines post-retirement back in 2016 /SLAM Philippines
Social media was filled with posts of love and prayers for his family, malls were bathed in purple and yellow light signifying the Lakers colors, and mourners gathered at the Araneta Coliseum to remember and celebrate the life of the Black Mamba.
Out of these, the two most notable are the “House of Kobe,” a Kobe-themed basketball hall in Valenzuela City, and the beautiful mural of Kobe and Gianna painted on the famed Tenement Court in Taguig City.
Kobe Bryant is a remarkable man not only because he was a phenomenal basketball player. Above it all, he was a man of faith who learned from his past mistakes, he was a nurturing father and loving husband, he was a reliable teammate in and out of the court. That will be his main legacy.
Kobe once said, “Heroes come and go but legends are forever.” The Mamba Mentality hopefully lives on in all of us.
Sources: espn.com, nbclosangeles.com, time.com
Images grabbed from Associated Press and SLAM Philippines
