To Kobe... I Never Met You, But Here's What I Learned From You.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Kobe Bryant fan. 

From yelling “Kobe” every time I went to throw something away, to defending why he is the GOAT… 

Something about Kobe has always resonated with me.

And that’s why I’m writing this today. 

Not for the likes. Not for the exposure. Not for any of that really. 

I’m sharing it because I’ve looked up to Kobe for some time now. As a father, a professional basketball player, and a human, Kobe has taught me quite a few things about how to live a better life. 

And I feel that, considering the current situation, I should share them. Not only because of how impactful Kobe has been on my life, but because of how impactful he’s been for so many others. 

For starters, Kobe showed me what work ethic looked like. 

And this work ethic was something special. 

There are plenty of stories about Kobe getting up at 4:00 AM to get a full workout in, before practice. 

He would be waiting in the training room, icing and stretching, still drenched in sweat as his teammates were walking in to start their day. 

Then, he would hop right back up and work out with his teammates during practice like he hadn’t been up since 4:00 AM.

That’s the type of work ethic that won Kobe 5 NBA Championships. 

It’s also the type of work ethic that you and I probably don’t think of right off the bat. 

Sure, we may wake up early to knock out some emails, or catch up on work…

But how many of us wake up and get a whole days worth of work done, before anyone else has even hit snooze on their alarms?

Kobe taught me that to win in life, you have to outwork your competition. 

Like really outwork them. 

Kobe attacked his days with a type of energy that I can only strive for. 

Kobe taught me that your past doesn’t define your future.

If you’re a bit older, then you understand that Kobe had a rocky past.

And if you were to ask him, I’m sure he wouldn’t be all that proud of what had happened. 

But see, that’s not the point. 

While others may disagree with me, Kobe worked to turn his life in a better direction - on and off the court. 

He took a bad situation, learned from it, and became a better person. 

At the end of the day, Kobe taught me one very important thing.

You can’t control what’s happened, but you can control what will happen next. 

Kobe showed me that there is always a way.

One of my favorite photos of Kobe is below.

I love this photo because it was after Kobe broke his right hand - his dominant shooting hand. 

And for a basketball player, that’s the one injury that would likely take most players out of the game indefinitely. 

I’ve seen players play through ankle injuries, back problems, but never a broken right hand. 

So what did Kobe do?

Showed up to practice, and started taking shots left handed. 

I also think back to when Kobe tore his Achilles Tendon during a game. 

For most people, that’s the end of the line. You’re likely going to get helped off the court, and not think twice about the game. 

But what does Kobe do?

He stands up, hobbled over to the free throw line, and knocked down two free throws… all on a torn Achilles Tendon.

The Lakers went on to win that game 118-116. I don’t think that two point margin is a coincidence. 

More than anything, Kobe taught me that if you want something bad enough, you find a way, and you make it happen. 

Kobe showed me what TRUE competition looked like.

If you know Kobe, then you know he was a competitor in every aspect of his life. 

He wanted to win. And did everything he could to help his team get there. 

And by doing so, he put up a lot of impressive numbers. 

His points total comes to mind, mostly because LeBron James just passed him. 

And when LeBron passed Kobe, Kobe had nothing but support for LeBron. 

In the world we live in today, it’s hard to come by people that support you. I mean people that truly support you, and want the best for you. 

But I believe Kobe was one of those people. 

He reminded me that a true competitor is one that wants to win, but one that looks to support others, and bring out the best in those he competed with,

Lastly, Kobe reminded me that family is the most important. 

Kobe is arguably one of the most well known NBA players ever. 

I mean, people even argue which ”Kobe” was better… #8 or #24.

(If you were wondering, I’ve always argued for #24)

Needless to say, Kobe surely had endorsement deals waiting for him when he retired. 

He probably could have been just as busy as he was while he was in the league doing commercials or interviews or speaking engagements. 

But he decided not to fill his schedule with those things. Or at least to the extent to which he could have. 

I wish I could find the clip, but I remember Kobe mentioning how he was going to take time to be with his family, and be around home more as his children were growing up. 

Since his retirement, in almost every setting I’ve seen Kobe in, he’s with his family. 

It’s a small thing, sure. But it’s something that has stuck with me the most since Kobe’s retirement. 

Consider this my way of expressing my emotions after today. 

Kobe was someone who impacted millions across the world. If you don’t believe me, go check your Twitter or Instagram feeds. 

You’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t have similar emotions towards Kobe, and the impact he had on them and others.

RIP Black Mamba.

You’ll be missed.