Lessons From Legends: Kobe Bryant (My Tribute)

This one hurts.

There are no words to process what happened on Sunday. I didn't want to believe it. I thought it was some sick joke and was hoping that there would be other news claiming that it was a false alarm. Unfortunately, we're reminded through this painful loss of Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and the others that were on the fatal helicopter crash, that life is short and that tomorrow isn't promised to us.

I know that I didn't know Kobe personally. But the inspiration and impact he's had on me as a fan, but also as a professional is immeasurable. The exemplary work ethic, drive, determination, tenacity, and mentality he's shown the world as a world class athlete, entrepreneur, and storyteller will always live on.

I watched Kobe as a kid and it's rare that you get to watch the journey of one of the greatest of all time from the beginning to the end of their career. We all witnessed his process of becoming a legend. He gave the world some of the most iconic moments in sports history from dropping 81 points against my home team, hitting two free throws after blowing out his Achilles and walking off unassisted, dropping 60 points in his final game of his career, or showing us that Matt Barnes could never make him flinch (if you know, you know). The impact he had on and off the court are undeniable.

I wanted to share some of the lessons I've learned from Kobe Bryant through the examples he's set as my way of remembering him and hopefully help others understand why millions of people all around the world are so impacted by his loss.

I'm not asking that you agree with what I have to say, but if anything resonates with you, I ask that you use it. If this post inspires you of other lessons that you've learned from his legacy, please share.

The World Is Your Library To Help You Become Better At Your Craft

• Master Your Craft
• Be Obsessive, Go Deep
• Attention To Detail Matters
• Reflect, Learn, Improve

Kobe was a true polymath. He took ideas, concepts, and principles from nature, books, shows, other athletes, professions, situations, and he would apply it to become better at his craft. For example, after Allen Iverson dropped 41 points and 10 assists on Kobe, he took his frustrations and obsessively studied Iverson's game. But beyond that, Kobe mentioned in his Players' Tribune post that this led him to study how great white sharks hunt seals off the coast of South Africa. The patience. The timing. The angles. Following retirement, he was also known to reach out to top performers in the business world, animation world, and music world, launching "Dear Basketball" which won him an Oscar.

Outwork Everyone

• Stay Laser Focused
• Don't Entertain Anything That Takes You Off Your Path

Kobe's work ethic was legendary. Even Coach Phil Jackson wrote in his book Eleven Rings that Kobe worked harder than Michael Jordan. He understood that putting in the extra hours would lead to exponential results and the separation between him and the rest of his competitors. One of my favourite stories of Kobe's work ethic is from Jay Williams, a former Chiacgo Bulls player. Jay always prided himself on his work ethic. So on game day between the Bulls and Lakers, he decided to go into the gym 4 hours earlier before the game to practice. When he got there, Kobe was already in a dead sweat. When Jay finished up, Kobe was still going. Kobe dropped 40+ on the Bulls that night and Jay approached him after the game to ask him "Hey Kobe, why were you in the gym for so long?" Kobe responded, "'Cause I saw you come in. And I wanted you to know that it doesn't matter how hard you work, that I'm willing to work harder than you."

Compete With Yourself, Nobody Else

• Build A Legacy To Be Remembered By

Obviously Kobe was one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history. However, when you listen to his interviews, watch his career and see how his game evolved over time, it's clear that he loved the process and the journey of developing his skills and improving his game more than winning a single game. It was about building a legacy to be remembered by.

Respect The Game: Learn From Those Who Came Before You, Lay The Blueprint For Those To Come After You

• Be a Sponge
• Have Insatiable Curiosity and a Student Mindset
• Ask For Help
• Give Back

Kobe was always a student of the game and of life. He had so much respect for the game and those that came before him. One of my favourite clips is when Kobe asks Jordan for his advice on footwork in the middle of the game. He was always learning. Fast forward, he's set up the Mamba Sports Academy and is mentoring other top performing NBA players and passing along the lessons he's learned throughout his journey. Not only that, you can see how close he and his daughter were (rest in peace Gianna). How he invested so much time into her development. He was championing for so much more than just basketball and he was just getting started. It's tragic we didn't get to see how else he would have inspired the masses.

Demand Greatness

• Lead By Example
• Set High Standards
• Dominate Your Domain
• Don't Be Afraid to Start Over
• Play The Long game

The incredible thing about Kobe was that he not only set high standards for himself but he demanded it from those around him. A true leader elevates everyone else. He didn't tolerate anything less and this mindset led the Lakers franchise to 5 championships under Kobe's leadership. After retiring, other retired NBA players tried to tell him all the different stages of depression that Kobe was going to experience and his response was "I'm not worried. I'm going to make my next 20 years better than my last 20."

Get Over Yourself - Be Humble and Don't Focus On How Others Perceive You

• Be Authentic
• Be Honest With Yourself and Your Weaknesses
• Fail Forward
• Reflect, Learn, Improve

In his first NBA season in 96-97, Kobe shot 5 air balls in front of millions of people on national television as a rookie that cost them the playoffs that year. This would have affected most players coming straight out of high school, but he recognized that this moment wasn't about him. He didn't waste time on worrying about how others may have perceived him and got to work right away. He analyzed tape, recognized that his shots were in line but all of them were short. He came to the realization that making his transition from high school directly into the league, his legs weren't prepared for an 82 game season. So he adjusted his training the following year to make sure his legs and conditioning were fit for his new reality and environment at the professional level.

Never Back Down

• Be Self-Aware, Know Yourself
• Be Unapologetic About Who You Are
• Believe In Yourself

Kobe had certainty. He knew who he was, where he was going, and how to get there. He never backed down from a challenge. Whether it's guarding Michael Jordan, a fist fight with Shaquille O'Neal who's twice his size, he had the "nothing is impossible" mentality and an insane belief in himself. If you were in his way of achieving his goal, he would tackle it head first. Doesn't matter what it is. He never backed down.

Rest At The End, Not The Middle

• Be Relentless
• Have Clarity and Confidence in Where You're Headed

Kobe knew that he wanted to be one of the greatest basketball players in history at the age of 13. He didn't waver from his dream until he was finished with his career. He understood the work that it would take to get there and consistently executed without losing focus or belief.

Obstacles Are An Opportunity To Rise

• Make Your Why Greater Than Your Pain
• Make No Excuses

Kobe sustained a career ending injury when he tore his Achilles in April 2013. This is an injury that would have most athletes carried out by their teammates or the medical staff. But not Kobe. Instead, he pushed through the pain, hit two free throws, and walked off the court on his own. Not only that, he made a commitment to go on a long and painful journey to recovery eventually returning to perform at a world class level, ending his career with a 60 point game. He understood that he had no control over the situation and what happened to him, but how he responded to it. He understood that setting an example for his kids on how to deal with adversity was more important than the pain of recovering and the amount of work that would be required to come back and perform at the level that he did.

Surround Yourself With Winners

• Loyalty Through Hardship

Kobe was drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets. However, he knew that if he was to become one of the greatest players of all time, he needed to be a part of an organization that has a history and a legacy of championships, which was the Lakers. Knowing this, he found his way to the Lakers in a trade for Vlade Divac and the rest is history. This doesn't mean that the Lakers didn't have their share of ups and downs and the opportunity for Kobe to leave the Lakers didn't come up, but Kobe embraced these times as an opportunity to prove himself as a leader and he successfully did so by winning 5 world titles under his leadership. He is the only guard in NBA history to play 20 years with one team and I can't say how happy I am that both of his numbers 8 and 24 were retired by the Lakers.

?Always Chase The Best Version of Yourself

• Give It Your All
• Regret Is Poison
• Don't Take Short Cuts Because You're Short-Changing Yourself

One common theme I've seen among the greats is that they're driven by the fear of regret and not becoming the best version of themselves. When asked about not befriending other players in the league or going on vacations with them during his career, Kobe famously said "because I didn't want to look back and say I wish I would have done more"

These are just a few of the lessons that Kobe exemplified through his life and I hope that this will inspire you to elevate yourself personally, professionally, or spiritually to the next level.

Rest In Paradise Kobe & Thank You For Everything