Following the sudden and tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, students shared how they will remember Bryant as a great basketball player but also as an inspirational and empowering force off the court.
Bryant's legacy will not be his achievements on the basketball court, explained Alex Tumalip, a sophomore from Honolulu majoring in communications. Bryant's legacy will be the way he inspired and empowered people, he said. "He inspired people to aim high and reach for their dreams and not settle for just good enough."
Bryant's legacy will not be his achievements on the basketball court ... Bryant's legacy will be the way he inspired and empowered people.
This mindset comes from Bryant's famous "Mamba Mentality," said Tumalip. Bryant had a mentality that pushed him to work harder than his peers and to attack every day, he described.
Will Strong, a junior from Wisconsin majoring in business finance, echoed this point when he said, "There were others who were bigger and stronger than him, but he made sure he outworked everyone." Strong shared it is essential to apply this mentality to everyday life because "if you outwork your competition, you will succeed."
Tumalip described how two days after the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, it still didn’t feel real. He said when he heard the news of the helicopter crash, his heart dropped. "It was unbelievable. I never expected this day to come … I expected him to live to 70, 80, 90."
While reflecting on Bryant's life and legacy with his friends, Strong said he decided to make a tribute to Bryant. He and his friends went to the basketball court near the Hale Pavilion and wrote their favorite Kobe Bryant memories on Post-it Notes to do their part in honoring Bryant.
"My favorite memory would have to be his final game. To go out like that, scoring 60 points, it was something special," said Strong.
Bryant's wife, Vanessa, broke her social media silence and posted a message on Instagram, thanking all those who had sent messages of support since the accident. To view the full post, click on the photo
below.
"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe – the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna – a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," said Bryant.
Despite the grief she said her family is going through, Bryant closed her post with a message of hope.
"I'm not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it's impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way."
Remembering Bryant moved Strong and his friends as they confronted the reality of the basketball legend's death, he said.
Lakers star LeBron James was seen in tears as he got off the team plane hours after the news of Bryant's death surfaced. James shared his thoughts in an Instagram post. To read the full post, click on the photo below.
"Man [I'm] sitting here trying to write something for this post but every time I try I begin crying again just thinking about you, [my] niece Gigi and the friendship/bond/brotherhood we had! I literally just heard your voice Sunday morning before I left Philly … Didn't think for one bit in a million years that would be the last conversation we'd have."
Bryant was a great ambassador for the game of basketball, said Mahonri Eteru, a sophomore from Australia majoring in psychology. "He was all class and one of the greatest to play the game of basketball," he said.
He was all class and one of the greatest to play the game of basketball.
Tumalip said his relationship with Kobe Bryant had always been complicated. Because he is a Boston Celtics fan, he was constantly rooting against Bryant in the NBA Finals. However, after Bryant's death, Tumalip said he looked in the mirror and said, "Forget the rivalry. Forget everything."
He added, "Kobe's death kind of opened my eyes to see Kobe was more than what he was on the court."
Tumalip described Bryant as a family man, and he said he could not imagine what his wife and children are going through. He said it reminded him of the importance of telling your loved ones how you feel.
In an emotional broadcast by ESPN's Jay Williams on the day of Bryant's death, Williams offered a similar message.
"Today's a hard day. I hope that everybody at home, you give that person next to you, whatever you have wrong in your life with them, it might be big or small, let that [stuff] go."
While watching ESPN's re-run of Bryant's final game against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 26, Tumalip said, "We're never going to see anyone like him again."
We're never going to see anyone like him again.
Selected at age 17 in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft, Bryant became the youngest player ever drafted and would become one of the youngest players to ever play in the NBA. Bryant played his entire 20-year career for the Los Angeles Lakers, according to nba.com.
After a career which included five NBA Championships, being voted into the All-Star team 18 times, and being voted into the All-NBA team 15 times, according to nba.com, Bryant retired in 2016 at the age of 38.
According to nba.com, after retiring Bryant released a short, animated film called "Dear Basketball," which won an Oscar award for "Best Animated Short Film." He was often seen at NBA games with his family and welcomed his fourth daughter in June 2019.