Four Years Since
“4 years later, it is now January 26, 2024. Kobe Bryant is still in our hearts. He will be remembered as an amazing basketball player. But he was more than just a basketball player; he was a role model and a leader in the community of basketball and continues to be even after his death.”
45 years, 544 months, and 16.584 days have passed since the birth of a legend. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but mainly raised in Italy, I announce to you: Kobe Bryant. Ever since a young age his parents knew he was going to be a star, as he was raised by a former NBA player. He was raised to learn how to play the game, and rare enough, he became just as good and, later in life, even better than his father Joe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant attended highschool at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where he kept an average GPAof 3.2 throughout high school. Bryant’s senior season is when he began to get the spotlight on him, as he was named both Gatorade and Naismith High School Basketball Player of the Year, as he also managed to be a McDonald’s All-American.
In Kobe’s senior year, he led Lower Merion High School to the state championship, which hadn't happened in 53 years. Kobe is the perfect example of a star student athlete, when being a student athlete it takes a lot of balance, discipline, and effort. Kobe Bryant had it all and it showed.
In 1996, Kobe was drafted to the Charlotte Hornets and then traded to play with the Los Angeles Lakers at just the age of 17 years old. During this time Kobe got the title of being the youngest player to start in an NBA All-Star game at the age of just 19 years old.
During his 20 year career with the Lakers , he achieved five NBA championships, two NBA finals MVPs, and one NBA MVP award. He is also the Lakers all-time leading scorer with 33,643 total points in his NBA Career. He became the second youngest NBA player in history during the 1996-97 season.
Kobe thrived in the spotlight and loved being able to connect with people. After the NBA, he dedicated a lot of his time mentoring young people through sports, whether they were up-and-coming in the NBA or just a skilled high school student with an amazing passion for basketball.
In 2018 Kobe launched The Mamba Sports Academy with Chad Faulkner. This program was a very successful program and many players you watch in the NBA today were a part of that program including Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Tobias Harris, Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and more. Not only was this Sports Academy wonderful for NBA players, but it also gave young highschool stars the time to shine.
January 2020 is when everything turned toward the worst. Kobe Bryant was on the way to a game with his daughter Gianna, who was 13 at the time, and her friends. The helicopter took off at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, and it was about 1,600 feet above ground when it suddenly banked left and began a rapid descent, crashing into the hills. The crash was reported around 9:47 am on January 26, 2020. All members on board died.
As I went around school, I asked a couple people what Kobe Bryant meant to them. I really felt that people took his loss to heart.
Coach Johnson said: “Kobe Bryant was someone who inspired me, not only as a player but as a coach as well, Kobe’s impact played a big role in basketball and still does till this day. His legacy will live on forever.”
Some other people in the Comp Sci High community felt that he was a massive inspiration, not just to them as basketball players, but also as people. They felt his mentorship in and outside of basketball, and also looked at Kobe as an inspiration when it came to his mentality and work ethic.
4 years later, it is now January 26, 2024. Kobe Bryant is still in our hearts. He will be remembered as an amazing basketball player. But he was more than just a basketball player; he was a role model and a leader in the community of basketball and continues to be even after his death.
The Black Mamba: always in our hearts.