There are very few people whose sudden demise can or has spark such instant outpouring of love and grief. With the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, the world is less one legendary sports icon who inspired generations throughout his career.
However, there are a few career and life lessons we can learn from Kobe whose career spanned 20 years with 18 All-Star appearances, 4 All-Star Most Valuable Player awards, 2 NBA finals MVPs, 1 NBA MVP and 5 NBA Championships making him one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
1. Practice
Practice makes perfect. No one knew this better than Kobe. He practiced relentlessly improving his skills. Back in January 2013, he was quoted saying, “I was probably born a scorer, but I was made a winner. Whatever works, whatever wins championships, wins games, that’s what I do.”
Kobe’s dedication to practising saw him score 33,583 points with 8,368 free throws during his NBA career becoming the fourth highest point of all time.
2. Resilience in the face of adversity
It’s common for professional athletes to sustain injuries in the line of work, Kobe was no exception. One of the most notable injuries during Bryant’s career was an Achilles tendon injury that would lead to him missing out on the next season in 2013.
Despite having the injury, he went on to shoot his free throws with a limp, wincing with every move. He made his free throws helping his team win against the Warriors, 118-116.
3. Keep learning and review your performance constantly
During an interview with The School of Greatness Podcast in 2018, Kobe shared instances where the Lakers' late Assistant Coach, Tex Winter, would have him watch tapes of his games analyzing details.
Kobe was also known not to be shy to reach out to his successful peers like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods for advice, even when he was regarded as a successful player who had won everything in the game.
4. Use your skills to empower and mentor
Kobe founded the Mamba Sports Academy in 2018, named after his alter-ego “Black Mamba”, out of his passion for empowering the generation after him through sports.
"Sports Academy has perfected the art and science of athletic training, from elite players to young kids getting started," Bryant said while referring to the existing school that he took over. "MAMBA Sports Academy is a natural expansion of my commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of kids through sports."
What will you remember Kobe Bryant for?