Hear from three of the writers here at PhillySportsNetwork.com as they share what Kobe Bryant meant to them.
David Esser, Sixers Staff Writer
Growing up as a kid, my family had this little patio type area in our background. There, we set up a 6 foot/7 foot plastic basketball hoop. I spent hours playing there during my early elementary school days. I created my own little court, drawing up lines with chalk and everything.
One of my favorite things to do on that court was to simulate real-life NBA games, where I would pretend to be some of the top players in the league. One day I would be Iverson dropping 60, the next I would be Shaq scoring 50 off only dunks, etc etc. However, without question, the player I always went back to was Kobe Bryant.
I’d set things up so the Lakers were down 15 points with 2 minutes to go and Kobe would just rain three after three over an imaginary Paul Pierce. Kobe Bryant hit more game-winners in my backyard then he did at the Staples Center!
Obviously, being raised just outside Philadelphia, I have always been a diehard Sixers fan. But there was always room in my heart for the great Kobe Bryant. He was a basketball legend in my neighborhood for what he accomplished at Lower Merion High School, and his status in the NBA was borderline god-like.
The “Black Mamba” touched a lot of people’s souls, and I am no different. One of my favorite non-Sixers of all time, I truly will feel this loss for years to come.
Liam Jenkins, Philly Sports Network Owner
Kobe Bryant was a figure that transcended basketball. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone on all four corners of the globe that didn’t at least know his name and that speaks volumes. A role model to millions and an inspiration to an entire generation, Kobe wasn’t always the most likable athlete. In fact, a lot of fans loved to hate him. But the one thing nobody couldn’t not do, was respect him.
His relentless mamba mentality has lifted a new generation of basketball stars and his humility has only ever shone a light to stand outside it. I was incredibly lucky to sit on a conference call with Kobe last year and just hearing him talk blew my mind. I was totally encapsulated, lost in everything he was saying and the way he was saying it. Bryant personified everything I ever wanted to be in life.
It’s an incredibly tough time for us all. We all feel like we’ve lost someone close. His legacy will never be forgotten. Thank you, Mamba. Thank you for giving everything you had to the game you love and for taking an entire generation by the hand so gracefully. We’ll always love you.
Zach Ciavolella, Sixers Staff Writer
Kobe Bryant touched the hearts of many, his contributions to the NBA, its players, and fans will forever be remembered. I remember growing up during the Iverson era of Sixers basketball, Kobe was the face of the NBA before passing the torch to LeBron James and made the most of his time there. But Kobe was much bigger than the game, his attitude, his work ethic, these were traits that anyone could learn from.
Put every last drop of sweat you have into all you do. If you don’t reach your goal? Go back to work and come back stronger to make sure you reach it. This is a mere portion of Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality”, something that allowed him to become one of the greatest to ever play the game.
I remember watching Kobe play and having no choice but to respect him as a player. I did and do have an immense dislike of the LA Lakers, they are among my three least favorite sports franchises (Celtics, Lakers, Yankees). But much like former Yankee Derek Jeter, I couldn’t help but respect the guy. He had such a passion for the sport and approached every minute the right way.
People often would compare Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. In talent, accomplishments, swagger, they seemed very much to be cut from the same cloth. I do firmly believe though that as great as Jordan was in the NBA, Kobe put even more effort into the game (which is saying a lot). He worked harder than any player past or present and showed us all the importance of hard work.
There were four players whose film I absolutely loved to watch when I first fell in love with the game: Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant. Growing up a Sixers fan who played Center in high school, Dawkins and Malone made perfect sense, both extremely talented bigs who I tried to model my game after (as if I could ever be so talented). Iverson? Well, he was A.I., He was the Kobe of Philly, dominant and beloved by his people.
And then there was Kobe Bryant, one of Iverson’s biggest rivals who, along with Shaq, saw to it that Iverson and the Sixers did not win the Finals in 2001. The fact was the Bryant was such a talent, such a competitor, that I had no choice. I have now lost three of these four players, it pains my heart to see them leave but in their absence, we must look at the good that they’ve done, the good the Kobe has done. His greatness, his inspiration on and off the court.
He wasn’t the second coming of Jordan, he was the first and only Kobe Bean Bryant and there truly never be another.
Mandatory Credit: Harrison Hill-USA TODAY
