By Peyton Schultze

Nobody expected to wake up to the news coming out of Calabasas on late Sunday morning, and it is still hard to swallow what happened. As almost everybody reading in this already knows, Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were taken from us in a devastating helicopter crash in Southern California. The aircraft was heading toward a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County and what ensued was nothing short of devastating.

This column is not meant to be a tragic retelling of the lives of Kobe and the eight others, but is instead meant to provide some relief to those who are still reeling from the harsh news that rocked the Los Angeles community a couple of days ago. Hard-hitting for the author of this among many, Kobe was a true inspiration and someone that many people looked up to. He always felt like some sort of mythical figure, whose towering presence could always be felt whenever he was involved.

But we are here today to celebrate the life of Kobe Bryant and all that he brought to the table of life. There is no question that the former Lakers’ shooting guard had a true joy for life, and it is very heartwarming to see how positive and emotional the reactions have been all around the world after the bad news. Like any great figure in human history, Kobe left behind such a strong legacy that has allowed us to reminisce over the great times that he brought us. 81 points in a game. Five championships. The lob to Shaq in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals. The countless buzzer beats. The 18 All-Star appearances. The MVP award. Slaying the Celtics in 2010. The killer instinct. The Jordan comparisons. The final 60-point game. The three-peat, and the back-to-back. The coaching of his daughter. The epic win at the Oscars. The will to win. Kobe brought us so many memories that will never be forgotten, and he will live forever in the minds’ of those that he impacted.

Kobe was many things to many different people. He was a hero, and he was a villain. He was an icon in the context of American society, and he was an international icon all over the world. He was a great teammate, and he was a bad teammate at times. He was a Laker for life, and he was a father to four girls for life. He went to high school in Philadelphia, but truly grew up in the City of Angels. The true legacy of Kobe Bryant can be debated among many people, and almost all of those people will come up with different thoughts to explain what he meant to them. That’s what made him such a unique and captivating athlete, and why his loss has left such a dent in the world.

Kobe was, and can be defined as, a lot of things during his career. He was focused from the jump, as someone who believed in reaching his dreams no matter the cost. He was intent and insightful, and willing to do whatever it took to master as many things as he could. He was confident as hell, and would do anything it took to let people know how great he was at what he did. He was sarcastic and engaged, and could be turned off quickly by people, especially if he was met with something that he acknowledged as ridiculous. He was resourceful, and seemed to pick apart the brain of anyone that he could, from Tim Cook to Michael Jordan to John Williams. He was surprisingly open toward the end of his career, especially on his farewell tour throughout the league in his 20th and final season. But most of all, Kobe was fearless. Never wavering, never quitting, and never letting himself obey to the expectations of others, Kobe did whatever it took to bring joy to millions and unite a country teetering on the brink of societal discomfort.

But even with so many qualities that defined him during his playing days, Bryant truly came into his own following his retirement from the NBA. Tapping into his own creative mind that was hidden for most of his playing days, Kobe won an Academy Award for his animated short film, Dear Basketball, and became even more widely revered among Angelenos. But even with the improbable success in the film industry that Bryant faced, the road didn’t end there. Helping to establish his own production studio, Granity Studios in Newport Beach, Kobe also helped write a collection of books for young readers that encouraged sports and academics at a young age.

In addition, Bryant’s work at Mamba Sports Academy became something that will be as much a part of his overall legacy than anything from his playing days. Helping to transform the sport of girl’s basketball into something that was much more of a norm in American sports, Bryant mentored numerous female athletes at the collegiate level such as Sabrina Ionescu and helped coach his daughter’s basketball team to immense success on a high level. But one thing that really stands out about Kobe was his role as a father. As pointed out by TNT’s Kenny Smith, it was curious for Kobe to choose the location of Mamba Sports Academy all the way in Thousand Oaks, nearly an hour and a half from their home in Newport Beach. So why would he choose that location as a site for athletes to meet? To spend time with his daughters on their ride there; to make up for all of their time lost when Bryant was working at his craft during his professional career.

It became obvious that one of Kobe’s main goals in his post-basketball life was to become a great father to his four daughters, and it is even more clear that he accomplished that goal. One of the most glaring things to me in this entire situation is how Kobe and his family have reacted to him raising only girls during his lifetime. As highlighted in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the future Hall of Famer pointed out how many fans would see him in public and immediately ask him when he was going to have any boys to carry his legacy on. Kobe laughed at the notion, and pointed toward his daughter, Gianna. He had no doubts about any one of his daughters carrying on his legacy, because he knew that his girls would always be there for him, whether he was physically there or not. This, maybe above all things, speaks to the character of Kobe Bean Bryant. Kobe, despite being a male figure in a male-dominated sport, is a true inspiration to female athletes and fathers in general all over the world based off what he inspired others to accomplish in their own lives.

But Kobe Bryant was more than what the public saw, and everyone knew it.

Being raised in the entertainment capital of the world with so much noise constantly surrounding his celebrity status, we saw Kobe Bryant publicly go through some extremely rough patches in his life. This is the same guy that nearly forced himself out of Los Angeles and away from the Lakers, twice. The same guy that wanted to absolutely destroy every opponent that he faced on the court. The same guy that once told 76ers’ fans from his hometown of Philadelphia that he wanted to “rip their hearts out.” The same guy that once was fined $100,000 for an anti-gay slur directed at an NBA official. The same guy that was once accused of sexual assault, until he later had the charges dropped after his accuser refused to testify.

But Kobe learned. Whether he was able to redeem himself is another discussion for another time, but it is clear that he was constantly in pursuit of growth within his own life. That’s why it was always so refreshing to hear that Kobe was just like any of us when interacting in public, which is why the city of Los Angeles opened up their arms to him. Here was the same guy that had a favorite Mexican restaurant in Southern California, just like the rest of us. The same guy whose most valuable possession in his home was a signed first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from J.K. Rowling. The same guy who married the daughter of a Mexican immigrant without any kind of regret or remorse for what the reaction would be. The same guy who built an entire training facility in the suburb of Thousand Oaks to inspire the next generation of athletes that would follow him. The same guy who once recommended the novella “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” to a massive group of Los Angeles Chargers at their training facility.

Kobe was not exactly the common man. After all, he played professional basketball for a living and lived in the private and luxurious community of Newport Beach. But to his fans in Southern California and all around the world, Kobe felt like one of us. We could feel his emotions on a nightly basis, and relate to his gigantic highs and mighty lows unlike any athlete of our time. We could see Kobe’s immense talent on the court, but always realized that there were plenty of other players that were much more physically talented than him. We could always sense, despite the entire “Black Mamba” mantra, that he was more complicated than he appeared. And after such a bright and exciting entrance to the world in the NBA, we always knew he would likely have a dramatic and fitting end to his career, just like any one of us in our own lives. Nobody expected this incident to provide clarity to that feeling, but Kobe consistently proved that was just like any of us: human.

Maybe only comparable to Derek Jeter’s relationship with the city of New York in the modern era of sports, Kobe had a special and unbreakable bond with the city of Los Angeles. To any outsider that doesn’t live in Los Angeles, maybe it was a bit of a shock to see so many fans devastated by the loss of a basketball icon. But Bryant meant so much to Los Angeles that it is hard to put into words. He felt like family, even though 99% of his fans likely have never met him face-to-face. Some may even say he felt like a friend, who many saw grow up before our eyes in LA. Confident, swaggering, and passionate may be words to describe Kobe from the general fan. But emotional, engaging, heroic, and committed may be words to describe Kobe from any fan that witnessed his actions growing up, which speaks to his immeasurable impact on the community that loved him so much.

But even outside of the city, whether we actually knew it or not, Kobe was a reflection of everything that meant to be an American. In a present-day political age full of nonsensical, disrespectful, and foolish terms terms such as “America First”, Kobe took humanity a step in the right direction by stepping outside of his comfort zone and into the great unknown. A speaker of English, Italian, and Spanish, Kobe took it upon himself to expand his horizons and open himself up to the rest of the world. His obsession was being the best at the sport of basketball, but he was also very interested in other sports such as soccer, baseball, and American football. Maybe it was the fact that he grew up in Italy alongside his professional basketball playing father, but Kobe always seemed like someone who was accepting of others from all sorts of different backgrounds. After all, as stated before, Kobe was married to the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, despite the unpleasant emotions on their relationship from the rest of his family. Maybe that’s why Kobe was, and quite possibly still is, the most respected professional athlete in China, one of the league’s most crucial basketball partners in the world. It’s not to say that Kobe was perfect in his ideologies by any means, but he was someone that refused to limit himself by excluding others. Sure, he was one of the most determined, private, and at times reclusive, athletes ever, but Kobe understood that nobody is truly able to embody greatness if they purposefully leave out others in the same hard pursuit of what it means to leave a legacy.

Kobe was not the perfect person, and the United States has not always been the perfect country. It’s been full of harsh historical moments, brutal wars, and plenty of terrible societal acts whether people want to admit it or not. And Kobe was that same way too. He made a lot of mistakes, and did not always tend to regret them. But Kobe would do whatever it took to correct himself and own his mistakes if it meant becoming the person he wanted to be. This is an extremely powerful message that many people should take into account into the present-day outlook of the world. There is such a thing as “being the best”, and there is such a thing as “reaching perfection”. But it is never about reaching those two at the top of their peak and deciding to finally settle down. And it is never about the overall destination in all of this. It’s about continuing to ride that journey until the end, because we never know when the day might come to the point where it is the end.

One of the things that has come in the wake of this tragic news is the celebration all over the world of Bryant’s life, legacy, and pure commitment to excellence. There’s been several stories spread among the public that have helped soothe fans, including one of the more heartbreaking ones from ESPN’s Elle Duncan. In addition, players and fans around the world have shown their support in the form of Instagram tributes, unique stories, and works of art from the streets of Los Angeles to the basketball courts of Manila.

In terms of on-the-court production, my favorite Kobe Bryant stories come from the Lakers’ 2012-2013 season. Being the last season that the Lakers made the playoffs can’t describe how disappointing that season was for fans of the purple and gold, but Kobe was at the center of their strong second-half push to get into the postseason. Two games from that stretch stand out to me: a March 8th game versus Toronto and an April 12th game versus Golden State. In the former, the Lakers were struggling all game long to get over the top and secure a win over the Raptors. Yet late in the 4th quarter, Kobe hit three of the most ridiculous three-pointers in recent memory to send the Lakers into overtime, before Los Angeles would eventually secure the crucial win with a finishing dunk from the Black Mamba. It was the quintessential Kobe game, even in the late stages of his career: clutch, courageous, and unafraid of the moment no matter the stakes.

The latter of those games, the 80th game of the 2013 regular season versus the Warriors, would become one of the more significant games of Kobe’s career. Battling a multitude of other injuries to his knee and ankle, Kobe was able to push through most of the game until the 3:08 mark in the 4th quarter, with the Lakers only down by two to the young Warriors. It was the game where Kobe infamously tore his Achilles, ending his season and any sort of hope of a championship for the Lakers. He knew his season was over, and his career would suddenly have to take a sharp left, but he never quit. Instead of getting immediate help to assist him to the locker room, number 24 limped over to free throw line to attempt to tie the game late in the 4th quarter. With a torn Achilles. And he made both. Kobe then was forced to exit stage left, still walking at this point, and headed toward the Laker locker room for one of the last iconic moments of his career. He was broken, but never, ever, finished.

But in terms of other Kobe stories, one of my other favorites comes from off-the-court. Although it is extremely simple and not very relevant compared to the power of his other stories, I feel like it captures the true spirit of what Kobe has left behind. Back in 2016, a story from The Undefeated ran that detailed Kobe’s attempt to learn how to play the piano when he was sidelined with injury. Kobe had no true intent behind his desire to play piano, other than wanting to do something nice for his wife. But he taught himself how to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” by listening by ear, compared to taking lessons. “Lessons,” he said, “would be too easy.” So he took it upon himself to do what he was born to do: figure out solutions to his problems in order to live his own unique way of life.

In an understandably hard time for Laker fans, basketball fans, Americans, and people all over the world, we leave you with these simple thoughts on Kobe in general.

Limitations were not something that Kobe ever saw. It’s what allowed him to speak multiple languages, learn how to play a piano by ear, and win an Oscar after finishing an illustrious basketball career. If there’s one way to pay your own respects to Kobe, it is to do one simple thing: never let people stand in front of your path toward greatness.

In honor of the victims and families involved, please have everyone affected by this massive tragedy in your thoughts. The Los Angeles community has taken another hard hit with this situation, and it is important that everyone tries their best to rise up and help out. Attached below are two links: one to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation and one to a StubHub link where 100% of proceeds from the Trail Blazers versus Lakers game will be donated to the foundation.

http://kvbff.org/ (The Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation)

https://www.stubhub.com/los-angeles-lakers-tickets-los-angeles-lakers-los-angeles-staples-center-1-31-2020/event/104273891/ (StubHub, Trail Blazers @ Lakers on January 31st)

Rest in Peace

Kobe Bryant

Gianna Bryant

Keri Altobelli

John Altobelli

Alyssa Altobelli

Christina Mauser

Sarah Chester

Payton Chester

Ara Zobayan

Twenty Forever