Kobe Was Different

The massive reaction to Kobe Bryant’s sudden death feels unlike the death of other athletes or celebrities – Kobe was both – and I think it feels different because Kobe was different.

I was blissfully watching Lamar Jackson in the NFL Pro Bowl when the broadcaster solemnly announced that Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter accident. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. It hurt that much. It still does.

On the basketball court, Kobe was invincible. We watched him take two foul shots with a torn Achilles – and hit them both! Yet, somehow Kobe was dead, and it seems as if the entire world is in shock, and mourning. Grieving with millions of people around the world and with my wife has been my only small consolation.

Powerful anecdotes and inspiring memories of Kobe’s legend have flooded the Internet. The world learned that Kobe was not only an all-time great basketball player, he was an all-time great human being. It’s not that Kobe was perfect. He wasn’t. Not on the court and not in court and not anywhere else. But Kobe was always great.

Greatness is not found in perfection. Greatness is found in the relentless pursuit of perfection.

Kobe was an incredibly gifted athlete who would have been an excellent basketball player with a normal amount of effort. That was not enough for Kobe. He pushed himself harder than any other player to become even better. His work ethic was legendary. His attention to detail was second-to-none. Kobe became the greatest student, and teacher, of the game. Every summer Kobe worked hard to add something new to his repertoire of circus shots and fakes because he just had to improve at his craft.

In the locker room Kobe demonstrated the same commitment to perfection. Early in his career Kobe earned a reputation for being selfish and insensitive toward his teammates. By the end of his career Kobe was selflessly mentoring young NBA players and future NBA and WNBA players. He famously reached out to many star athletes in other sports to offer advice, especially when they were feeling down. Once in the heat of a moment during a game, Kobe shouted a homophobic slur toward a referee. He apologized, learned from his mistake and started to work with GLAAD and other gay advocacy groups to help fight against homophobia.

Off the court, Kobe applied the same work ethic to the rest of his life. He was never satisfied with himself. After admitting that he acted inappropriately toward a young woman, Kobe took it upon himself to change his behavior and attitude towards women. Recently, Kobe became an unofficial ambassador for empowering women athletes and supporting women’s sports. Kobe married Vanessa when they were 23 and 19. Their marriage was publicly strained, and it nearly fell apart several times. But they persevered and together they became a model of family life and a committed marriage. Kobe was always a work in progress on a journey to become the best version of himself but if you didn’t pay attention you might have missed it.

Kobe was great because we knew his flaws and he did too. He met the challenge of those flaws by working harder to be better. The same things that impressed us about his basketball work ethic, impressed us about his life work ethic.

Kobe’s death feels different because Kobe was different.

Most exceptional people excel in their particular area of greatness. Music for musicians, acting for actors, science for scientists. Kobe excelled in basketball but not only in basketball. Kobe also excelled at life. That is true greatness and that is why Kobe was an inspiration to an entire generation of athletes and fans all over the world who are mourning their loss.

There is a void in the universe vacated by the late great Kobe Bryant and it is on us to fill that giant void. It hurts, but I do not want the sadness and grief I feel to disappear. As long as I feel this pain, I can feel the spirit of Kobe’s Mamba Mentality pushing me to achieve greatness in the relentless pursuit of perfection.