Curtis Lo and Joseph Arthur discuss what made Kobe Bryant so special to them, his connection with the NBA and the wider community, and his impact on all of us. May Kobe, Gianna and all of the other victims of this horrible tragedy rest in peace.
‘Remembering Kobe’ by Joseph Arthur
On the morning of January 27th (AEST) I woke up wearing the Kobe Bryant jersey I happened to put on before bed the night before. Like many do these days I checked my phone and saw the following headline – ‘Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash’.
With the news yet to sink in and being the only person awake in the house I went downstairs, eyes glued to my phone. As the story continued to develop and TMZ’s initial reports were confirmed by ESPN, the first interaction I had was with my dog – a small cavoodle named ‘Kobe’.
As I silently stared at the dog I had named after the late NBA legend, still trying to comprehend what had happened, my phone vibrated with a notification. Kobe Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others were on board, there were no survivors. Life can be relentless.
Within minutes of the news breaking, millions of individuals simultaneously suffered the same feelings of loss, confusion and grief. Kobe Bryant transcended basketball.
Even those who don’t follow the NBA in any capacity know his name. But for those who are fans, he’s been one of the league’s most beloved characters for two decades.
As fans, three decades of Kobe is all we will ever get and it’s not nearly enough, he had so much more to accomplish as a father and as an advocate for basketball, particularly the women’s game. This is epitomised by what he set out to do the morning of his death – support his daughter Gigi and her journey towards the WNBA by training alongside her. The wholesome intentions he had for the next chapter of his life only make the loss more devastating.
Everybody has a Kobe memory or moment that stands out more than anything else. For me it was his final game, 60-points in a win in-front of a raucous LA crowd to serve as a fitting end to a storied career. My entire family watched from our home in Melbourne, losing our minds as Bryant dazzled us all one last time. It was the ending his NBA journey deserved.
The following year, I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at Staples Center while Kobe’s jersey was retired. The game itself included overtime, a Kevin Durant dagger and a Larry Nance Jr dunk of the year contender, but half-time was the real show.
Standing on the hardwood court that served as his stage for 20 seasons, Kobe looked to the ceiling at his jersey hanging from the rafters. As his stirring Oscar winning short ‘Dear Basketball’ played to an astonished crowd, he embraced his family.
Just watching this all unfold from my seat in the stands had me overwhelmed, but Kobe was stoic as ever. “Mamba out” he said before dropping the mic and returning to the warm embrace of his family.
Kobe left the building that night hand-in-hand with his late daughter Gigi. She was smiling from ear to ear as her idol, hero and most importantly, father, walked her away from the bright lights of LA.
Gigi will never get the opportunity to write her own story as her father did, but her legacy will live on with his.
I write this wearing the same Kobe Bryant jersey I wore this morning. A jersey that already meant so much to me now means so much more.
My heart goes out to Vanessa and her three daughters along with the families of the seven other individuals who perished in the crash.
Remember to hug those dearest to you and tell them you love them, you never know when it might be the last time.
I miss you Kobe.
‘What Kobe Bryant Means To Me’ by Curtis Lo
I started playing basketball in the third grade. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the NBA but I knew about one player: Kobe Bryant. My dad had bought my brother and I Kobe jerseys a few years earlier. Little did he know the obsession that he’d soon unleash. When I started to follow the NBA, what better player to idolise than number 24? He was a winner, an unstoppable force and so much fun to watch. Everyone else hated him but that didn’t faze him and if anything, it only made me love him more. Whenever I stepped on the court, all I wanted to do was be like Kobe. I’d watch highlight videos non-stop when I got back from school, memorising game-winner after game-winner, posterizing dunk after posterizing dunk. I watched and re-watched those Nike Kobe and LeBron puppet commercials. I’d study YouTube videos of Kobe explaining all his patented moves and then I’d go outside and try to replicate them. I bought Nike Kobe sweatbands, and another jersey when my old one didn’t fit me anymore, always making sure to tuck it in the same way Kobe did.
One of my happiest memories is watching Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, covered head to toe in Lakers gear and jumping up and down like a crazy person when Ron Artest hit that three, when Odom threw the ball into the frontcourt to run out the clock and when Kobe leapt onto the scorer’s table with his arms out wide, basking in the glory of the moment. It felt like we were all there too. He made us all feel like champions.
Kobe was different to the other superstars, almost as if he were superhuman or from another species. As a timid 9-year-old, he was everything I wanted to be. In my eyes, he was tough, fearless, relentless and unwavering in his confidence. When Matt Barnes pretended to throw a ball in his face, he didn’t blink an eye. When he tore his Achilles tendon, he still stepped up to the free throw line and made both free throws. When he tore his rotator cuff, he shot with his left hand instead. He was the embodiment of the phrase “when there is a will, there is a way”. There were never any excuses with Kobe, only solutions. There was nothing quite like the confidence I felt when I watched a Laker game and we’d be losing, because Kobe was on the floor and he could single-handedly swing the game back into our favour. Like a certain purple Marvel supervillain, he was inevitable.
When Kobe retired in 2016, I was heartbroken. I knew his playing career had to come to an end – his body had slowly been breaking down the previous 3 years – but I was more disappointed since I believed I was not only losing my basketball hero, but an inspirational figure. I thought that since he was off the court, he would no longer be able to inspire me in the same way. How wrong I was. Post-retirement, Kobe went from strength to strength, with a clear highlight being the animated short film he created, “Dear Basketball”. It is a beautifully written reflective and emotional piece about moving on and saying goodbye to something you love, whilst cherishing the memories and the times you’ve enjoyed. The first time I watched it, I was in tears. I just remember thinking: This man does not stop. He carried that killer instinct, that “Mamba Mentality”, into the next phase of his life. He had literally just finished an illustrious career in the NBA, won 5 championships, multiple All-Star berths and so on and so forth…and now he’s won an Oscar?! However, his greatest achievement will always be his daughters. The way he raised them, whilst being in the public eye, over the past few years has been remarkable. He wholeheartedly supported his children in every facet of their lives and has set an example that every father will aspire to replicate.
Sports are weird. There aren’t many other things that make you feel so connected to someone or something, so invested in their successes and failures, despite never meeting or knowing them on a personal level. But something that I know to be true is that Kobe impacted my life in a tangible way. Without him, I would never have forged countless friendships over the years with people I played with and against. Without him, I never would’ve started this website with my friends. Without him, I never would have discovered this sport that I love.
Kobe was not a perfect person. He was far from it. But he was an inspiration to kids all over the globe, motivating them to be better in whatever their hobbies and passions were. And that will be his legacy. Not the championships or the countless magical moments on a basketball court. He made kids believe and taught us that work ethic and determination can overcome any barrier. His impact transcends the game of basketball. He inspired me then and he will inspire me tomorrow.
Thank you, Kobe.