SPORTS & REC
R E M E M B E R I N G KO B E B RYA N T A N D H I S L E G A C Y BY BRIAN SHERMEYER
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motivator, leader, role model, baller, coach and dad: these are just some of the roles Kobe Bryant played during his life. He has inspired countless amounts of young men and women of an entire generation. “He has become so synonymous with sports in general,” senior marketing major Charles McKean said, “that you don’t even have to say his last name to know the name Kobe.”
The biggest reason Bryant became so famous during his lifetime was his work ethic and mentality that was coined as “Mamba Mentality.” This mentality can be transferred across platforms, from basketball to academics to life.
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MARCH 2020
“On the court, I think it means doing whatever it takes in order to be the best at your craft,” Jayneisha Davis, a junior basketball player, said. “Off the court, I think it applies the same. No matter if you play a sport or you’re just really focused on your academics, really tuning into the little things.” Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, 18time All-Star, the 2008 NBA MVP and a twotime NBA finals MVP. He finished his career third in scoring in NBA history. Bryant did not just get there overnight. “I was listening to an interview where he was saying how he went to a tournament when he was younger and didn’t even score a point,” Will Young, a junior basketball player, said. “After that, he thought
it out like simple math. If the average player works out this amount a day for this amount of time, all he had to do was put in the extra work.” That is exactly what Bryant did. He was infamous for showing up six, seven, even eight hours early on game day just to shoot around and watch film. It was this effort and drive that has inspired McKean, Davis, Young and countless others. “It’s hard to find someone who is willing to give every single minute and every single ounce of themselves to stay dedicated to something,” McKean said. “To see someone who is able to put that into real life action, that’s what is the most inspiring.” Bryant trusted the process and pushed himself beyond what anybody ever thought was possible for him to achieve.
