Kobe Bean

We all associate certain things with certain parts of our lives. A song, a place, a person. Those things, and when they happened or when they came into our lives, all mean something. 

I started watching basketball in 2000-2001 and two of the first players I watched were Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. I associate those two with the love I have for the game of basketball. I didn't play in high school or college but that doesn't mean I don't love the game. I just ended up loving it differently. As a fan. 

Kobe was one of the first non-Penn State athletes I ever watched and he soon became who me and my friends tried to model our game after. Fade-aways in the driveway, the clock ticking down 3.... 2.... 1.. and then yelling, "KOBE", as the imaginary buzzer sounded. THAT was part of our childhood. 

LeBron James quickly became the new thing in basketball but Kobe was always THAT guy. LeBron was sort of the new flashy player while Kobe was stuck in the 90's with his attitude and will to win. Not that those other guys didn't have that, but Kobe was different. 

His attitude not just on the court but really off the court is what people are starting to remember. It seemed like everything Kobe did was always one on one. It was Kobe vs. whatever obstacle was in his way. And he was going to win. The 'Mamba Mentality' took on a life of its own and quickly spread like venom. It was something we all tried to emulate but the one thing was pretty evident, we weren't Kobe Bryant. 

No one was. 

Fast forward to right now. I'm not emotional while writing this - mainly because I got that out of my system yesterday - but I'm just thinking; how am I going to remember Kobe? Why does someone who I literally have no association with other than following him on Twitter and Instagram mean so much to me? It goes back to the beginning, my childhood. The part of my childhood where basketball became something of meaning to me. We'd spend hours in the driveway shouting his name, missing almost every shot, but just like him we kept shooting. 

One of the biggest reasons why I was emotional when hearing about this was when I saw pictures of him and his daughter Gianna. I have a daughter who is just about to turn 3 and I as a father have a responsibility to that little girl. To teach her things other people can't. To teach her things I might not teach her brother the same way. The way Kobe gave Gianna confidence, to teach her the craft when it came to basketball, to show her actual love. Those are the things I saw in Kobe that I see in myself. Am I comparing myself to Kobe? Of course not. I'm comparing what Kobe had with his daughter to what I have with mine and what so many Dads have with their daughter. It's something special that's hard to explain. To have that common bond and for her to pick up on something you love, that love lasts forever. 

Just like Kobe.