Devastated, heartbroken, sleepless, and endless tears are the best way to describe my emotions since Sunday afternoon when the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing began circulating. I keep telling myself this is a bad dream but unfortunately, it’s not, and now I have to process this new reality.
I’ve never been a fan of having a role model as I believe we’re all humans and mistakes happen, which often lead to disappointments. However, I do believe in separating someone’s personal life from their professional one. Every so often, I do come across certain individuals in which I admire professionally. Kobe Bryant was an athlete/celebrity that I’ve placed above everyone else. No other has ever been able to remotely come close. I had no exposer to the game of basketball prior to coming to America. The first time I watched a basketball game was when my sisters and I stumbled upon the Los Angeles Lakers playing the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers on television, the Lakers were playing at home, they came from behind and won the game, and the crowd was going wild. I instantly fell in love with the team, especially #8, Kobe! I learned the game of basketball because of him, started watching as many games of his as possible, and that’s how my infatuation with the game and the organization birthed. I even scheduled my work and school schedules around their games. My husband and I never missed a Lakers’ game when they came to Denver to play the Nuggets. We even traveled to Los Angeles to watch Kobe and the Lakers play at home. I’ve watched most of his interviews, read most of the articles written about him, and even have an entire basement of Kobe/Lakers memorabilia, with a small collection of other teams and athletes.
Kobe’s competitiveness, his dedication, and the way he played the game became my escape, my release when my PTSD would take a turn. Watching him and the Lakers play gave me something to look forward to, calm down, and even escape my reality. Growing up in war and always being on the move to escape Saddam Hussein, I had to learn to detach from everything at an early age. I had never been able to find a way to attach to anything until Kobe came along. Watching him play gave me something to hold onto. Although he’s made some mistakes in his personal life, my focus has always been on his career and professional life.
Kobe was the first to arrive and the last to leave the gym. Even after he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the next day he asked seasoned athletes to meet him at the gym to help him improve his footwork. Achieving third (as of last Saturday he dropped to fourth) all-time scoring athlete in the league, wasn’t good enough, he continued to work on his jump shots and continued to strive to be more, to grow and improve. He chased greatness and achieved it with his hard work and dedication. When he tore his Achilles, he got up, took a few shots and walked to the sideline and asked the team doctor to patch his ankle so he can finish the game. Or when he played an entire game with the flu and didn’t say a word, he was found during time-outs with an IV in his arm to keep him hydrated, so he can continue. That is just some of his many attributes, not to mention all of his accomplishments on and off the court. Kobe’s dedication on and off the basketball court was unmatched. His “Mamba” mentality was unlike any other. His work ethic is what attracted me to him, of course, it helped that he was handsome 🙂
He is and always will be one of the greatest athletes of all time!!
My condolences and prayers go out to his family and the families of the individuals that were on the helicopter with him.
It is touching and inspiring to read your sweet post about how you have been so impacted for many years by Kobe. I was very saddened to hear of his death and the death of the others. You are in my thoughts and prayers Ramina. Thank you for sharing your heart!!