The Impact of Kobe Bryant

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once said, "Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it." Unfortunately, that part of life sometimes sneaks up on people much too early. I often think to myself, "Life isn't fair". But I should be grateful that my lungs are still breathing, my heart is still beating and my brain is still thinking. Because any moment, the "death" part of my life could commence. Tragically, several people entered that part of life on Sunday, including former NBA star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, when they were killed in a helicopter crash. Kobe was only 41 years old.

Let's start with what everybody already knows about Kobe: he was a baller. The "Black Mamba" played 20 seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Los Angeles Lakers. In that time, he averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He totaled 33643 points, the fourth-most in NBA history. He once scored 81 points in a single game, the second-most ever. He made the All-Defensive team 12 times and was All-NBA 15 times. He won an MVP award and was Finals MVP twice. And he won five NBA Championships and two Olympic gold medals. He is probably one of the five or ten best players ever.

I'll be honest, I have never been a big Kobe Bryant fan. I thought of him as overrated, and I was rubbed the wrong way by his alleged sexual assault from 2003. Despite that, I cannot deny that he was a generational player with a legendary work ethic. I cannot deny that he was very willing to teach and praise the younger generation after he retired. I cannot deny that he was a big proponent of the advancement of the women's game. And I cannot deny that he was incredibly influential to so many people. That's what really made his death resonate with me.

Death is difficult. No matter what you think of the person when they are alive, few people deserve to die, especially before they get the chance to grow old. Death is especially difficult when it affects so many people. Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths were like a major earthquake, affecting swaths of people everywhere, even if just in the slightest way. And that's not even mentioning the people affected by the other victims of the crash, which included a baseball coach, a basketball coach and multiple teenage girls. Several different athletes have died in the prime of their lives. Each time a sports star dies young, it sends shock waves through the entire sports world. Kobe's death sent shock waves through the entire world.

Just taking a quick stroll through social media the past day will show you how much Kobe Bryant meant to so many people. People from all walks of life joined in mourning his passing. Many shared stories of how Kobe had inspired them or impacted their lives. Others recounted memorable moments in his career, like the time he played on a torn Achilles, or the time he was featured on a rap song. I saw someone tweet that Sunday would be a day the sports world would never forget. I think that person was wrong. I think Sunday could be a day that the world in general will never forget.

Kobe Bryant may be the most influential basketball player of the 21st Century. The only other person with a case is LeBron James, and one could even argue that Kobe surpasses the greatest player of all-time in terms of influence. After all, it is his name that people shout when they pretend to be a basketball star, shooting crumpled pieces of paper into garbage cans. It is his name that actual basketball stars (including LeBron) most often cite as their inspiration. It is his name that I hear a lot when rappers mention basketball in their songs. It is his name that people who don't watch sports often come up with first when they are asked to name a famous basketball player. You do not have to know sports, basketball or the NBA to know Kobe. That's the impact he had.

Even after Kobe retired, he still remained a major part of society's consciousness. He won an Oscar and an Emmy. He started his own multimedia company. He appeared in commercials. He coached his daughter's basketball team. He even became a viral meme. He also gave props to current players on social media, including just a day before he died, when he tweeted congratulations to LeBron for passing him on the all-time scoring list. It's hard to think that less than 24 hours later, Kobe was no longer with us.
                                     

I, like many other people, couldn't believe it when I heard news that Kobe Bryant had died. Even after several respected sources confirmed the news, it still felt surreal. I had never imagined a world in which Kobe Bryant was dead. I still can't, even though I'm living in it. I also never imagined I would write an article about him. But not many people have had quite the wide-ranging impact that Kobe had. To quote writer Terry Pratchett, "No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away." If that is the case, Kobe (and Gianna) Bryant will never truly die.