Kobe Bean Bryant (1978-2020)

Yesterday my brother came up to me and informed me that a helicopter crashed and Kobe was one of the passengers. I was in a state of disbelief. I searched the web and social media. I saw posts saying "RIP Kobe" and I shrugged those off thinking they were just doing that for clout. I was waiting for ESPN or CNN to report it. My brother hugged me and told me Woj just tweeted about it. I watched the CNN news report about it and my heart sank. It was actually true. I initially chose to turn to Twitter to grieve but I thought blogging my emotions was a better way to grieve.

I begin this blog post by sharing how I learned about Kobe. I was 8 years old (thinking about how special it was that I discovered the greatness of Kobe at the age of one of the numbers he wore sounds fake but its very real) and my class was escorted to the library for a book fair. It was here that I came across an autobiography about Kobe Bryant. I read that book and I was instantly hooked. Kobe was not only a phenomenal basketball player but he was a great person. I never purchased the book that day but I fell in love with the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant. I actually came across the same book I read when I was 8 years old a few years ago at a Barnes & Noble I was studying at. I instantly purchased the book and it's sitting in a bookshelf in my bedroom today. Kobe means so much to me. Yes, he had a phenomenal career and I could list out his accomplishments. I'll leave that to you to look it up on Google. Instead, I choose to highlight how Kobe influenced my life.

I have incorporated the mamba mentality in my life a long time ago. This was a mentality created by Kobe. Mamba mentality is defined as the ability to never give up and to give 100% effort to everything in life. This mamba mentality helped me get through a lot of hurdles in my life. Just recently in 2017, I actually had a traumatic brain injury from a car accident I was in. I was a passenger and was in a relationship at the time with the driver. I spent two months in a coma and six months in the hospital. I currently rely on a walker and a wheelchair because I cannot walk on my own. Because the mamba mentality is so deeply rooted in my life, I chose to not focus on the negative aspects of my situation but instead embrace the mamba mentality and focus on the steps that will help me reach the goal to walk on my own. A lot of my achievements now are due to this mentality that I have held onto for 20 years.

In conclusion, Kobe means a lot to me and many others. The love of Kobe is something that helped solidify the bond between my brother and I. I will forever love Kobe and am having a hard time writing this. I have dreamed about meeting Kobe and unfortunately, that will never happen. I'm glad I got to share how the mamba mentality has positively impacted my life. That autobiography that helped me fall in love with the man named Kobe Bryant is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.

 Thank you for reading!