When the news came out on Jan. 26 that former basketball superstar Kobe Bryant had passed away in a helicopter crash, sadness and shock set in.
It was later confirmed that Bryant—along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna—died when the helicopter they were in crashed in Calabasas, California, leaving no survivors.
Soon, the tributes and reactions poured in. Former teammates, opponents, coaches and reporters talked about their memories of Bryant and the characteristics which made him a legend.
They talked about the on-court success, the championships, the Olympic gold medals. They talked about the “Mamba mentality” that he had—an all-out approach to being great.
Lebron James had just passed him for third-place in the NBA’s all-time scoring list the night before. After the game, James talked about the impact Bryant had on him and his career. Nobody could have known the meaning his words would have in hindsight.
The true sadness of Bryant’s death was the timing of it all. He was 41, less than halfway through his life. People reflected on his past as a basketball player and global icon—on what he did.
However, the true sadness was in what Bryant was becoming and what he was doing.
Many athletes struggle with their post-career lives. There’s often a loss of identity, a search for who they are and what to do when the game is gone.
Michael Jordan struggled with finding another outlet for the competitive fire he gained from basketball, as documented in a 2013 ESPN feature story.
Bryant on the other hand—who has been compared to Jordan for his competitive drive and excellence—had seemingly found success and satisfaction in the next chapter of his life.
He won an Academy Award for a short film titled “Dear Basketball.” He founded Granity Studios, which produced the ESPN+ series “Detail,” in which Bryant shared his basketball knowledge and analyzed games.
Bryant also shared his love and knowledge of the sport with his daughters—in particular with Gianna.
Bryant was a supporter of women’s basketball. He coached Gianna’s basketball team. The father and daughter would sit together courtside at WNBA and NBA games, watching and talking about the game. Gianna talked about wanting to make the WNBA herself and carry on her father’s legacy.
Now, her father’s legacy is set in stone. He was a basketball legend and global icon. He was just getting started in the second act of his life—as a parent, coach, businessman, father and husband. It was a life that tragically ended too soon. The true tragedy of Bryant’s death was not just what he did but how much he still had to accomplish.
It was about the impact and influence he was going to continue to have on his daughters and others. He approached his post-career phase with the same “Mamba mentality” as his playing career. It seemed it would be just as successful—if not more so—than his playing days. It was also about the promising career and life Gianna had ahead of her.
Symbolically, he and his daughter died going to a basketball tournament—where he would have coached his daughter while she played the game they both loved. Now, they’re gone forever.
Graphic by Julia Robinson.
