The death of Kobe Bryant caught me completely by surprise. As I’m sure it did everyone. As a lifelong Los Angeles Laker fan even when the team was not doing that well, I have always supported the team and cheered on its heroes. Yet for me the biggest hero is not Jerry West, or Magic Johnson, or Kareem , or Shaq, the biggest hero is Kobe Bryant!
I happen to be in Africa the day when he had passed, specifically Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and believe it or not, I had been to a snake farm that day and had actually seen a black mamba. It’s not a cosmic coincidence, it is just a fact. The Black Mamba is called the most deadly snake in the entire world, and actually, seeing a black mamba in person and knowing how deadly it is it made it all the more exciting. In front of me was a long powerful black snake whose venom could kill up to 10 men with one bite. That’s how strong its venom is.
And that night when I heard that he had died I immediately thought of that snake and Kobe’s nickname, the Black Mamba. And I understood the comparison. The snake is dark, powerful, silent and extremely deadly, and Kobe because of his determination, his will to win, and his desire to be the best that he could be made the comparison apt.
Kobe wasn’t always a hero. There was the rape charge that he bought himself out of whether he did it or not. It is not for me to pass judgement on him because I do not know what happened. Yet, the accusation remains and will tarnish his image and legacy forever. According to rumor, he wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with in the locker room or with his teammates. Yet he led the Lakers to 7 championship series of which they won 5. And that’s what we remember. The championships, the last-minute buzzer shots, and the drive to succeed above all else.
I will miss Kobe. He seemed to be turning into an excellent man. Loving father, husband, businessman, and Oscar winning producer. We will never know where his will to succeed would have taken him. My heart goes out to his family for the loss of Kobe and his daughter, and to the other eight people who perished in that crash.
Death of a Laker. Death of a champion. Death of a hero.
Rest in Peace!