The world went quiet on Sunday when news struck that a helicopter carrying NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna (13) and nine others had crashed, leaving everybody on board dead.
Bryant, aside from being an all-time great in the sport of basketball, was one of the most iconic athletes of the 21st century. If you ever played a sport, regardless of which one, you likely idolized Bryant.
I played soccer growing up, a sport Bryant was very fond of. And before every game, it was a Kobe Bryant highlight video that got my blood pumping. I did not watch the video solely for his basketball skill, but because of the passion that was visibly pouring out of #8 or #24 in every play he made. Kobe was more than just a great basketball player, but it was his leadership, his drive, his never-quit mindset that would remind me to leave it all on the field every single game.
It was that Mama Mentality.
And that’s what was so inspiring about Kobe – that’s what touched all of us more than anything. To every athlete, no matter the sport, we can all learn something from the way Kobe approached life, how he valued time with his family and how we was laser-focused on becoming the best basketball player he could could possibly be from day one.
On Sunday, current and former Georgia football and basketball players felt the shockwaves of Bryant’s death and were obviously emotional. Many took to social media to honor the Black Mamba.
These are players who, like many of us, used Kobe as motivation to go to the gym when they really did not want to. They looked up to Kobe for how he commanded respect from anybody he played with or against. These are all players who wanted to strike fear in the opposition the way Kobe did 82 times a year.
Geno Atkins enjoys another milestone surrounded with family.
