Jesse Musinguzi, Grade 12
UWCEA Moshi
“Who’s the greatest basketball player of all time, in your opinion?” The answer is simple. Kobe Bryant. Whereas one would say Micheal Jordan, I like to think of Kobe Bryant a bit higher up. I don’t base my opinion on the statistics; it’s what he did in and out of the game that made him who he is and inspires me. When discussing Kobe Bryant, one must talk about the “Mamba mentality”. In essence, mamba mentality means one’s constant strive to be the best version of themselves. When I first started playing basketball, I watched highlights of Michael Jordan, Kobe, Stephen Curry, and many others. It was when I started playing basketball competitively that I learned more about Kobe. What stood out to me that was not in all the other NBA stars was his mentality. I read stories about him confiscating his teammates' Kobe shoes because he felt they were not worthy to wear them, or when he came to practice just to say bye to his teammates who were getting traded. Things like that shocked me because that wasn’t very teammate behaviour. But it wasn’t the petty things about the mamba mentality that drew me to it. When discussing the mamba mentality, he said, “You have to dance beautifully in the box that you’re comfortable dancing in. My box was to be extremely ambitious within the sport of basketball. Your box is different than mine. Everybody has their own.” It was about setting big goals and outworking everyone.
At some point in time, I tried to adopt Kobe’s daily schedule, of course, without the dropping kids part. His training schedule was so intense, he only had time for four hours of sleep. Of course, for a basketball player, four hours isn’t ideal. But he made it work! While other stars got, such as Lebron James, 12 hours of sleep, Kobe used those extra eight hours to workout, which put him way ahead of his competition. His dedication to the game was unmatched, and so was his drive to be the best. Kobe is known for having played through injuries throughout his career. His toughness and willpower to push through the pain and still score truly made him a sight to see. In a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Kobe left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. He came back minutes later to continue playing, something you wouldn’t see many players do. For the remainder of that game, Kobe played with his left hand. Kobe built his game so that it had no weaknesses. When faced with such adversity, Kobe showed no fear. His commitment to the game was unmatched.
Kobe's impact went beyond the basketball court. His Vivo foundation, which was started in 2002, was targeted at helping his community through providing financial aid, promoting education, and so on. He would spend his time motivating kids to become the best versions of themselves and set goals. He also got his family involved in his charitable deeds. These things contradicted the “selfish” branding he had around the league.
My fondest memory of Kobe was not too long ago when he scored 81 points in his last game before retirement. At his old age, he was outperforming the younger players, but this was because of all the hard work he put in.
So the next time someone asks who my all time player pick is, Kobe “Bean” Bryant will always be my answer.
Image Courtesy: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2852997-nba-all-time-player-rankings-top-10-shooting-guards
At some point in time, I tried to adopt Kobe’s daily schedule, of course, without the dropping kids part. His training schedule was so intense, he only had time for four hours of sleep. Of course, for a basketball player, four hours isn’t ideal. But he made it work! While other stars got, such as Lebron James, 12 hours of sleep, Kobe used those extra eight hours to workout, which put him way ahead of his competition. His dedication to the game was unmatched, and so was his drive to be the best. Kobe is known for having played through injuries throughout his career. His toughness and willpower to push through the pain and still score truly made him a sight to see. In a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Kobe left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. He came back minutes later to continue playing, something you wouldn’t see many players do. For the remainder of that game, Kobe played with his left hand. Kobe built his game so that it had no weaknesses. When faced with such adversity, Kobe showed no fear. His commitment to the game was unmatched.
Kobe's impact went beyond the basketball court. His Vivo foundation, which was started in 2002, was targeted at helping his community through providing financial aid, promoting education, and so on. He would spend his time motivating kids to become the best versions of themselves and set goals. He also got his family involved in his charitable deeds. These things contradicted the “selfish” branding he had around the league.
My fondest memory of Kobe was not too long ago when he scored 81 points in his last game before retirement. At his old age, he was outperforming the younger players, but this was because of all the hard work he put in.
So the next time someone asks who my all time player pick is, Kobe “Bean” Bryant will always be my answer.
Image Courtesy: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2852997-nba-all-time-player-rankings-top-10-shooting-guards
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