Remembering Kobe and Gigi Bryant

With the passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, the basketball world lost two stars. When I first read the TMZ headline, I, like most, thought that it must be a joke. Not twelve hours before, Kobe had taken to Twitter congratulating Lebron on passing him in all-time scoring. Greatness recognizing greatness. It seemed unreal that he could be gone such a short amount of time later. As more information became available, I felt shocked to learn that his daughter Gianna was among those in the crash. I thought instantly of the video of Kobe and Gigi sitting on the sidelines of a game, smiling and talking X’s and O’s. Of course Kobe’s basketball career plays a large part of his legacy, but so will his off court presence.

Kobe the Athlete

Kobe Bryant’s Hall of Fame induction surely stands around the corner. During his 20-year NBA career, Bryant played every season with the Lakers. His list of accolades is extensive: one regular season MVP, 15 All-NBA acknowledgements, 18 All-Star appearances and 4 All-Star MVPs, and five championships with 2 Finals MVPs. Additionally, his reputation of mental toughness and hardworking nature, #MambaMentality, became well known in the sports world. Certainly, #24 will be known as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Beyond the court, Mamba carried through his reputation as an innovator and a difference maker. As a women’s basketball player, I remember thinking how awesome it was that the Kobe Bryant fiercely supported female athletes. He used his platform to promote not only the WNBA but also the USWNT. He demanded that those players receive equivalent regard for their athletic abilities. Very few male professional athletes have the same vocality about the elite nature of women’s athletics as Kobe. Whenever I read about Bryant going to WNBA games, spending his summer with players like Sabrina Ionescu, or retweeting videos of girls AAU or high school games, I felt an second-hand validation. The men’s game lost a legend and his daughter, but the women’s game lost an ambassador and a star of the next generation.

Kobe the Father

Kobe’s dedication to basketball showed through his daughter Gianna. Just 13 years old, Gianna already started to exude her father’s basketball talent. From hitting her dad’s signature fade-away to talking strategy with him, thinking about Gigi’s future excited the basketball world. But at the core of this, the world lost a group of parents and young girls who loved basketball. Despite the public nature of Kobe and Gigi’s relationship, many folks can relate to that parent-child connection. Spending time in huge arenas with six, eight, ten courts in one room, the sounds of the game echoing off the walls. Hours of travel and gym time, family meals spent in the car hammering a sandwich or salad before the next practice or game instead of at a dinner table. These are the moments that Kobe and Gigi and their teammates shared.

The Black Mamba and Mambacita’s stories will be told into the future of basketball and sports, and their connection will carry on around the world between all parents and children that come together for the love of a game. Philadelphia’s heart is with the Bryant, Altobelli, Chester, Zobayan, and Mauser families.