Whether you loved him or hated him on the court, one thing is for sure: The world lost an incredible role model with the death of Kobe Bryant. When we lose someone as influential as Kobe was, there are always articles and posts spread about why someone did or did not like the person lost. But the fact of the matter is, Kobe’s impact on athletes and sports lovers alike was incredible. I don’t write this post as an avid NBA fan, or even as someone that followed much of Kobe’s career… because I can admit, I did not.
But I know the impact of losing someone so entertaining and talented when there was still so much of the story to be written.
He may not have been your hero, but to someone else, he was. He helped lonely kids sitting at home feel like they were sitting at the game. He brought fans together under one roof to share their love of basketball.
There are kids out there that spent hours upon hours dribbling and shooting a basketball after watching the Lakers on their television, hoping to one day have a jersey with their name on it too. While that kid may not have even made their junior varsity team, they did learn the beginning stages of what it is like to work hard towards something you want.
We live our lives working towards leaving a legacy that others will remember after we are gone. Kobe did just that.
No, he didn’t lose his life protecting this country on a battlefield, but he did inspire millions of aspiring kids and adults throughout the world.
And that is worth celebrating, too.
Between the Lens 