My Tribute to Kobe Bryant

I obsessed overfinding statistics to demonstrate that Kobe Bryant played basketball better than anyone not named Michael Jordan; I obsessed over labeling him “the best basketball player on the planet.” Kobe inspired me more than most others inspired me.Why Kobe? Actually, I can no longer remember the reason I adored him. It ’s like how you remember great speeches for how they made you feel as opposed to their words. I don’t know why I loved the dude; I just know watching and thinking about Kobe made me feel ambitious and amazed.Now, I don ’t care about labels or comparing people. Winning isn’t that important to me, either. Kobe still inspires me, though, just probably for different reasons: his seeming focus and drive to improve himself. A few years ago, I read current NBA player Buddy Hield’s essay,The Secret I Learned from Kobe. Hield had gotten the opportunity to practice with Kobe. They poured themselves into the work for two hours. Before parting ways, Kobe turned to Hield and said, “You know, when I was younger I’d have come back in the afternoon and done the other half of the court.”I love that. If I need some motivation to focus on my work —or really, to focus on any task I’ve chosen to pursue, however mundane—I can still conjure up an image of Kobe and get a boost.Once, I nearly purchased his t-shirt jersey. That was in my mid-twenties at a time when I was studying men ’s fashion. I didn’t complete the transaction because wearing a shirt...
Source: cancerslayerblog - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: sports Source Type: blogs