On January 26, local time in the United States, a statue honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed at the crash site of a helicopter in Calabasas, California, two years after Bryant left us.
Created by sculptor Dan Medina, the statue shows the world-famous Lakers star wearing the #24 shirt, his 13-year-old daughter in his arms, a basketball in his hand, and a big smile on their faces.
At the base of the 160-pound bronze statue is the famous phrase: "Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.", and the names of all nine victims killed in the accident.
Medina said the statue was only a temporary tribute, removed before sunset. He hopes the city will eventually allow him to build a more permanent version of art.
Although the basketball world lost Kobe Bryant two years ago, his Mamba spirit will forever remain in the hearts of followers around the world.
On August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a baby boy who was about to become special was born in an NBA family. Yes, the baby's name is Kobe Bryant.
Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, had a bland NBA career. He played a total of eight seasons for three teams, with the longest playing team being Philadelphia. In the final year of the team, he and his wife, Palm Bryant, welcomed their third and only boy, Little Kobe Bryant!
When Bryant was 3 years old, he watched his father play basketball on TV. At that moment, he fell in love with the sport. When my father had a game, he would watch TV while playing on a kid's basketball hoop.
Originally, Bryant would go to school and play in the local area like other American children, but a decision by his father changed Kobe's plan to some extent. Joe Bryant's eight-year NBA career seemed to be coming to an end after his final season with the Houston Rockets, and he had to decide to retire or move overseas to continue his basketball career.
When Bryant was 6 years old, the family moved to Letty, Italy. This move will eventually be the beginning of Kobe's becoming a black mamba. As the only African-American kid in an Italian school, Bryant felt like an outsider. First of all, he didn't understand the language, and the other boys chose to play football instead of basketball.
Bryant received his first leather basketball at the age of 7, and basketball has since become his best friend, holding it even to sleep. However, it was tough for Kobe Bryant to find a basketball game in Italy, where all the kids would play football.
Andrea Barozzi, a sports journalist from Italy, wrote an article titled "An Italian Named Kobe Bryant." Baroć wrote about the young Kobe Bryant finding a way to play basketball:
At the age of 6, Bryant often jumped off his family balcony, crossed a busy road, and ran to the church playground, where he would spend hours pitching. He knew early on that he was the best. ”
Bryant still plays football with Italian kids and loves the sport more and more. In an interview with FIFA.com, Bryant acknowledged that football was his favorite sport, not basketball.
"I'm actually a super football fan. I grew up in Italy. From the age of six to fourteen, I played football every day. This is actually my favorite sport. Kobe Bryant said.
Although Bryant fell in love with football while living in Italy, his love for basketball has not faded. After he and the local children finished playing on the basketball court, when the friends were gone, he went to shoot.
In Italy, Bryant couldn't watch NBA games on TV, so his grandfather would send him video of the game. Bryant would watch the game over and over again, so much so that he reached new heights of love for the sport. Bryant quickly fell in love with two NBA players, One is John Battle of the Atlanta Hawks and the other is The Los Angeles Lakers' "Magic" Johnson.
He dreamed of one day wearing a purple and gold shirt and playing in Los Angeles. However, as a kid in Italy, those dreams seemed out of reach for Kobe. Peers are not yet competitive enough to compete with children of the same age in the United States.
In Italy, learning basketball is the way games are taught, which is reflected in Kobe's later games. European players in the NBA seem to have a solider base than American players, and Bryant honed his foundation and he feels good about himself. He knew basketball was something he was born to do. Now, he wants to try these new skills at American players.
In 1991, with their father retiring, the family returned to Philadelphia. Here, Bryant will showcase his skills in Philadelphia's Sonny Hills Future League.
Bryant was only 12 years old in his first year of playing, and this summer almost brought him out of basketball. Kobe Bryant didn't score a single point in the first game of the Sonny Hill Future League. It was this experience that gave Kobe Bryant admiration for the great Michael Jordan.
"I learned he was removed from high school during his freshman year. I learned about his feelings of embarrassment and failure at the time. But he turned these emotions into strength that made him stronger, and he didn't give up. So, I decided to take on the challenge like he did. I'll use failure as fuel to keep my competitive fire burning," and that's where Bryant respects and admires MJ.
The experience was especially difficult for the young Kobe, as his father and his uncle John Cox were legends of the Sanni Hills Future Alliance.
Bryant won't give up, he'll play harder than ever, and that's where his Mamba spirit was subconsciously born.
To Bryant, it sounds like a happy moment, but in some ways, it's not. Bryant gradually got used to life in Italy. He speaks fluent Italian, makes many Italian friends, and now back in the United States, in Philadelphia, Kobe feels like an outsider again.
Kobe Bryant struggled to fit in with his Fellow Americans, who didn't understand english slang spoken by the other boys. After school, he would come home and ask his sisters what those words meant. Bryant didn't have a lot of friends at first, as he did in Italy. Once he stepped on the basketball court, though, he let the game speak.
The children of Philadelphia began to respect Kobe after seeing him play.
After entering high school, Kobe Bryant aspired to become the best high school player in the United States. In his first year, Bryant was not only selected for the varsity team, but also became a starter.
But for the Little Mamba, success doesn't come right away. Bryant is only ranked 57th among the nation's best high school basketball players. In Kobe's view, the list is incorrect. So, "Little Mamba" created his own list, a [kill list].
When Raul Merion enters the AAU Tour, Bryant will hunt down the players in front of him and destroy them, successfully knocking them off his [kill list].
As a high school student, Bryant averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, leading Raul Merion to a 48-43 victory over the Erie Cathedral Reserves to his first PIAA state championship since 1943.
Bryant's high school grades were impressive. He was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year, Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, USA USA Usa Today First Team and McDonald's All-American Player.
After graduating from high school, there were many colleges that were interested in Kobe, but he chose to jump straight into the NBA.
In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected the young Kobe Bryant with the thirteenth pick. The Los Angeles Lakers later traded their center Divac for the youngster and created opportunities to sign center Shaquille O'Neal.
In his first year, as an NBA rookie, Bryant didn't have many playing opportunities. And there are experienced players in the guard positions such as Eddie Jones, Nick van Exelel and Byron Scott. Even so, the Lakers' then-head coach "Silver Fox" Harris did not give up on Kobe Bryant and planned to slowly cultivate him. That's why he didn't play much time in the 1996-97 regular season, but when the playoffs arrived, Bryant was still in the spotlight.
The Los Angeles Lakers trailed the Utah Jazz 3-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals in 1997. In the fifth game they desperately need a win at their home stadium.
Bryant, 18, believes he's the spark and he wants the team to know that. Earlier in the season, Bryant told coach Harris, "If Shaq walks out of the box and gives me the ball, I'll beat anybody in the league one-on-one." ”
The coach had to replace O'Neal due to a foul, and with 11.3 seconds left in the game, the Lakers passed the ball to Kobe Bryant. He saw the Jazz small forward Brian Russell defending him a little farther away from him and took a jump shot straight. Unfortunately, he cast a three-no-stick. The game can only be played in extra time without Shaq.
I believe that fans who have watched this game feel that Kobe Bryant will definitely redeem himself in overtime, right? However, the first shot in overtime was shot by Kobe Bryant, who threw a three-pointer this time, but the result was the same as the last time, and it was a three-point no-stick. Bryant threw "airballs" in a row, which plunged Jazz fans into a climax of joy.
For Kobe Bryant, who is young and strong, he continues to shoot threes, and by the end of the game, he has a total of 4 threes.
These "air balloons" may be the biggest factor in cultivating Kobe Bryant's killer mentality behind him.
He realized that his legs were not strong enough, so he did not rest after the Lakers were eliminated, and went straight to work, exercising his legs and conditioning his body. By the time next season comes, Bryant will be stronger, in better shape and ready to take his game to the next level. Indeed, he did, becoming the youngest All-Star Game starter in NBA history.
It's no secret that Kobe Bryant has had an incredible career since then, from winning 5 championships and 2 Finals MVPs, to a regular season MVP, a leading scorer, and an 81-point game. Bryant is fearless, he is never afraid of any challenge.
Now think about how appropriate it was for Kobe To score 60 points against the Utah Jazz after scoring four three-pointers in his final campaign against the Utah Jazz.
While Bryant is gone, the lasting impact on those who follow him will be there forever. When you're frustrated with yourself or a situation, remember Kobe's Mamba spirit.
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