THE CHRONICLE: Kobe Bryant

THE CHRONICLE: Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES – 1998: Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1998 NBAE (Photo by Jon SooHoo/NBAE via Getty Images)

Take a great look at the other side of the Black Mamba, Los Angeles Lakers late great Kobe Bean Bryant.

Bryant is without debate one of the greatest athletes to ever live and we will ever see again. In many people’s heart Bryant will always be remembered as the “Black Mamba” and arguably the greatest player in the Los Angeles Lakers team history and in NBA history. Bryant was not only one of the greatest athletes to ever live but he also was one of the most influential people to ever live. The mamba mentality has influenced many people to do think better, do better, and go for what you want without fear and don’t take no for an answer. It has influenced many people to be better tomorrow as they were today. Other than that, how else has Bryant impacted society and what is the legacy he left behind outside of basketball?
Bryant was not only a great basketball, but he was also a great entrepreneur and father as well. Following Bryant’s life outside of basketball, he participated in the NBA’s Cares initiatives, which is the NBA’s community program where the players give back to which ever, they community they chose to. He helped build homes and basketball courts, along with stocking food pantries and supporting reading initiatives. When living he was the spokesman for After School All Stars, which a national charity for children that gives after school programs to 72,000 children that supported the homeless around the country. Bryant spent twenty years making charitable donations to the Make A Wish Foundation and have made over one hundred appearances.
Not only has Bryant embraced his role in life as a big-time basketball player, he also embraced his loving role as a family man. He was a proud husband of Vanessa Bryant and father of four girls’ named Natalia Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Bianka Bryant, and Capri Bryant. He was beyond proud to be a loving husband and father to the point he showed publicly and privately just as much as he did his basketball career. He taught his daughters to love what they do and to find their passion and purpose to live in life, along with teaching other fathers to do that with their children as well.
Unfortunately, his life came to an end in tragedy when he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with seven other people including the pilot have died in a plane crash in Calabasas, California. After his death, many people began to see the true father figure he was when tributes of him was shown with his wife and children. Since becoming a father, Bryant has proudly embraced his role a what he will say “A Girl Dad”. When his and his daughter death was announced, ESPN’s Elle Duncan shared a story of Bryant on SportsCenter about how he was to be a father of his four daughters. Bryant on his relationship being a father …
“I would have 5 more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad. Just be grateful that you’ve been given that gift because girls are amazing,”
Since the story have been shown on ESPN, it then became a trend on social media and many other fathers have began to post pictures of themselves with their daughters using the hashtag #girldad. This trend was to give tribute to Bryant and his life as father to four daughters. This trend have trended on Twitter for over one month and have been tweeted more than 175,000 times in less than a week since the Sunday of their death. The girl dad trend has been the biggest trend on social for the entire months January and February and has became the biggest trend in sports this past year.
This led to many fathers spending more quality time with their daughters and building stronger bonds with them.
@KobeBryant’s legacy will forever live on in three remaining children that are living, but also through other men who are fathers of young girls. His legacy will live on by many people embracing the #MambaMentality or their role as a #GirlDad. Fathers are now realizing how well life can be being a father to young girl(s). Kobe will not only be remembered as legendary basketball player, but he will also be remembered as a wonderful family man and father to both his wife and children.