Whether you loved him or hated him, there’s no denying Kobe Bryant’s death shocked everyone. Players, coaches, members of the media, spectators, and more had the air knocked out of them when authorities confirmed his death in a helicopter accident.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Kobe Bryant

There’s no denying that Kobe was a basketball legend and easily one of the greatest players of his generation. After 20 years in the NBA where he won five NBA championships, scored 33,643 points, won two gold metals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and was named to 18 NBA All-Star teams, he retired. An incredible career, and he held GOAT status. Whether you liked him or he tore up your team, you can’t deny Kobe was a force.

“Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”

Kobe Bryant

In his retirement, he started the content company Granity Studios with the goal of “creating new ways to tell stories around sports.” Through his work with his studio, he won an Oscar for a Best Animated Short in 2018. One doesn’t truly really leave basketball when retiring, and Kobe did attend NBA games. However, he associated himself with women’s basketball in a meaningful way as an ally for the WBNA.

Despite some problematic aspects of Kobe’s life, he grew and became better. Instead of repeating bad behavior and language, he educated himself and moved forward. His legacy may be the Mamba Mentality, but people should also remember how he showed growth as a normal person like the rest of us. We all make mistakes, fortunately we all have the ability to learn from them and get better. Not only did he learn from his mistakes, he became proactive in the steps to be better.

No matter where you fall on the Kobe spectrum, pour one out. RIP Kobe.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Kobe Bryant