I was writing about a game and was interrupted by a flurry of phone calls and text message about the passing of Kobe Bryant. I never met Kobe but he was on the short list of people I would consider a hero or at the very least somebody who truly motivated me. He represents an era of the NBA that I miss, and his approach to basketball was something that was just….an unmatched fire and passion that nobody has come close to since he retired. I saw Kobe play twice in person and don’t think I ever missed a playoff game he played in on TV. Kobe permeated my gaming as well. I remember when Kobe was first entering the NBA, I had a sleep over birthday party where we were all playing Madden on the Genesis. That night was the dunk contest and that was when we all fell in love with Kobe. We were screaming Kobe cheese (like colby cheese? we were young and in the midwest…) and just going nuts watching this kid who was basically our age put on a show.
Kobe showed up in the era of “who is the next Michael Jordan” and he was the first person who seemed to have the chops to pull it off. I think his stats and rings speak for themselves but Kobe was must watch TV. I vividly remember almost falling off a treadmill when Kobe hit a game winner against the Suns in a playoff game. His last game in his career was peak Kobe, dropped 60 points to beat the Jazz. Just incredible. Kobe patterned his game off of Jordan with the fadeaway but it was great seeing Kobe win with Shaq and then Pau Gasol. The 2 championship eras of Kobe are fascinating tales. I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up how much Kobe represented an era of NBA basketball to me that just doesn’t exist anymore. Kobe played every game like he was the 12th man on the bench who could lose his job at any moment. I would say the same thing about Jordan. They would go to the Milwaukee Bucks and instead of playing a token 20 minutes to hit their numbers or take a “load management” game they would put on the best show they could that night. I think that’s why their brands resonated so much. Every city they went to felt like the most important city that night. Staying up late to watch the Lakers with Kobe was never a risky thing to do because you were guaranteed a show. Today’s NBA just doesn’t treat the game that way. My Dad used to surprise me with the new Kobe Bryant shoes when I was still playing. Those were always the most fun to practice in because you knew Kobe was taking a thousand shots in those shoes too every day.
This is a gaming blog so I will talk about my most memorable Kobe gaming experiences. Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside for N64 was one of the first N64 games I played that wasn’t Mario 64 or 1080 Snowboarding. Courtside was a decent looking game for the time and much more arcade than sim. Kobe was the showcase. He had all the animations for every jumper and dunk in the game. Even as a huge Knicks fan, it was a fight to see who could be the Lakers in Courtside.
I always loved using young Kobe in NBA Hangtime. They rated him pretty average at everything but dunks. Playing Hangtime now, it feels crazy to see his stats so mundane but who knew he would ascend to the NBA great he became. His digitized face looks comically young in the player select screen next to Van Exel and Eddie Jones. Kobe was on the cover of NBA 07 and NBA2K10 which I still think is one of the best NBA2K games ever made.
My sadness feels selfish in that seeing Kobe pass at 41 years old, I can only imagine how much knowledge we weren’t able to get from Kobe about the game. We will never see him coach. My heart hurts for his family, friends and fans. I wanted to see Kobe dominate 3 on 3 basketball at 41…it feels like there is so much more for him to do. Kobe was also really close to my age. I feel like I grew up with his ascension through basketball and it’s a grim reminder that death is writing it’s own story and nobody know when it’s their turn to be the next character in it’s book. I have spent so much energy arguing about Kobe and Lebron and Jordan and Kareem. Those arguments are so much fun! Those arguments, those moments wouldn’t exist without Kobe. Those debates with my guys and the jokes and posts… Kobe was the perfect antagonist to Lebron and the Hero we didn’t know we deserved. Losing David Stern and Kobe so close is such a sad moment in basketball history.
Kobe always stood up for women’s basketball too. He would talk about the women in the same regard as men. He brings up Taurasi in the same breath as Nash and NBA greats. He was visible at WNBA games. That type of exposure is priceless.
I can wax poetic about Kobe forever. I don’t even know what to say. It’s weird losing a celebrity. I want to mourn but I feel stupid doing so because it wasn’t like I was kicking it with Kobe Bryant in real life. He has just been such an important figure in my life in so many ways. My wife was a big Lebron fan so I would debate with her about how Kobe was better. She is in my phone as Kobe, because I knew that would piss her off. I know so many Lakers fans who followed the Lakers because of Kobe. Few athletes have transcended sports and media in the way Kobe Bryant has, this early exit just doesn’t seem right. Thanks for reading this, it’s helped me cope. I am going to go play NBA Hangtime and watch highlights on Youtube of Kobe. Sad times.
J3Blackgamer 