I’ve never been any good at basketball, but my dad was. He played in high school and college, and he tried to pass that passion down to his children — with little luck. I never mastered the free throw, my brother stopped playing competitively after middle school, and my sister still doesn’t know how to dribble.
But whenever there was a basketball game on TV, we’d sit tight on our faded green couch and cheer for whichever team my dad was supporting. We’d watch the greats play while our great player broke the games down for us.
That’s how I, just as so many other people did, got to know Kobe Bryant: through a television screen, watching him dance across the court and score point after point. It was magic — not because I personally cared about basketball but because my dad loved it, and I loved him.
Bryant tragically passed away in January at 41 years old along with his young daughter Gigi. On Monday, they were memorialized by people who knew them much better than I did. But I’d like to offer a small tribute to Bryant, the player and the father.
Reading stories about Bryant and his relationship with Gigi reminded me in some ways of my relationship with my dad. At 13 years old, Gigi was well on her way to living up to her father’s talent. She was a killer on the court, and Bryant regularly bragged about how she would someday surpass his score total. He was a great father — as his wife, Vanessa Bryant, reflected on Monday. He encouraged and pushed Gigi, and she in turn grew.
Gigi began playing basketball, Vanessa Bryant explained, for the same reason my siblings and I watched it: She idolized her father, and basketball was something they shared and loved together.
No father is perfect. Indeed, they often get more things wrong than right. But growing up, I wanted to be just like my father. I’m sure Gigi did too.
Looking back, I realize that watching Kobe Bryant play taught me something important: Excellence is a virtue, and there is something really special about watching that excellence unfold right in front of you. I might not have fallen in love with basketball, but I respected the sport and the way Kobe Bryant had mastered it.
Kobe Bryant made me want to be great — maybe not at basketball but at something else, something I have a passion for.
My dad wanted me to excel too. The “bare minimum” was unacceptable in our household. If we were going to do something, we were going to do it right. Some might say this was an unrealistic expectation to demand of children who were just trying to figure out who they were. But I understand now that it’s this expectation that helped me figure out who I wanted to be: someone admirable. Someone like Kobe Bryant. Someone like my dad.
When I visit my parents during the summer months, I’ll still find my dad out back shooting hoops. His shot isn’t what it used to be, but you’d be surprised how many three-pointers he can make. He learned that from Kobe Bryant. And I learned from him.
