Kobe, you left us on January 26th alongside with your beautiful daughter Gigi and seven other passengers. Bryant is not only a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA finals MVP, eighteen time NBA All-Star (missing three due to injury), the list goes on. He is also a husband, a brother, a hardworking man, and most importantly a father. He is an inspiration to millions of people around the world including me because of the consistency of his craft that the world got to watch and his love for all people. Something he once said that stuck with me was:

"The lesson I cherish the most is how important it is, is to love what you do, if you love what you do and it's making you happy all the hard work and perseverance will payoff... you can't stop people from trying to limit your dreams, but you can stop it from becoming a reality. I encourage you to always be curious, always seek out things you love, and always work hard when you find it... please know that I am always thinking of you."
- Kobe Bryant https://www.youtube.com/watchv=XD9VFHmddWQ&feature=emb_title

The Black Mamba has encouraged me to be the person that I am today, he has taught me to push harder than I normally do even when I feel weak. That Mamba Mentality that he created for all of us to see Is the drive, passion and commitment that we should have and should thrive on. Pushing yourself even when you feel like you have accomplished something, you will always have room to improve anything that you seek to assist as long as you have the passion for it. The Mamba Mentality is a way of life, and I will forever take that with me.

99'-00' NBA season. He missed the first 16 games because of a broken hand.https://twitter.com/mamba_insider/status/1070431556936888321?s=21

My brother Kareem is the reason why I fell in love with the game of basketball and the Black Mamba. I can remember vividly when I watched my brother play 2K10 and I saw the front cover with Kobe on it. I was so interested in learning about who he was what he stood for, and wondered why my brother loved him so much. Going back to watch his old highlights made me fall in love with not only basketball but him as well. The biggest thing that I learned from the Black Mamba is that it is not just about the game of basketball but it is about being the best at anything he did. Kobe is someone that will be truly missed and will live on in our hearts forever.