Adopting the Mamba Mentality #ADailyPractice
The death of Gigi and Kobe Bryant hit hard. It was one of those moments that you never forget where you were. You never forget how the news was broken to you. You never forget who was with you, what you were wearing, or your immediate, and innate reaction of disbelief. Kobe Bryant is someone whose legend was not supposed to end the way it did. He is someone whose star was larger than life. His daughter, Gianna, is someone who was just like him, yet, was determined to make a path of her own. She embodied his competitive spirit, and she knew that his athletic legacy was in good hands, that were her own. She was convicted to be a UConn woman, and expressed that to anyone who would listen. The lives of the seven others cannot be remiseed. Whole families, lost, and lives changed forever.
I’ve cried every day since, multiple times a day. So commonly we want to make a moment like this about us, and relate it to our fondest memory of the Black Mamba, but this is not one of those moments. Kobe Bryant’s death gave us all the shocking reminder of impeding, inescapable mortality.
This past weekend, I had the most amazing experience. I attended my church’s Winter Prayer Retreat, and I was one of the planning committee members. We spent three whole days on the water of the Chesapeake alone with the Lord. We heard from guest ministers, we gathered in praise and worship, we shouted in alms giving, and most importantly, we exalted in testimony. I was fortunate enough to lead two sessions for my ministry, and one for the teenage ministry. Each time, I was equally, if not greater in awe.
There have been so many times I’ve wanted to type my thoughts, because I have had so many thoughts since the year began, but I just hadn’t because I got into my own head again. I had so many topics written down, I had numerous bullet points, I had various conversations, and yet I just had an reason every Friday as to why I couldn’t take the time to sit and write. I even got in my head about the chronological order of my entries! Right now, I say F it, because with the Mamba Mentality in mind, none of that matters. I just have to go out and do it.
I was watching a segment the other day on ESPN. It was Monday, I believe, and Michael Wilbon was on First Take with the typical crew, mourning the tragic loss like the rest of us. There was a piece of what he said that stuck to me, specifically. Since he has been a famed sports’ writer with the Washington Post, he has made a career as an energetic commentator and television personality. He told the story about when Kobe asked him WHY he had not been writing as of late. He gave him a firm reminder that writing is where he made his career, and that is the craft he needs to continue to perfect, no matter where his television career goes.
Jay Williams spoke about his first and only year in the NBA when he played against Kobe. He got in the gym early for a workout, only to meet Kobe there a few minutes later. He put shots up and completed his workout in about an hour. In typical Kobe fashion, Kobe was still in there... Following the game, Jay had the opportunity to speak with Kobe, who kindly informed him that his tactic was a way to helpJay understand that “no matter how long or how hard he worked, he was never going to outwork him.”
That was the type of legacy Kobe left. As a journalist, as an athlete, there are skills and talents that are so easy for us to take for granted. That’s where the Mamba Mentality pushes us forward. During the Prayer Retreat, our conversations surrounding the theme, “Open Heavens.” The theme for the church this year: “Holy Spirit” opened a conversation surrounding Jesus’ baptism. After His cousin, John, lifted him from the water, the heavens opened and angels ascended and descended.
MATTHEW 3:16-17 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [a]He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased(NKJV).”
The next time we expect that to happen will not be until Revelations. Right now, we send prayers up, for prayers to come down, in a similar fashion. As we walk on earth and hold dear our worldly possessions, we must shift our focus to our life after this one. A life that will continue far greater, into a life of eternity. In a romantic sense, I would like to imagine that God called upon Kobe for a greater mission. He needed his eye for perfection, and the time for he, his daughter, and the seven other souls was a part of the greater plan. Ultimately, my prayer is that they had (have) a home with Christ. Truthfully, it isn’t going to be easy for any of us to move past this moment in time, and my heart goes out to the loved ones affected by this on a far deeper level than most of us can fathom.
The effect that Kobe had on all of us in indescribable to most. We just felt it. Since the tragic events that occurred on Sunday, we have felt a weight. Kobe Bryant was on the brink of his second act. As a voice for women’s athletics, heightened performance, and overall excellence - for Kobe Bryant there was never an excuse. To him, there is not a single excuse that we could present the public, nor ourselves that could or would ever hinder us from us being our best selves. Yes, his legend was never supposed to end like this, and there is something so eerie about a star literally falling from the sky just like that. But, it is in our best interest to channel our inner and outward Mamba Mentality to conduct ourselves in way that Kobe would be proud. Because, at the end of the day, when you compare yourself to such an artist, such a visionary, father, husband, and entity, you see where the standard is, and you don’t want to fall any bit short of that.