Kobe Bryant's Legacy: The Mamba Mentality

What is the meaning of legacy?

Legacy is something that someone leaves behind to be remembered by. A legacy can come in various forms. For some, it can come in the form of material things. But for some, legacy is something that we cannot put any monetary value into it. An important lesson, perhaps?

For Kobe Bryant fans like me, there will be one important legacy that the 5-time NBA champion would want all of us to remember and live by. The Mamba Mentality.

As painful as it still is for those who first heard the news, Kobe Bryant, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for all of his 20 years in the NBA, is among the 9fatalities in the helicopter crash in Southern California. This happened just a day after LeBron James overtook Kobe Bryant in the NBA all-time leading scorers' list. 

Words aren't enough to describe how the entire basketball community worldwide is feeling. Why?

Kobe Bryant wasn't only the kid who entered the NBA straight out of high school. 

Kobe Bryant wasn't only the Lakers star whose 81-point performance against the Raptors still stands as the second-highest scoring game for an NBA player.

Kobe Bryant wasn't only a 5-time NBA champion, an 18-time All-Star, a 2-time Finals MVP, a league MVP, and all of the things that he achieved in his decorated career.

Kobe Bryant is the true meaning of competition. The Mamba Mentality. 

He taught us that for one to be successful, one has to stay hungry for more. You can't simply achieve greatness by walking towards a straight line. Nope. 

What separates and what will forever separate him from the rest of the pack is his attention to details. But most importantly, he taught us to just do it. 

What you need to achieve something. Just. Do. It. That may be the greatest lesson Kobe Bryant taught us all.

There were two instances in Kobe Bryant's career where I shred tons of tears. The first one is when he scored 60 points in his final game. He clearly walked out of the game on his own terms.

The second one? Just a few hours ago when my wife first told me about the terrible news.

Rest in peace, Kobe. Thank you for inspiring millions of Filipino basketball fans and players. Thank you for entertaining us with your dunks and mind-blowing clutchness. And most importantly, thank you for showing us the Black Mamba.

Photo is from CBS Sports