thesis statement about kobe bryant

An essay on Kobe Bryant

Shreveport native and Loyola graduate Griffin Neal wrote this piece in Monday’s edition of the Daily Mississippian. This is his second submission on DesignatedWriters.com.

By GRIFFIN NEAL

In a 2016 interview, conducted just months after he hung up his sneakers for the final time, Kobe Bryant was asked about death.

“What’s your relationship with death?” The Ringer’s Micah Peters asked.

“A comfortable one,” Bryant responded. “It’s an understanding. You can’t have life without death. You can’t have light without dark, so it’s an acceptance of that.” However, as one might expect, Bryant related the remainder of his response back to basketball.

“When it came down to whether or not I should retire, it’s really an acceptance of that mortality that all athletes face,” he continued. “If you combat it, you’ll always have that inner struggle within yourself.”

On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the unimaginable; Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, died in a helicopter crash that morning in Calabasas, Calif., alongside seven others.

His death is as jarring as it is tragic. Bryant, one of the most devastating, jaw-droppingly talented and graceful players to ever pick up a basketball, was not supposed to die this young. He was supposed to mentor the next generation of superstars. He was supposed to continue pushing women’s basketball forward. He was supposed to be a figure that children could grow up watching on television, asking their parents, ‘Who is this guy? What was it like when he played?’

But life is full of suppositions.

On the court, Bryant was unmatched in dominance. Over the course of a 20-year career – all spent in Los Angeles with the Lakers – Bryant won five championships, had 18 all-star selections and won league MVP in 2008. Bryant had 11 all-NBA first-team selections, nine first-team all-defense selections and scored the fourth-most points in NBA history. He also won two gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games.

He entered the league in 1996, a pioneer in the push for high school basketball players to forego college and enter the NBA. He came into the league at a time of flux; Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were gone, and Michael Jordan’s twilight was slowly approaching. The league needed a new face, and Bryant fit it as if the mold was cast specifically for him.

He was a giant among men. He belonged to a special fraternity of individuals who transcended their occupation — of those whose legacies span countries, generations and time. He was the most influential sports figure in 21st-century American culture.

He was your favorite player’s favorite player. Tales of his commitment to perfection are unmatched, and his ‘Mamba mentality’ inspired millions of young boys and girls to go outside and pick up a basketball. But Bryant’s gospel transcends basketball. The determination, hard work and self-sacrifice he employed throughout his life are teachable in any field and in any discipline.

He left an indelible mark on the global landscape of the sport, and in this country, no other figure impacted American culture more than Bryant. His shoes, his signature fade away jump shot, his support of the women’s game and his contributions to cinema – for which he was awarded an Oscar in 2018 – will likely never be matched.

Perhaps the greatest indication of Bryant’s brilliance came on April 13, 2016, his final game. In front of a sold-out Staples Center, the millions watching expected a veteran’s coronation; he would trot out onto the court, knock down a few shots and receive a hero’s farewell. Instead, Bryant delivered one of the most iconic performances of his career. He poured in 60 points, including the game-winning jumper, on two legs that the thousands of hours of physical wear had finally caught up to.

Following the game, Kobe addressed the Staples Center crowd; true fans didn’t dare to leave the arena. He thanked them for years of support, joked about years the Lakers struggles and, before bidding farewell, put his hand over his heart, two fingers in the air and exclaimed, “Mamba out.”

But the Mamba, as Bryant was known, did not leave; his second chapter had just begun. And that’s what makes his untimely death so hard to process.

I never met Kobe Bryant, and I imagine that you never did, either. That doesn’t mean his death hurts any less.

It’s okay to mourn the death of those that we never knew. It’s okay to cry about the death of your favorite musician, actor or political figure; these actions make us human. These individuals, those who we choose to give a little piece of our faith, or our love, or hours of our time, possess something we desire. While they never knew it, these celebrities we choose to mourn are part of our lives.

Death is undefeated. It is unexpected and unforgiving, and serves as a reminder of our own mortality. On Sunday morning, Bryant’s wife Vanessa lost a husband, and three of his daughters lost a father and a sister. The world lost a disciple of sport and an inspiration to the masses.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Kobe Bryant — The Life And Nba Career Of Kobe Bryant

The Life and NBA Career of Kobe Bryant

Categories: Kobe Bryant

About this sample

Words: 887 |

Published: Jun 9, 2021

Words: 887 | Page: 1 | 5 min read

The making of a legend, on-court excellence, legacy beyond basketball, works cited:.

Barrie, J. M. (1911). Peter and Wendy. Charles Scribner's Sons.
Brooks, G. (1960). We Real Cool. In The Bean Eaters. Harper & Row.
Frost, R. (1920). The Road Not Taken. Mountain Interval. Henry Holt and Company.
Gioia, D. (2013). Understanding poetry. Oxford University Press.
Meyer, M. (2014). Literature: The pocket anthology. Bedford/St. Martin's.
Norgard, M. (2009). Brooks, Gwendolyn. In Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present: from the age of segregation to the twenty-first century (Vol. 1, pp. 200-202). Oxford University Press.
Owens, L. P. (2005). The life of poetry: a conversation with Gwendolyn Brooks. African American Review, 39(1), 5-12.
Scholes, R. (1985). Textual power: Literary theory and the teaching of English. Yale University Press.
Terry, C. (2006). Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry and the heroic voice. University Press of Kentucky.
Watts, E. (2018). The critical response to Gwendolyn Brooks. ABC-CLIO.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 557 words

2 pages / 908 words

1 pages / 666 words

2 pages / 793 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

The Life and NBA Career of Kobe Bryant Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant, a legendary basketball player, is a name that resonates with fans and sports enthusiasts across the globe. Known for his unparalleled skills on the court, Bryant's legacy transcends the boundaries of the game and [...]

Los Angeles – We were greeted to our interview with basketball superstar and central figure of the Los Angeles sports scene, Kobe Bryant, with a pet tiger lying next to his ankles and the smell of marble statues in the air. [...]

2020 Jan 26 is the black day for the whole sports lover, the world lost one of the rare gem. Yes, we are talking about the Kobe, he dies in helicopter crash last Sunday in Orange country California. Most Valuable Player of 2018 [...]

Basketball, perhaps the most American sport besides baseball, was invented by a Canadian. James Naismith was born in Ontario, Canada and attended McGill University in Montreal (Talion 2010). While born and raised in Canada, [...]

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury which results from a bump blow or jolt to either the head or body causing the brain to move rapidly in the skull. A concussion affects normal brain function and can have severe and [...]

Many issues have been hovering the sports world recently, especially the of paying college athletes. Some claim athletics are so important that colleges need to put out millions of dollars per year just to pay for students to [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic Essay

Good work ethic is described as making others believe in your commitment to work and not giving them a doubt that you are of value to the company. This is a description that perfectly fits Kobe Bryant. Kobe was only 17 years old when he entered the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was admired for his brilliance by NBA analysts. This paper covers his skill, achievements, and his famous sexual assault charges brought against him.

To understand Kobe’s work ethic, it is good to know some general details about him. Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978(1978-08-23). He is a National Basketball Association (NBA) player. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant became the cornerstone of Lakers in the 2003-2004 season after Shaq left the LA Lakers. He is ranked as the only second player to have scored the highest points in the club’s history, and this is attributed to his desire to be the best.

Kobe’s work ethic has been admired by many sportsmen, amongst them golfer Tiger woods. Woods says that Kobe guides his team steadily through matches. He calls Kobe’s preparation second to none because he spends time studying the defense mechanisms of opposing teams and their offenses, making his work ethic phenomenal (Slater, 2009, para 3-4). Kobe is one player who works no matter what the circumstances are. He works even when he has an injury or is faced with any other adversity. At the age of 22, many saw him as “Air apparent” to the legendary Michael Jordan. However, Kobe did not like this association of being second to Jordan. He wanted to be the greatest basketball player in history (Kaye, 2002, p. 6). When he first became a world champion in the summer of 2004, would make 2000 shots a day. This intense practice sharpened his skill to the perfect release. Phil Jackson describes it as “not thinking, and just doing.”

Kobe has been described as someone who likes his privacy. Lakers reports have compared him to Shaq who they say craves attention and has never become an adult. However, Bryant had never been a child. Their approach to basketball has also been compared with Shaq described as a person who loved punishing their opponents while Kobe loved outfoxing them. Kobe’s aspiration comes from the white shark. He describes the shark as a stealthy focused animal that cannot be stopped (Kaye, 2002, p. 16).

Medina (2010, para. 5) has noted Kobe’s love for working. Medina says that when the Lakers have a day off for Super Bowl Sunday, Kobe will feel really bad. Despite his busy work schedule, Kobe makes time for charity (The Inside, 2009, para. 3). On February 13 this year he hosted a charity at Eric Crown’s home in Paradise Valley. Eric is a philanthropist. The fundraising was aimed at raising funds for non-profit organizations helping underprivileged children.

Kobe’s media attention as a result of his work was diverted in 2003 when he was accused of sexual assault by Katelyn Faber. Faber was an employee at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera hotel in Eagle, Colorado. Bryant denied the allegations and termed it as a sexual encounter. These allegations stained his reputation and lead McDonald and Nutella to terminate their contract with them. His jerseys (which were among the highest in sales) experienced a decline in sales. In 2004, Faber’s case against Kobe was dropped because she refused to testify. She filed a lawsuit against Bryant which they settled with undisclosed terms.

In conclusion, Kobe Bryant is one of the most brilliant basketball players. His career was filled with one achievement after another. He demonstrates great skill and hard work. He is a role model who shows that with determination one can achieve their dream. Just like other people, life has its hard times in his case a sexual assault charge but he got through this tough time and is still admired by many.

Reference List

Kaye, E. (2002). Kobe, Shaq, and the Making of a Lakers Dynasty. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kobe Bryant to host local charity event . (2009). The insider Business Journal. Web.

Medina, M. (2010, February 7). Kobe Bryant says he can’t measure up to Peyton Manning’s work ethic. Los Angeles times. Web.

Slater, J. (2009).Tiger admires Kobe work ethic, Jordan’s skill. Inquirer sports. Web.

Sportige.com. Kobe Bryant. Web.

Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, December 19). Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic. https://ivypanda.com/essays/kobe-bryant-and-his-work-ethic/

"Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic." IvyPanda , 19 Dec. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/kobe-bryant-and-his-work-ethic/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic'. 19 December.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic." December 19, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/kobe-bryant-and-his-work-ethic/.

1. IvyPanda . "Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic." December 19, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/kobe-bryant-and-his-work-ethic/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic." December 19, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/kobe-bryant-and-his-work-ethic/.

Kobe Bryant: “Beefsteak” in American Basketball History
Shaq Petroleum Station Environmental Management
Ethics in Mass Media: Kobe Bryant's Sexual Assault Articles
National Basketball Association: Team Work
Nike Dumps Lance Armstrong
Kobe Steak House: What Makes It Unique and Attractive?
Invading Your Hearts and Minds: Commercial Analysis
Contrasting Views of Career Choices Amid the State of American Culture
Faber Castell Company's Marketing Strategies
Disaster Tourism and Motivation Behind It
Soccer and National Identity
Future Strategy for Arsenal FC in Business
Arsenal Football Club PESTEL Analysis
How Soccer Influences Society and Resolves Issues
Olympic Games: Healthy Lifestyle Concepts

Religion in the Life of Kobe Bryant

Open access
Published: 28 June 2021
Volume 25 , pages 324–338, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

Michał Mazurkiewicz 1

11k Accesses

2 Citations

1 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Kobe Bryant was a practicing Catholic who emphasized the importance of faith in a myriad of ways. This article shows how religion had a transformative impact on his life, including the influence of Catholic social teachings on Bryant’s outlook and motivation during and after his playing days.

Religious Traditions in Africa: An Overview of Origins, Basic Beliefs, and Practices

Spirits and Bodies as an Interdependent Network of Relations and Approach to the Study of Religion in Brazil

Stefan van der Hoek

Edep: ethical imagination and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammed

Zora Kostadinova

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Sport and religion are separate spheres, seemingly having little in common, arguably as separate as church and state. Yet below the surface reveals an interesting and important overlap. Sports and religion do, indeed, have a long history of mutual interplay (Alpert, 2015 , 24). In fact, the relationship between the two is a multifaceted phenomenon existing since the advent of sporting rivalry. As William J. Baker puts it, “from the earliest glimmer of civilization to the most recent World Cup, religion and sport have been intimately connected. … As religion and sport have interacted vigorously throughout history, the terms of their relationship have changed over time, but never has the one been far removed from the other” (Baker, 2012 , 216). In other words, these connections constitute not only an important segment of the history of sport but continue to function currently in different modified forms.

The observations of Parker and Watson ( 2013 , 9–10) show how that interaction took shape in particular periods of time:

Historians and anthropologists have mapped a relationship between religion and sport that spans approximately three thousand years … Links between the sacred and sport have been identified in a number of historical epochs. These include primitive times when ritual-cultic ball games were played to appease the gods (for fertility); the athletic spectacles of ancient Greece and the Olympic games that were held in honor of mythological deities; the gladiatorial contests of Rome; the festivals and folk-games of the Middle Ages; the general Puritan suspicion and prohibitions against sports; and, lastly, Victorian muscular Christianity (1850–1910), a socio-theological movement, and some would argue ideology, that significantly shaped the character of modern sports.

The phenomenon seems to have no borders, which makes it something ubiquitous. As Andrew R. Meyer et al. (Meyer et al., 2017 , 632) note, “sport and religion share a long history of social significance, transcending culture and geographic location.” Although over the centuries, secularization permeated sport, different kinds of connections between these two important spheres of life remain (Mazurkiewicz, 2018a , b ). Religion constitutes a part of the world of sport and vice versa.

Although the intricate interplay of religion with all kinds of social, political, or economic forces has been a frequently explored research field among historians, sociologists, and religion scholars, it should be noted that the relationship between religion and sport (until the last few decades of the twentieth century) has not received the scholarly attention it deserves. Despite the long-existing general neglect of sport as a topic of scholarly inquiry by those in traditional disciplines (Hoffman, 1992 , vii), the field of study known as religion and sports has only been around since the 1970s (Mazurkiewicz, 2018a , 109). In the following years, there was considerable growth in the academic literature focusing on the subject of sport and religion. Consequently, new areas of investigation started growing in importance (Parker & Watson, 2013 , 1). Houltberg et al. ( 2017 , 29) elucidate:

The visibility of religion in sports has sparked countless magazines articles, newspaper columns, books, and documentaries that have differing views on the utility of faith within sports. Recently, there has been increased scholarly attention on the interface of sports and Christianity due in part to organizations like Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Studies (CSKLS) and the recent gathering of international researchers and professionals at the Inaugural Global Conference on Sports and Christianity (IGCSC).

As American philosopher Novak ( 2013 , xi) states, especially “sports requiring high skill and heroism have always generated electricity back and forth with religion, not only with Christianity.” Given its great intensity and drama, basketball can be regarded as such a sports discipline. Numerous athletes have emphasized that religion was their main source of motivation and an important success factor. The foremost aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between sport and religion by analyzing the life, activity, and legacy of Kobe Bryant, one of the game’s all-time greats.

Religious Athletes and the Manifestations of Religion in Sport

Sport in itself is not the sole focus of sports historians, some of whom have explored the subject of religion. Thinking about athletes whose lives were/or pervaded by religious ethics, Eric Liddell, the Scottish athlete who excelled in track and field, is the first name that comes to mind. This Christian missionary saw religion as the highest priority, as he refused to run in the 100-m heats at the Olympic games in Paris in 1924 because the event was held on a Sunday. His story was featured in the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire ( 1981 ).

Former football (soccer) legends, such as Maradona and Pelé, frequently emphasized the importance of religion in the course of their careers. Maradona once stated: “God makes me play well. That is why I always make the sign of the cross when I walk out on to the pitch. I feel I would be betraying him if I didn't do that.” (Burns, 1996 , 83). As for Pelé, he remembered: I’ve always been religious. I come from a Catholic family, full of faith and always looking for God along my paths through life. (Pelé, 2006 , 178).

As for public expressions of religious beliefs in contemporary sport, many footballers (soccer players) cross themselves before a match; moreover, attachment to religion is very often visible in the form of chains, medallions, or photos, treated with reverence (Mazurkiewicz, 2011 , 324–326). It has also been demonstrated on the shirts of athletes. On David Alaba’s shirt, an Austrian player, one sees the message “My strength lies in Jesus” (“David Alaba: My strength...”, 2020 ). Uruguayan star Edinson Cavani has worn “I belong to Jesus” T-shirts under his jerseys and declared in an interview for El País that he is “an athlete for Christ” (Ackerman, 2018 ). He explained: “That’s why I play for Him, to give Him glory, to thank Him for giving me the ability to play football … for giving me that divine gift that I am trying to manage more and more” (Ackerman, 2018 ).

Some Polish footballers, openly declaring attachment to their faith, both inside and outside the stadium, joined the action “I am Not Ashamed of Jesus,” an effort initiated in 2011 by the members of the Youth Crusade and that constitute an answer to—as they described it—aggressive attitudes of left-wing and lay milieus (“Nie wstydzę się...” n.d. ). Famous stars, such as Robert Lewandowski, who plays striker for the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and is captain of the Poland national team, supported the action publicly, encouraging others not to be ashamed of manifesting openly one’s faith (Mazurkiewicz, 2018b , 218–219).

Manifestations of such support also include public prayer, which has been a topic of discussion in many publications on sport and religion. Hoffman ( 2010 , 240) pays attention to both individual and team practice of praying (in locker rooms, before and after games). As he remarks, “this trend of praying in sports has been on the rise for at least thirty years” (Hoffman, 2010 , 240). In fact, “religion has become so commonplace that athletes on every level are routinely seen and encouraged to pray before and after an event, and many are even shown performing some aspect of prayer following touchdowns, homeruns, and post-celebratory victories” (Smith, 2017 , 15–16). As for American sport, a good example is former professional American football player Tim Tebow, famous for kneeling in prayer after scoring a touchdown, which has since been referred to as “Tebowing.” As Novak ( 2013 , xi) states, “what makes him so beloved to the public … is that he always goes down on one knee, his head in his hands, and communes with God. Win or lose, he thanks God.” Importantly, the famous athlete has shared his Christian faith in prisons and schools, to church and youth groups, and at numerous meetings at conferences (Tebow & Gregory, 2017 ). But decades before Tebow, there were Reggie White, former Green Bay Packer and Philadelphia Eagle Defensive End, and former New York Giant Linebacker Lawrence Taylor who were known to pray openly, on the field, with teammates as well as members of the opposing team. Sporting activities provide a popular stage upon which athletes can display their exceptional skills, experience the exhilaration and disappointment of competition, bask in adulation from adoring fans, and pursue fame and fortune.

Kobe Bryant and His Catholic Roots

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1978. He was raised in a Catholic family, and a good chunk of his childhood (from age 6 to 13) was spent living in Italy, as his father, Joe “Jelly-Bean” Bryant, a former NBA player, continued his career in that country. Because the family moved several times, due to Joe Bryant’s change in teams, the ability to adapt proved to be one of Kobe’s greatest strengths. Joe Bryant played seven seasons in Italy for four teams. The Bryant family first went to Rieti, a town in central Italy, approximately 50 miles from Rome, and then moved to Reggio Calabria, in the country’s toe, then to Cireglio in Tuscany, and finally to Reggio Emilia, in the north. During those formative years in Italy, Kobe immersed himself in Italy’s culture, which included becoming fluent in Italian.

Italy, a country known for its food, historic sights, and being home to some of the world’s best soccer teams is traditionally and overwhelmingly Catholic. The fact that the religious and social landscape of the country was strongly influenced by the Roman Catholic tradition played an important role in Bryant’s formative years. For example, his biographers note that his parents chose a Catholic education for their children: “Kobe and his sisters took ballet, and Shaya [his sister] discovered that she liked karate almost as much as her brother. The schools were Catholic, run by no-nonsense nuns, and the children received outstanding educations” (Lazenby, 2016 , 86).

Interestingly, the predilection for basketball developed in close association with religion. It was the area around the local church in Rieti (Stimmatini di Rieti, nowadays Casa del Buon Pastore) where young Bryant learned the finer points of the game. Andrea Barocci, a sports journalist recalled in an interview: By “Aged 6, Kobe would often jump off the balcony of his parents’ house, cross a busy road and run to a church playground, where he would spend hours throwing a ball in the basket” (Lavanga, 2020 ). Jacomo Vittori, Kobe’s childhood friend from Italy, stated that even at that early stage “the mentality of Kobe was very concentrated to win, win, win” (Lazenby, 2016 , 81).

The Bryant family felt very comfortable in Italy, drawing creative energy both from their surroundings as well as the local residents. Roland Lazenby, Kobe Bryant’s biographer, notes: “despite the genial people and laid-back atmosphere, there was passion everywhere, from Italy’s many Renaissance-era cathedrals and chapels to its basketball arenas, jammed with singing, dancing fans” (Lazenby, 2016 , 84). Thus, the Bryants lived in Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Cireglio (Pistoia), and Reggio Emilia, the last place holding an especially important place in Kobe’s heart. Although Kobe left Italy for the states at the age of 13 (Gleeson, 2020 ), some still considered him a native son of sorts (Lazenby, 2016 , 82). One of Bryant’s childhood friends in Italy, Alessia Pierattini, recalled a surprise visit to Rieti by the basketball superstar in 2013. “One morning at 7, the doorbell rang and I saw Kobe,” During their conversations, when memories connected with religious practices, she showed him a photo album that she put together of pictures of when he was a boy including his First Holy Communion at a local Roman Catholic Church in Cireglio (Corvino & Amante, 2020 ). “When we left the house after an hour together, people stopped their cars because they wanted to see him. He was open to everybody and took photos in the streets (with them),” Pierattini remembered. She added that Kobe told her that he wanted to bring his daughter to live in Italy. “I want them to experience what I felt as a child, a reality that does not exist in America,” Pierattini remembers Kobe telling her (Corvino & Amante, 2020 ).

Religiousness of Kobe Bryant

Steve James (James, 2020 , 69) recalls an instance where Bryant confirmed the importance of religion in his life: “he expressed his faith in God outright, saying, ‘I’ve pretty much done all I can here and, you know, God will carry me the rest of the way, so I'm pretty comfortable with that.’” However, as commentators notice, “Although Kobe was religious, he did not make religious statements quite as often as many other athletes” (James, 2020 , 69). Why this is so is not entirely clear. The Catholic faith was a guiding light throughout his life. Yet it was only after his tragic death that it was revealed in detail, the extent to which he took religion seriously. Catholic News Agency (CNA) played an integral role in making people aware that Bryant was a devout Catholic. Soon, other catholic media outlets and forums followed suit, such as Breitbart and conservative Catholic media (Lisi, 2020 ). The most important reason for the relative invisibility of religion-related subjects in the mainstream media can be easily explained. Journalist Clemente Lisi, of Religion Unplugged , justifies the prior reluctance on the part of journalists venturing into that aspect of Bryant’s life in the following way:

Repairing your marriage and finding redemption in God must be a right-wing thing if most of the news media finds it uninteresting to report on as part of the Kobe story and legacy. … The mainstream news media has been squeamish to report on Bryant’s faith. The reason may be two-fold. One, it would involve actually reporting on religion. The second, rehashing the rape allegation, an episode that is both dark and bleak from his past, is no way to remember Bryant’s life. After all, who wants to speak ill of the dead (Lisi, 2020 ).

What the author refers to is the accusation of sexual assault in Colorado in 2003. Controversy swirled as Bryant claimed the sex was consensual. Although the charges against the athlete were eventually dropped as the woman refused to testify, the whole affair cast a shadow over him. As a result, “Kobe was very much under the spotlight during 2003–2004 as a result of the case” (James, 2020 , 62). Without any doubt, this was a low point in both his personal and professional life (James, 2020 , 64). That event, however, and its consequences set the stage for a personal transformation on Kobe’s part. CNN religion commentator, Father Beck ( 2020 ), spoke to this point, eloquently:

Kobe said he was sorry and took moral responsibility for his behavior and the consequences of it. While some questioned the timing of his apology—made after case dismissal— many witnessed instead a self-professed sinner who had been humbled and had recognized his need for mercy and forgiveness. And thus the redemption of Kobe Bryant began—in the eyes of God, his Church, his family and many of his fans.

Bryant’s firm resolution to start a new chapter in his life was greatly influenced by religion. In an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, in 2006, in response to the question about what he had learned from the incident in Colorado. Bryant replied: “God is great” (Lisi, 2020 ). Smith responded—“everyone knows that”—at which point Bryant went on to explain: “You can know it all you want, but until you have to pick up that cross that you can’t carry and he picks it up for you and carries you and the cross, then you know” (Lisi, 2020 ). Kobe’s response suggests a level of maturity and introspection. Nearly 10 years later in 2015, he “credited his Catholic faith with helping him move past a challenging period in his own life and the life of his family” (“The Catholic faith...”, 2020 ). In an interview published in GQ . Bryant stated:

The one thing that really helped me during that process— I’m Catholic, I grew up Catholic, my kids are Catholic— was talking to a priest. It was actually kind of funny: He looks at me and says, “Did you do it?” And I say, “Of course not.” Then he asks, “Do you have a good lawyer?” And I’m like, “Uh, yeah, he’s phenomenal.” So then he just said, “Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So, let it go.” And that was the turning point (Klosterman, 2015 ).

This is not to say that the redemption process was an easy one. In 2011, Kobe’s marriage was on the rocks as his wife filed for divorce. The divorce petition was eventually withdrawn. As James ( 2020 , 64) puts it, “time passed, and he maintained his resolve to press on. His wife stayed with him all through, and by all accounts, he healed and repaired the family that he had almost damaged.” Bishop Timothy Freyer (auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Orange, California) offers a more nuanced perspective:

The practice of the faith wasn’t just to save the marriage. I think it was also a way for him to draw closer to Christ, and hopefully anybody in any state, whether it’s in a state of grace, whether it’s in a state of problems, discouragement, family troubles, sin, that they, too, would follow his example and turn to the Church and throw themselves at the feet of Christ (Hoffarth & Lowery, 2020 ).

Perhaps the most glaring example of Bryant’s connection to religion was his predilection for tattoos, a few of which were replete with religious overtones. It is worth noting that “the tradition of Christian tattoos goes back hundreds of years in the Egyptian Coptic church but is relatively new in the West, and yet, a generation of young Catholics has found that the symbols of Catholicism—crosses, icons, rosaries, paintings and medals—easily translate into tattoo art” (Keating, 2013 ). Bryant got the “religious” tattoos done in 2003, the same year he was accused of rape (Pawar, 2020 ). Some of Kobe’s tattoos are elaborate. Take for example the “angel wings” tattoo with the “angel nimbus” on the player’s right arm,

he got this tattoo in reference to his wife, Vanessa, to whom he considered a blessing in his life. This tattoo is also inked in 2003 along with a ‘Vanessa’ tattoo. Generally, an ‘angel wings with the angel nimbus’ tattoo represents blessings, divine powers, support, guidance, spiritual protection, and divine love (“Kobe Bryant 5 Tattoos...” 2020 ).

Underneath the angel wings on Kobe’s bicep, are the words “Psalm XXVII.” As for the tattoo’s inspiration, it was an expression of remorse and an attempt at making amends with his wife, following the rape accusation (Marvi, 2020 ). It was also to show his unambiguous attitude to religion by means of demonstrating the fragment of Scripture that was near and dear to his heart (Brown, 2013 ).

Bryant also attached a fair amount of importance to the Rosary prayer, prompting plans for another tattoo, which he revealed on Twitter, writing: “A rosary over my right shoulder cap going down my arm maybe” (Kobe Bryant’s Twitter account, 2013 ). Bryant died before such plans could be realized. One incident worth mentioning that demonstrates Bryant’s attachment to the Rosary left an impression on Sister Rose Pacatte, the founding Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles (Culver City). Pacatte described a special moment, one in which she, a fellow sister, and the customers who were present that day will undoubtedly never forget. Pacatte posted a short story on Pauline.org about the day in 2004 when Bryant visited the aforementioned place: “He was looking for a special rosary for his wife, Vanessa. As the sister who was there tells the story, the other shoppers, obviously star-struck, stopped and looked in awe as he moved quietly around the shop” (Pacatte, 2020 ).

Another instance in which the Rosary was featured prominently occurred following his tragic death. Many people gathered at St. Paul The Apostle Catholic Church in Chino Hills, CA, to make rosaries in order to present to Bryant’s church. They believed that helping to make the rosaries constituted a way of beginning the healing process over the tragic death of Bryant and the others on that helicopter. One of the volunteers, Gigi Macaraeg, expressed this: “The rosary is a very powerful healing tool and I believe a lot of people were hurt and are still hurting over Kobe’s death. And the fact that we will be donating this to Kobe’s parish and distributing it will bring a lot of healing” (Silva & Chidbachian, 2020 ). Interestingly, at the makeshift memorial created after Bryant’s death in the L.A. Live plaza across from Staples Center, Catholic-themed objects included not only crosses and candles, but also rosaries, which were draped on numerous photographs depicting him (Hoffarth & Lowery, 2020 ).

It is also important to note that Bryant regularly attended his local church. As the Catholic News Agency informed, “Bryant and his wife have been reported to be regular parishioners at an Orange County, California parish, and after his death, some on social media said that he had been seen at Mass before the helicopter ride that ended his life” (“The Catholic faith...”, 2020 ). The name of the church in question is the Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach. As Julie Hermes, a spokesperson for the aforementioned church, confirmed that Bryant was present at Mass on the morning of the helicopter crash. She said that Bryant would often sit somewhere at the back and would leave before the end to avoid disturbing the other parishioners. She added: “He was very much loved at the church, and he was very devout, very dedicated to his faith” (Pepper, 2020 ). Steve Sallot, the parish priest, remembered him as a man of faith. He recalled their meeting on the day before the fatal flight: “We shook hands, and I saw that he had blessed himself because there was a little holy water on his forehead. So, I knew that he’d gone into the chapel to pray and came out and blessed himself. And then we spoke for a minute, shook hands, and then off he went” (“Kobe Bryant Visited...”, 2020 ).

What Kobe prayed that morning, no one knows. Undoubtedly though, he prayed at Mass each week saying: “Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy” (Beck, 2020 ). As Father Beck emphasizes, referring to the difficult past experience that Bryant had gone through, “Kobe’s life is testimony that he meant the words of his prayer, and that his prayers were answered. Yes, his cracks were surely visible, but they were engulfed by the light shining through them for all the world to see” (Beck, 2020 ).

The shocking news concerning the death of the basketball superstar prompted numerous responses on social media. Also, representatives of the church reacted instantly. The Archbishop of Los Angeles (the nation’s largest Catholic community) José H. Gomez expressed his deep sadness on Twitter, offering prayers both for Bryant and his family. He even remembered his personal contact with the athlete, telling Catholic News Service:

I remember one time going to the Lakers’ practice, and I had a good conversation with him. We are praying for the eternal repose of his soul, his daughter who also died and for the family. It must be a very challenging time for his family. So, let's pray for him and pray for his family (“Remembering Kobe Bryant...”, 2020 ).

The aforementioned bishop Timothy Freyer emphasized the huge impact Kobe Bryant had on the people around him. He also paid attention to his modesty, the fact that he did not flaunt his fame and wealth:

Kobe inspired us through his words and actions to set our goals, work hard and achieve our dreams. He was a committed Catholic who loved his family and loved his faith. A longtime Orange County resident and parishioner in our Diocese, Kobe would frequently attend Mass and sit in the back of the church so that his presence would not distract people from focusing on Christ’s Presence (Bishop Timothy Freyer’s Facebook page, 2020 ).

Fellow parishioners also shared stories. One of them, Dominic Picarelli, stated that he had seen Bryant in church for a long time and was most impressed with the constant presence of the sports star, when his daughter Natalia and Picarelli’s son went through the 2-year process of first Holy Communion. He remembered: “He was always there. Always. Always for his kids. You can always gauge a man’s character by the way he treats children. He showed such patience when he was around kids. I never had a chance to tell him that; I feel bad I never did” (Hoffarth & Lowery, 2020 ). This confirms Bryant’s dedication, both to his family and to his religious convictions.

Let us recall another meaningful example. Singer and actress Cristina Ballestero, who comes from Anaheim, CA, described (2020 Footnote 1 ) on Instagram her unexpected encounter with Bryant at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, California at a Mass. She was tremendously excited with that fact, and describing the whole situation in detail underlined his good manners:

I was sitting in the very back of Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, CA, on a WEEKDAY mass. At the time I was very into wearing veils and on this particular day I had a scarf I used as veil. Right as mass begins, I see a huge shadow in my right peripheral vision and hear a decently loud creak from probably a big man. I double took to see... it was KOBE BRYANT IN THE SAME PEW AS ME ON THE OTHER END! I just went about my normal praying and singing as usual cause he like all of us came to pray. Thank God I had the veil so I could stay focused on Jesus not this insanely talented Basketball player my whole family has looked up to and watched our whole lives. As we went up to communion, he waited for me to go. If you grew up in the Catholic Church, you understand this is a respectful thing, men do in church as a sign of respect to women.

All these reactions demonstrate that Kobe definitely had an impact on the local community; they also suggest that “Kobe Bryant was everything but ordinary” (James, 2020 , 1). He often made a point of pursuing important things in life. He was aware that sporting achievements were not of paramount importance in the grand scheme of things. This is corroborated by the following words: “Now, championships come and go. Right? There’s going to be another team that wins an NBA Championship, another player that wins another MVP award. But if you really want to create something that lasts generations, you have to help inspire the next generation...” (James, 2020 , 1).

The Bryant Family Foundation

Although Bryant will be remembered most of all by means of his work ethos and incredible sports successes, his influence extends beyond sport. Attaching great importance to his Catholic faith and having instilled in him Catholic social teaching (including the ideas of solidarity, common good or wealth distribution), the athlete decided not to restrict himself to sport. He once stated:

I don’t want to look back and just say, “Well, I had a successful career because I won so many championships and scored so many points.” There’s something else that you have to do with that. You have to do something that carries a little bit more weight to it, a little more significance, a little more purpose to it (Pepper, 2020 ).

Bryant was one of the highest paid athletes in the world. As James ( 2020 , 66) notes, “estimates from CNN have indicated that Kobe likely made $16 million a year from endorsement deals alone.” At the moment of the retirement in 2016, Bryant’s salary and endorsements gave him a net worth of $680 million (as it was estimated by Forbes). The subsequent growth of his fortune was not precisely analyzed (Telford, 2020 ). Yet after the tragic death, his fortune was estimated at $600 million (James, 2020 , 68).

Despite his good fortune, Bryant was apparently not unfamiliar with the old adage “to whom much is given, much is expect.” Bryant tied his Catholic faith to a family commitment to help the poor. This resulted in the establishment of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation in 2007. The original name of the foundation was VIVO. Following the deaths of Bryant and his daughter, Vanessa changed the name of their family non-profit. It is now called the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, honoring Kobe and Gianna (Lee, 2020 ). As for financial questions, “from 2012 to 2017, the organization reported revenue of more than $2.5 million” (Evans, 2020 ).

As Lisi ( 2020 ) notes, emphasizing the painful past, which played a tremendous role in the way events unfolded:

Bryant’s rise, fall and return to greatness is a wonderful redemption story rooted in Christian virtue. Was Bryant perfect? Not at all. Instead, he was a human who struggled with fame and temptation. Bryant repaired his marriage, a process that took years, and raised his children to be Catholic. Bryant and his wife also founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation dedicated to helping young people and the homeless.

The connections between religious convictions and Bryant’s charitable activity were recalled by many observers, even religion journalists like Beck ( 2020 ), who notes the seriousness with which Bryant treated religion: “Bryant was a practicing Catholic who took his faith seriously, walking the talk. He attended Mass on Sundays—and some weekdays, too. He supported multiple charitable causes, including his own family foundation dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need”. The foundation mentioned here was the embodiment of his ambitious vision. As for the main aim of this institution, it

is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need, both domestically and globally, and encouraging young people to stay active through sports. The Foundation provides financial resources, develops unique programs and raises awareness for relevant issues in order to strengthen communities through educational and cultural enrichment opportunities (“The Kobe & Vanessa...” n.d. ).

The foundation helps fund shelters for young people and realizes other projects designed to serve the poor. As for homelessness, Bryant stated that it is an issue “that kind of gets pushed on the back burner because it’s easy to point the blame at those who are homeless and say, “Well, you made that bad decision. This is where you are. It’s your fault.” In life, we all make mistakes and to stand back and allow someone to live that way and kind of wash your hands of it … that’s not right” (“The Catholic faith...”, 2020 ). This shows that the problems that tend to be pushed to the margins of society constituted a source of considerable concern for Bryant.

Bryant did a lot to support and inspire young people, especially athletes. The Mamba Sports Academy Project Play 2020 was intended to improve the health of young people by fighting “the epidemic of physical inactivity” (James, 2020 , 67). The activity supporting programs helping students develop skills needed to succeed focused not only on America, but became an international undertaking:

Kobe was affiliated with the After-School All-Stars (ASAS) and acted as the official ambassador. The non-profit organization offers programs to children in thirteen different cities. Kobe also had a partnership with the Ching Ling Foundation after starting the Kobe Bryant China Fund. Money from the funds is used for charities in China that are focused on education and health (James, 2020 , 70).

Bryant showed sensitivity toward children, especially those struggling with life-threatening illnesses and spared no pains to help them over many years. According to the Make-A-Wish foundation, over the span of his career, Bryant met with many critically ill children to fulfill their life-changing wishes. Prior to retiring, Bryant often invited kids to games (Christian 2020 ). As Lauren Lee from CNN notes,

Over the last 20 years, Bryant granted more than 250 wishes of children battling life-threatening illnesses through the Make A Wish Foundation. The foundation's Facebook page called Bryant “an amazing wish granter who has brought countless smiles to our wish kids and their families” (Lee, 2020 ).

The above-presented line of thinking and a desire to help those in need may have directed Bryant’s attention to an institution that has come to occupy a special place in the hearts of Black Americans—the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, of which Kobe was a founding donor—the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture (“National Museum...”, n.d. ). His donation played an important role in the early phase of the realization of the undertaking. As for the sum, he and his wife “donated at least $1 million” (Lee, 2020 ). On the day of the opening of the Museum, that is September 24, 2016, Bryant tweeted (Christian 2020 ), “Go. See. This. Museum. There is no greater testament to this country than the stories in this building. Honored to be a part of it @NMAAHC”.

This statement below issued by the Museum after Kobe’s death shows the board’s appreciation and gratitude of the board for Bryant’s support.

For us at the NMAAHC, Kobe holds a very special place in our hearts. In the very critical stages of building the museum, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant became founding donors, giving us the boost that we needed to keep moving forward. Kobe also had the opportunity to visit the museum before its opening. He was so moved by the experience that he later donated his uniform jersey from the 2008 NBA Finals, the year he was named the league MVP. For his many gifts to the museum and for the example he set for athletes and fathers, we are forever grateful to Kobe Bryant and will miss him deeply (“National Museum...”, 2020 ).

Kobe’s accomplishments in the areas of charity and teaching and mentorship exceed what is typical for someone of his stature. This is not to say that celebrities do not financially support worthy causes, they do. However, Kobe’s deeds were about legacy building. The words of one of Bryant’s former teammates, Metta World Peace (an interview in CNN), uttered shortly after the announcement of the death of the athlete and his daughter in the helicopter crash, sums up Kobe well—“He’s leaving a legacy, and he’s teaching people how to be more than just an athlete” (Lee, 2020 ).

America’s historical obsession with both sport and religion has, in recent years, drawn the attention of numerous scholars. As Kyle ( 2018 , 22) rightly notes, “from the beginning America was certainly Christian in a cultural sense”. In the last decades, the country became more secular and although religion is gradually losing influence in broadly understood public life or is even being pushed out of it by political ideologies, it does not necessarily concern American sports arenas. The face of modern sport has been changing on account of numerous factors, such as commercial and technological innovations, but religious concerns still pervade stadiums. One of the main reasons is that faith can serve as a performance enhancer.

This article brought together two areas of scholarship (sport and religion) through an analysis of one of sport’s greatest icons—Kobe Bryant. In doing so, it adds to the scholarship on the importance of religion in the culture of sport. Given the increased focus on this kind of research, it is not surprising that more and more case studies seeking to address the presence of religion in sport have emerged.

What turns a national celebrity into a real sports hero is, among other things, the person’s character (Holt & Mangan, 1996 , 10). Therefore, when analyzing the complexities of athletes’ lives, it makes sense to pay attention to what helped shaped a given figure. As already alluded to, the purpose of this article was not only to shine a light on the remarkable story of Kobe Bryant, but most of all, to understand what role religion has played and continues to play in the case of the sportsman, by means of finding examples of religious manifestations, as well as utterances showing players deep attachment to the Catholic teaching. Religion was the driving force behind Bryant’s career. In fact, some of Bryant’s actions can best be understood within the context of his religiousness, the question of his foundation and numerous philanthropic actions being the most striking examples. Then, there is of course the religious-themed tattoos, his regular church attendance, the importance of prayer, and the Rosary.

The phenomenon of prayer in sport constitutes a broad and fascinating research area. As Shirl Hoffman notes, “in no age has prayer become so woven into the fabric of sports as in the modern era” (Hoffman, 2010 , 240). This commonly observed religious practice, which is supposed to help enhance the athletes’ performance, takes many forms. Sport is undoubtedly far more than mere entertainment. Religion allows one to believe that life has some purpose. The legacy of Bryant continues through the fruits of his charitable activity, built upon increased religious beliefs. This particular example demonstrates that religion has something important to offer in our social reality, that it can be a positive force for change.

It is reasonable to conclude that Kobe Bryant’s career and the way he lived should be considered against the background of his moral attitudes, as religion played a prominent role in both his intellectual and character development. This article may prompt other scholars to embark on studies that examine the role of religion in the lives of athletes specifically and in sport generally.

Cristina Ballestero’s Instagram account. 2020. January 26, accessed November 15, 2020 https://www.instagram.com/p/B7y_av7FDnS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link .

Ackerman, J. (2018). Edinson Cavani leads Uruguay in World Cup as ‘an athlete for Christ’. SPORTS SPECTRUM . https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/soccer/2018/06/30/edinson-cavani-leads-uruguay-in-world-cup-as-an-athlete-for-christ/

Alpert, R. T. (2015). Religion and sports: an introduction and case studies . Columbia University Press.

Book Google Scholar

Baker, W. J. (2012). Religion. In S. W. Pope & J. Nauright (Eds.), Routledge Companion to Sports History (pp. 216–228). Routledge.

Google Scholar

Beck, E. (2020). Priest: Kobe Bryant sought redemption through his Catholic faith. CNN . https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/opinions/redemption-kobe-bryant-catholic-faith-beck/index.html

Bishop Timothy Freyer’s Facebook page. (2020). January 27, accessed November 20, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/BishopFreyer/posts/598978953983562

Brown, L. (2013). Kobe Bryant thinking about getting a new rosary tattoo. Larry Brown Sports . https://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/kobe-bryant-new-rosary-tattoo/187494

Burns, J. (1996). The hand of God: the life of Diego Maradona . Lyons & Burford Publishers.

Christian, T. A. (2020). 10 Times Kobe Bryant Was A Star Off Of The Court. ESSENCE. https://www.essence.com/feature/kobe-bryantphilanthropy/

Corvino, C., & Amante, A. (2020). “He used to climb into the hoops”: Kobe’s Italian childhood home pays tribute. REUTERS . https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-kobe-bryant-italy-idUSKBN1ZQ1QM

“David Alaba: ‘My strength lies in Jesus’”. (2020). Evangelical Focus . https://evangelicalfocus.com/life-tech/7700/david-alaba-my-strength-lies-in-jesus

Evans, K. D. (2020). Kobe Bryant’s charitable work included 20 years with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. THE UNDEFEATED . https://theundefeated.com/features/kobe-bryants-charitable-work-included-20-years-with-the-make-a-wish-foundation/

Gleeson, S. (2020). Kobe Bryant, ‘man of faith,’ attended Mass with his family morning of helicopter crash. USA TODAY . https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2020/02/03/kobe-bryant-attended-mass-family-morning-crash/4646895002/

Hoffarth, T., & Lowery, S. (2020). Why Kobe Bryant took his Catholic faith so seriously. Angelus News . https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/kobe-the-catholic-a-quiet-witness-to-the-faith/

Hoffman, S. J. (1992). Preface. In S. J. Hoffman (Ed.), Sport and Religion (pp. vii–ix). Human Kinetics.

Hoffman, S. J. (2010). Good game: Christianity and the culture of sports . Baylor University Press.

Holt, R., & Mangan, J. A. (1996). Prologue: Heroes of a European Past. In R. Holt, J. A. Mangan & P. Lanfranchi (Eds.), European Heroes: Myth, Identity, Sport (pp. 1–13). London, Portland, OR: Frank Cass.

Houltberg, B. J., Wang, K. T., & Schnitker, S. A. (2017). Religiousness and perceived God perfectionism among elite athletes. Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Studies, 4 (1), 29–46.

Hudson, Hugh. (1981). “Chariots of Fire.” [videorecording]/ Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, Allied Stars Ltd., and Enigma Productions.

James, S. (2020). Kobe Bryant: the mindset of a champion . Independently published.

Keating, A. (2013). Marked for Christ: The sacred symbolism of religious tattoos. America. The Jesuit Review . https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/marked-christ

Klosterman, C. H. (2015). Kobe Bryant will always be an all-star of talking. GQ . https://www.gq.com/story/kobe-bryant-nba-allstar

“Kobe Bryant 5 Tattoos & Their Meanings.” (2020). Body Art Guru, n.d. https://bodyartguru.com/kobe-bryant-tattoos/

Kobe Bryant’s Twitter account. (2013). Twitter, May 14, Accessed https://twitter.com/kobebryant/status/334350258484154369

“Kobe Bryant visited Newport Beach Church the morning of his death: ‘he was quite a man of faith’.” (2020). CBS Los Angeles . https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/kobe-bryant-visited-newport-beach-church-the-morning-of-his-death-he-was-quite-a-man-of-faith/ar-BBZpE3l

Kyle, R. G. (2018). Popular Evangelicalism in American Culture . Routledge.

Lavanga, C. (2020). A view of Kobe Bryant from his childhood home in Italy. NBC . https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/view-kobe-bryant-his-childhood-home-italy-n1123716

Lazenby, R. (2016). Showboat: the life of Kobe Bryant . Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Lee, L. (2020). Honor Kobe Bryant’s legacy through the charities he supported. CNN . https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/honoor-kobe-bryant-charity-iyw-trnd/index.html

Lisi, C. (2020). Ignoring ignoring Kobe Bryant’s Catholic faith results in incomplete look at his life. Religion Unplugged . https://religionunplugged.com/news/2020/1/27/kobe-bryant-how-his-catholic-faith-helped-turn-his-life-around

Marvi, R. (2020). The real meaning behind every single tattoo of Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant. LAKERS DAILY . https://lakersdaily.com/the-real-meaning-behind-every-single-kobe-bryant-tattoo/

Mazurkiewicz, M. (2011). Some observations about ritual in sport. Studies in Physical Culture and Tourism 18(4), W. Lipoński & P. Krutki (Eds.). Poznań, 317–327.

Mazurkiewicz, M. (2018a). ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’: religion and religiousness in Polish football, 2008–2017. The International Journal of the History of Sport 35(1): Special Issue: Sport and Christianity: Historical Perspectives , 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2018.1503170

Mazurkiewicz, M. (2018b). Sport and religion: muscular Christianity and the Young Menʼs Christian Association. Ideology, Activity and Expansion (Great Britain, the United States and Poland), 1857–1939. Kielce: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jana Kochanowskiego w Kielcach.

Meyer, A. R., Wynveen, C. H. J., & Gallucci, A. R. (2017). The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: a scale developed for contemporary sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 52 (5), 631–647. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690215611392

“National Museum of African American History and Culture.” n.d. https://nmaahc.si.edu/

“National Museum of African American History & Culture.” (2020). “Statement on the death of basketball icon and museum founding donor Kobe Bryant.” January 28. Washington, DC: National Museum of African American History & Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/statement-death-basketball-icon-and-museum-founding-donor-kobe-bryant

“Nie wstydzę się Jezusa” [“I am not ashamed of Jesus”]. n.d. http://www.mt1033.pl/akcja.html

Novak, M. (2013). Foreword. In N. J. Watson & A. Parker (Eds.), Sports and Christianity: historical and contemporary perspectives (pp. xi–xii). Routledge.

Pacatte, R. Sr. (2020). Loss of Catholic star Kobe Bryant reminds us that life is fragile. National Catholic Reporter . https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/loss-catholic-star-kobe-bryant-reminds-us-life-fragile

Parker, A., & Watson, N. J. (2013). Introduction. In N. J. Watson & A. Parker (Eds.), Sports and Christianity: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (pp. 1–6). Routledge.

Chapter Google Scholar

Pawar, D. (2020). Kobe Bryant tattoos from the crown on shooting arm to Bianka’s name on his forearm. REPUBLICWORLD.COM . https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/basketball-news/all-of-kobe-bryants-tattoos-crown-on-shooting-arm-biankas-name-forearm.html

Pelé. (2006). Autobiography . Simon & Schuster Ltd.

Pepper, D. (2020). The Catholic faith of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. The Irish News . https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/faithmatters/2020/01/29/news/the-catholic-faith-of-basketball-legend-kobe-bryant-1828645/

“Remembering Kobe Bryant: A Catholic with a difficult legacy.” (2020). America. The Jesuit Review . https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/01/27/remembering-kobe-bryant-catholic-difficult-legacy

Silva, G. & Chidbachian, A. (2020). Chino Hills church making rosaries to present to Kobe Bryant’s church. FOX 11 Los Angeles . https://www.foxla.com/news/chino-hills-church-making-rosaries-to-present-to-kobe-bryants-church

Smith, D. T. (2017). When race, religion, and sport collide: black athletes at BYU and beyond . Rowman & Littlefield.

Tebow, T., & Gregory, A. J. (2017). Shaken: discovering your true identity in the midst of life’s storms . Waterbrook.

Telford, T. (2020). Investor, author, filmmaker: the entrepreneurial second act of Kobe Bryant. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/27/business-legacy-of-kobe-bryant/

“The Catholic faith of Kobe Bryant.” (2020). Catholic News Agency . https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-catholic-faith-of-kobe-bryant-77371

“The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.” (n.d.). http://kvbff.org/about/

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Kielce, Poland

Michał Mazurkiewicz

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michał Mazurkiewicz .

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Mazurkiewicz, M. Religion in the Life of Kobe Bryant. J Afr Am St 25 , 324–338 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-021-09538-2

Download citation

Accepted : 05 June 2021

Published : 28 June 2021

Issue Date : June 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-021-09538-2

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

American sport
Kobe Bryant
Find a journal
Publish with us
Track your research

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection

“I’d Rather Be with Them Than Doing Anything Else”: Kobe Bryant’s Status as the MVP of Girl’s Dads

Cassandra d. chaney.

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana United States

Over 40 years ago, Cazenave ( 1979 ) provided one of the first scholarly examinations of how middle-income Black fathers defined the provider role. Since that time, scholars have studied the realities of biological and social fathers (Coles et al., 2010 ; Connor & White, 2006 ; Hamer, 2001 , 1997 ; McDougal III & George III, 2016 ; Ransaw, 2017 ), as well as the relationship between fathering and sport (Fletcher, 2020 ). This qualitative work examined the words the late Kobe Bryant (January 23, 1978–January 26, 2020) used to describe his role as father to four daughters. To determine the underlying messages behind Bryant’s words, I used Phenomenology as the theoretical framework. Qualitative analysis of the words featured in the Insider article, “Kobe Bryant’s 10 Most Touching Quotes on Fatherhood and Raising Daughters” By Emily Cavanaugh (February 25, 2020 ) revealed three themes: (1) Bryant made being a present father a priority; (2) Bryant publicly praised his late daughter Gianna and her sisters; and (3) Bryant saw himself as a role model to children. Most important, Bryant’s fame and status in professional basketball along with his narratives regarding being a father to daughters is a strong, enduring counter narrative to the “absent Black father” trope that is common in society. The work also discussed the reasons why in light of the rape scandal Kobe Bryant is a good role model. Implications for how fatherhood will shape the Bryant legacy will be discussed.

Like the majority of people on the planet, I was deeply shocked and saddened when I learned of the death of the late NBA Superstar, Kobe Bryant (January 23, 1978–January 26, 2020). Kobe was with his 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven others, namely, Payton Chester, 13; Sarah Chester, 45; Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Keri Altobelli, 46; John Altobelli, 56; Christina Mauser, 38; and the helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50, when, on their way to a youth sports tournament, they crashed into a mountain near Calabasas, California (Moon & Silverman, 2020 ).

Like most, I had never personally met Kobe, but felt a profound connection to him through my paternal uncle, Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946), affectionately known to me as Uncle Don. Uncle Don graduated from the University of Houston, drafted as a Guard with the Los Angeles Lakers (1976–1977), and went on to have two stints as a Guard with the Boston Celtics (1968–1975, and 1977–1980) (Wikipedia, 2021a ). Growing up, my family and I had an annual ritual of viewing the most anticipated game of the year, the NBA Playoffs, which usually ended up being a battle between the two best teams in the NBA: teams that my Uncle Don played for, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Over the years, I have developed a real appreciation for Bryant’s impressively steady skill on the court. For example, Bryant was the youngest player to start a game (18 years, 158 days) as well as the youngest player to score 32,000 points (36 years, 87 days) or 33,000 points (37 years, 138 days). In addition, Bryant was the youngest named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (1996–1997) and NBA All-Defensive Team (1999–2000), win the NBA Slam Dunk Championship, or be a 5-time NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010) (Lakers Universe, 2020 ; Wikipedia, 2021b ). This sports legend also made a name for himself off the court, most notably, winning an Academy Award for Best Short Animated Film, “Dear Basketball,” On Sunday, March 4, 2018 (Oscars, 2018 ).

After his retirement from the NBA, Kobe was poised to reach a different type of greatness, especially in regards to cultivating the skills of women in professional sports. Instead of focusing on his numerous accomplishments on the court or the ones that he was in the process of developing off the court, this qualitative work will examine an aspect of Kobe’s life that most do not immediately think of—the words that Bryant used to describe being father to four daughters. To determine the underlying messages of Bryant’s words, I will use a qualitative methodological approach.

Goals of the Current Work

This scholarly tribute to Kobe Bryant has three major goals, and I use phenomenology to achieve these goals. The first goal of this work is to examine the words that Bryant used to describe his fatherhood identity. The second goal of this work is to examine the type of father that Bryant was to his daughters. The third goal of this work is to reveal how Bryant’s conceptualization of fatherhood extended beyond his biological progeny. To answer this question, I examined the words that Bryant himself used in the Insider article, “Kobe Bryant’s 10 Most Touching Quotes on Fatherhood and Raising Daughters” by Emily Cavanaugh (February 25, 2020 ).

Significance of the Current Work

The topic is important for three reasons. First, the current number of Black children born to unwed mothers has increased over time. In 1965, approximately 25% of Black children were born to unwed mothers, while during the 1990s, this number increased to 68%. In 2011, 72% of Black children were born to single mothers, yet today, 77% of African American youth are born to unwed mothers. Consider also that when compared with 23% of the general population, 67% of Black children will spend some part of their childhood living in a single-parent household (Parent et al., 2013 ). Thus, it is important to position Bryant’s fatherhood within contemporary realities of Black fatherhood, more broadly. Second, in light of the negative stereotypes of Black men in the media (Welch, 2007 ; Bryson, 1998 ; Leverentz, 2012 ), this work provides a strong counter narrative by situating fatherhood through the words of Kobe Bryant. Thus, this work reveals the kind of father that Bryant was to his biological children. Kobe was the youngest of three children and had two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya, who were aged 43 and 42, respectively. With the exception of his father, females surrounded Kobe during his formative years. Thus, seeing the abilities of women in his family of origin and later in the family that he established as an adult with his wife and their daughters must have impressed on Kobe that females could be just as successful in basketball or life as males (Cacich, 2020 ). Confidence in what females could actually accomplish motivated Bryant, while playing with the Los Angeles Lakers and upon his retirement, to support his daughter’s sporting events and future career goals. When speaking about the importance of fatherhood in Kobe’s life, Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel ( 2020 ) wrote, “Kobe Bryant died being a father. This isn’t a surprise, because being a father had long ago become the most important thing in his life, even more than lifting the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles and earning international fame.” Lastly, this work examines Bryant’s willingness to guide individuals who were not his biological children. While no one can deny Bryant’s immense talent on the field, this work provides a positive narrative of fatherhood through the words of “Black Mamba.” Given the aforementioned goals, the following three questions are foundational to this work: (1) How important was fatherhood to Kobe Bryant? (2) What was Bryant’s style of fatherhood? (3) What responsibility did Bryant have to children who were not biologically his own?

In the section that follows, I place the goals of this study within the empirical literature by drawing attention to key works related to Black fatherhood. I start by discussing the general perception of Black males in the media. Next, I discuss fatherhood among Black men. Then, I discuss the benefits of fathers for Black girls and boys. Lastly, I will discuss the theoretical foundation of the current work.

Review of Literature

Extant scholarship regarding Black fathers is extensive and spans several decades (Abdill, 2018 ; Adams, 2019 ; Cazenave, 1979 ; Connor & White, 2006 ; Daniel, 1975 ; Hamer, 1997 , 2001 ; Hutchinson, 1997 ; Kim, 2014 ; McAdoo, 1981 ; Oware, 2011 ; Prinsloo, 2006 ; Randles, 2020 ; Smith, 2008 ). Within this broad literature are numerous investigations of various aspects of Black fatherhood. For example, some works have placed Black fatherhood within an historical context, acknowledging how “the peculiar institution” negatively affected the ability of Black male slaves to be present fathers. In regards to this reality, Allred ( 2019 ) remarked, “The slave trade separated families at every stage, from the slave ships to the plantations. Since slaves were not allowed to maintain the basic family unit, fathers were robbed of their role and position in the family.” (p. 1). In spite of the immense social constraints under which they lived, Black male abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, Martin R. Delany, and Henry Highland Garney used their platforms to advance civil rights and draw attention to their roles as husbands, fathers, and heads of households (Islam, 2019 ). Other studies have examined the relationship between fatherhood and sport (Fletcher, 2020 ), how men father in prison (Hairston, 2002 ), and the relationship between masculinity, race, and fatherhood (Lloyd, 2020 ).

Given the abundant scholarship on fatherhood, it is appropriate to examine what this construct involves. Hamer’s ( 1998 ) qualitative work revealed Black men and Black women have different views regarding what fatherhood entails. While Black women largely associated fatherhood with economic support, Black men generally related fatherhood to expressive roles that made it possible for them to be a role model, guide, and protector of their children (Hamer, 1998 ). On the other hand, other scholars have made a distinction between fatherhood and responsible fatherhood (Horn, 2018 ; Mincy & Pouncy, 2012 ). Levine and Pitt ( 1995 ) asserted that responsible fathers do four things. First, these men wait to have a baby until they are emotionally and financially ready to support a child. Second, these men establish legal paternity when the baby is born. Third, these men actively co-parent with the mother of their children, particularly in regards to the child’s physical and emotional care, from pregnancy onward. Finally, these men share with the child’s mother in the continuing financial support of their child, from pregnancy onward (Levine & Pitt, 1995 ). Thus, responsible fatherhood is a conscious acknowledgement that a Black male be emotionally, financially, and actively involved in the life of their child, prior to birth and during the entire life span.

The Perception of Black Males in the Media

Although fatherhood is an immense source of pride for many Black fathers (Baker, 2001 ; Franklin, 2009 ; Threlfall et al., 2013 ), society does not generally recognize Black men’s capacity or willingness to be fathers, which renders their presence invisible. In regards to this, Coles et al. ( 2010 ), wrote, “Indeed, if one judged by popular and academic coverage, one might think the term “black fatherhood” an oxymoron. In their parenting role, African American men are viewed as verbs but not nouns; that is, it is frequently assumed that Black men father children but seldom are fathers.” (p. 1).

While much attention has been given to the stereotypical images of Black women (Belle, 2014 ; Harris-Perry, 2011 ; Rosenthal & Lobel, 2016 ), the assumption that Black men merely father children supports the cultural formula story of the deadbeat Black dad (Battle, 2018 ). Other destructive stereotypes erode the presence of Black males and their influence on their children’s lives. One of these roles is the “Tom,” which is short for “Uncle Tom,” and refers to a servile, docile, and simplistic Black man suffering from a cowardly disposition (Bogle, 2001 ). Another role is the “Buck,” which refers to a Black man with a large body who possesses an insatiable sexual appetite and is most dangerous to White women (Bogle, 2001 ). Although some may regard the latter troupe as more egregious, both are destructive to Black fatherhood and undermine the stability of the Black family. While the “Buck” engages in “serial illegitimacy” or a pattern of sexual behavior in which he fathers children with multiple women to whom he is not legally married (Gary, 1981 ), the “Tom” has little regard for the welfare of this children and demonstrates this by cowardly abdicating the responsibility of fatherhood. These cultural formula stories are destructive to Black men for two reasons. First, these stereotypes make it possible for many to assume Black men are sexually careless and irresponsible, both before and after the conception of the child (Johnson & Young, 2016 ), and have weak and/or non-existent relationships with their children (Hamer, 1997 ). Second, these stereotypes ignore the countless Black males who are active, present, and responsible fathers (Levine & Pitt, 1995 ). Sadly, stereotypical troupes assume Black men are animalistic, are uncivilized, and lack discipline, self-control, and restraint. Furthermore, Black men are inherently unfit for the institution of marriage, which is generally associated with sexual monogamy and requires commitment to family (Randles, 2013 ).

Fatherhood Among Black Men

Over 50 years ago, Moynihan ( 1965 ) asserted Black single mother households socially devalued Black fathers, and rendered their presence invisible. Since that time, several Black scholars provided resounding evidence that in spite of economic challenges, Black men highly value fatherhood and frequently make numerous sacrifices to be actively involved in the lives of their children (Brooms, 2020 ; Cazenave, 1979 ; Coles, 2009 ; Connor & White, 2006 ; Hamer, 1998 ; McAdoo, 1981 ). Although fatherhood has morphed from the provider role to more (emotionally) expressive roles, Black men largely associate their manhood with the traditional provider role (Hammond et al., 2011 ). Essentially, the aforementioned studies demonstrate that Black men have a strong need to be steady wage earners for themselves and their children.

While many Black males are fathers to their biological children, others are social fathers “who provide a significant degree of nurturance moral and ethical guidance, companionship, emotional support, and financial responsibility in the lives of children.” (Connor & White, 2006 , p. 6). Thus, social fathers willing to fulfill a father role for children who are not biologically their own (Bzostek, 2008 ) are especially important to Black children, and may be grandfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, new husbands and romantic partners of the mother, teachers, school mentors, coaches, and church mentors (Coles et al., 2010 ). Regardless of the form of fathering in which they engage, many Black fathers believe that their role is distinctively different from that of mothers and other individuals in the life of the child (Connor & White, 2006 ; Gary, 1981 ). One Black father used these words to describe his position in his child’s life, “So my role is to do what his mother can’t or won’t do… I take them to the show, spend time with him, get him extra things to make his life better… Then see, my biggest role too, is teaching him how to be a man, a black man…because that's something that his mother definitely cannot teach him… how to defend himself, how to act out here in the world, how to associate.” (Hamer, 1998 , p. 92). This comment suggests Black men see their contributions as distinctly different from those of mothers because they teach Black children to create their identity, protect themselves, and successfully navigate the world.

The Benefits of Black Fathers for Black Children

Research has demonstrated a myriad of advantages for Black children whose fathers (whether biological or social) are present (Baker, 2001 ; Blackshear, 2019 ; Clayton et al., 2003 ; Gunn, 2013 ; McAdoo & McAdoo, 2002 ). For example, when low-income fathers are consistently present, their children experience associated gains in cognitive and language development, academic achievement, and manifest fewer problem behaviors (Black & Dubowitz, 1999 ; Coley, 2001 ; Jackson et al., 2009 ). Black fathers also improve the emotional and social well-being of Black children. In their examination of the benefits of fathers for Black males, Zimmerman et al. ( 1995 ) found low-income African American boys’ relationship with and emotional support from their fathers or father figures (both residential and nonresidential) predicted higher self-esteem, lower depression and anxiety, and marginally lower delinquent behaviors. A subsequent study with urban Black fourth grade children revealed that warmth and control from nonresidential biological fathers and other father figures was related to fewer behavioral problems and better peer skills in school, particular among Black children (Coley, 1998 ).

One recent qualitative study examined the role of biological and social fathers in the lives of Black Americans. McDougal et al. ( 2018 ) conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 African Americans who had social fathers. These men and women were asked why they began to recognize certain men in their lives as fathers or father figures, how they were affected by having these social fathers in their lives, and comparisons between their biological and social fathers. According to these individuals, collective activities, consistent presence, and meaningful communication were salient indicators that motivated them to regard these Black men as social fathers. Moreover, these men and women attributed their values, and knowledge regarding manhood and relationships to these Black fathers. Thus, this work provided strong evidence that a Black male does not have to be the biological father of a child to have a positive effect on that child’s life (McDougal et al., 2018 ). Other studies have supported that Black youth benefit physically, psychologically, financially, emotionally, and academically when Black fathers are a stable presence in their lives (Blackshear, 2019 ; Durnell & Dlamini, 2018 ; Emory et al., 2020 ; Logan, 2018 ; Taysum & Ayanlaja, 2020 ). Essentially, these bodies of work provide resounding evidence that Black males play an important role in the lives of Black children.

Theoretical Framework: Phenomenology

Phenomenology recognizes that reality is not concrete or static and is highly related to individuals’ perceptions of reality. Fundamentally, this framework studies human behavior with the intent of uncovering how people define their world based on what they say and do (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998 ). Since life is a social construction whereby people use language and their own personal experiences to shape their lives, a phenomenological approach respects the “actor” as the most valid source of information regarding his or her life (Cerbone, 2014 ). In regards to the current work, the language of Kobe Bryant provides a window by which we, as audience members, learn his thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as a father. Since Black men define fatherhood in various ways, a phenomenological approach recognizes that what constitutes “reality” for Bryant may not have the same meaning or salience for another Black male “actor.” During his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant made several comments about the importance of fatherhood to him. Phenomenology’s use of everyday knowledge (Garfinkel, 1967 ), “practical reasoning” (Pollner, 1987 ), language, and subjectivity will be particularly useful in this study.

Presentation of the Findings

Qualitative analysis of the narratives provided by Bryant revealed the following three themes: (a) Bryant made being a present father a priority; (b) Bryant publicly praised his late daughter Gianna and her sisters; and (c) Bryant saw himself as a role model to children. The “Bryant made being a present father a priority” theme relates to the value that Bryant placed on fatherhood, in particular the quantity and quality of time spent with his children. The “Bryant publicly praised his daughters” theme relates to the language that Bryant used to describe his daughters. In addition, this theme respects what Bryant taught his daughters. The “Bryant saw himself as a role model to children” theme relates to the ways in which Bryant helped build the character of his own children and other youth, more broadly.

Theme 1: Bryant Made Being a Present Father a Priority

This NBA legend was the father to four daughters, Natalia Diamante, 17, Gianna, 13, Bianka Bella, 3, and Capri Kobe, 7 months, and he greatly valued his relationship with them. This vibrant Black sports personality publicly shared his thoughts and feelings about being father to four girls, his tender nature with his daughters, and the ways that he increased the quantity and quality of time that he spent with them. For example, 2 years prior to his death, Bryant said the following during a 2018 interview with Barstool Sports, “I was sitting in traffic and wound up missing the school play. I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft, but still not compromise family time. That’s when I looked into helicopters to be able to get down and back in 15 min.” Through these words, Bryant makes it clear that missing his daughter’s school play and his desire to “not compromise family time,” led to his seeking alternative ways to travel more efficiently.

Quantity and quality time were important to Bryant, and as an involved father, there were certain family traditions that he enjoyed with his family. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2018, he said, “Every year, we go and watch ‘The Nutcracker.’ We try to make a gingerbread house, but my wife and the kids do a much, much better job than I do! I’ll put it that way.” When asked about the impending birth of his fourth daughter (his wife, Vanessa, was pregnant at the time) during an interview on the Ellen De Generes show on 2019, Bryant said, “I love having girls.” When asked about how he felt about the impending birth, Bryant said, “I’m super, super excited about that. [Vanessa] is as well. She wanted a boy so he can be mama’s boy forever—that sort of thing. We’ll see if I can deliver.” (The Ellen Show, 2019 ). In addition, during the “ All the Smoke ” podcast in January 2019, Bryant admitted, “I can be an absolute teddy bear when I’m at home with my family… with my kids enjoying that family time.”

After his retirement, Kobe did not plan to attend the season opener because he planned to attend the volleyball game of his eldest daughter Natalia. When L.A. Times columnist Arash Mikazi asked why he rarely attended Laker’s games, he smiled and said, “I have my routine at home. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but I’d rather be giving B.B. a shower and sing Barney songs to her. I played 20 years and I missed those moments before.” In addition, when asked how he prioritized time with his children, Bryant this comment to Mikazi, “For me to make the trip up to Staples Center, that means I’m missing an opportunity to spend another night with my kids when I know how fast it goes. … I want to make sure the days that I’m away from them are days that I absolutely have to be. I’d rather be with them than doing anything else.” ( L. A. Times , October 21, 2019 ).

Theme 2: Bryant Publicly Praised His Daughters

This dynamic NBA star openly extolled the intelligence, curiosity, and talent of his daughters. During 2018, ESPN reporter Elle Duncan was pregnant with her daughter when she had the opportunity to interview this force within the NBA. When Bryant asked her about the gender of her baby, Bryant gave her a high-five and then said, “Be thankful that you’ve been given that gift because girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.” In that same year, Bryant not only praised his daughter Gianna’s skill on the basketball court but also said that her skill eclipsed his own, when he was her age. During that same conversation with Duncan, Bryant said, “She’s [Gianna] a monster. She’s a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it.”

During 2017, Kobe described what he loves most about watching his daughter Gianna {Gigi} play to the Los Angeles Times , “What I love about Gigi is her curiosity about the game. She’s very curious. Even in a heated situation in a game where it’s going back and forth, she can detach herself and come to me and ask a very specific question, which is not common” (Los Angeles Times, 2019 ). During 2018, Bryant was on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel talking about what he and his wife teach their children, “We try to teach the kids what excellence looks like. We try to give them a foundation of the amount of work that it takes to be excellent.” During the eulogy of her husband and daughter, Vanessa Bryant praised Kobe for his love and devotion to their four daughters. She expressed her feelings for her husband in this way, “Kobe was the MVP of girl dads—or MVD. He always told the girls how beautiful and smart they are. He taught them how to be brave and how to keep pushing forward when things get tough.” (Jimmy Kimmel Live, 2019 ).

Theme 3: Bryant Saw Himself as a Role Model to Children

This NBA force was a positive role model for children. When discussing the keys to his success, Bryant said the following to USA Today in January 2019, “You got to do what you love to do. I love telling stories. I love inspiring kids or providing them with tools that are going to help them.” Like many Black men, Kobe highly valued being a father to his biological progeny as well as being a social father, specifically a “Father Figure” to youth at Mamba Sports Academy (CBS, 2020 ). Chad Faulkner founded the Mamba Sports Academy in 2016. In December 2018, The Academy began a partnership with Bryant, thereafter, renaming the facility the Mamba Sports Academy. However, Faulkner realized that since there can only be one Mamba; it was time to change the name of the organization. In respects to his decision, Faulkner said, “One of the things that kept coming back to us is that Kobe is a, ‘one of one. As we were working here with his nickname of Mamba, that’s a one of one. And so we really felt that it was going to be in the best interest of everybody – including his family – to put Kobe in the rafters and those memories of where he belongs.” On May 12, 2020, the Mamba Sports Academy was renamed the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. The foundation, which is a part of the Academy, “provides sports education services to underserved communities and funds sports training opportunities for young women.” (Moran, May 12, 2020 ).

This scholarly work examined the words that Kobe Bryant used to describe being father to four daughters. Phenomenology regards an individual’s own words as the most valid source of information regarding their lives because those words provide considerable insight into the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of that person (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998 ). Without a doubt, Kobe Bryant’s words provide strong evidence that he deeply valued his daughters and made it a priority to be a consistent presence in their lives. In particular, viewing “The Nutcracker,” making gingerbread houses, and viewing school plays were family rituals that Bryant valued. Consider that long traffic delays and missing school plays, not professional commitments, were the primary reason why Kobe looked into helicopters as a mode of travel because doing made it possible for him to “still train and focus on the craft, but still not compromise family time.” In addition, even though Bryant made his mark in the NBA, a male-dominated sport, Bryant valued the gender of his offspring. What I found especially touching is that Kobe did not say, “I love having children,” but rather, “I love having girls.” Bryant’s love and appreciation for having daughters’ stands in direct contrast to cultures where male children are preferable to female offspring (Larsen et al., 1998 ; Loo et al., 2010 ).

Even though Kobe mentioned his wife wanted a son, he publicly honored the responsibility of molding the lives of his four daughters (National Geographic, 2021 ). I found it especially noteworthy the dichotomy that Kobe used to describe himself. Recall that he gave himself the nickname “Black Mamba.” According to The National Geographic, the Black Mamba is an African snake that lives in the savannas and rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa, known for its speed, lethal venom, and highly aggressive nature. Widely considered the world’s deadliest snake, Black mambas are shy and generally seek to escape when confronted, yet, when cornered, “raise their heads, sometimes with a third of their body off the ground, spread their cobra-like neck-flap, open their black mouths, and hiss. If an attacker persists, the mamba will strike not once, but repeatedly, injecting large amounts of potent neuro- and cardiotoxin with each strike.” While he was known for his aggressive focus on the basketball court, Kobe described himself as “an absolute teddy bear” when he is at home, enjoying time with his family. When asked how he prioritized time with his children, Bryant made the following comment to the Los Angeles Times, “I want to make sure the days that I’m away from them are days that I absolutely have to be. I’d rather be with them than doing anything else.” Through these words, Kobe makes it clear to the world that spending time with his children was the priority in his life. Most important, when he said, “I’d rather be with them than doing anything else,” Kobe makes it clear to his daughters and the world that he truly enjoyed spending time with his daughters.

Kobe Bryant Publicly Praised His Daughters

This NBA superstar openly acknowledged the accomplishments and the physical beauty of his daughters. By referring to Gianna as “a monster” and “a beast,” Kobe draws attention to Gianna’s curiosity and competitive spirit and thus allows her to carve out her own unique identity, separate and apart from him. While many fans believed only a son could further the Bryant legacy, Kobe verbalized confidence in Gianna’s ability to continue his basketball heritage as a female athlete, not in spite of being a female athlete. During an interview, Kobe shared the public’s tendency to minimize his daughter’s sports prowess and his own confidence in Gianna’s abilities. He used these words to convey his confidence in his second daughter, “The best thing that happens is when we [he and Gianna] go out and fans would come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me, and they’ll be like, ‘You’ve gotta have a boy, you and V [Vanessa] gotta have a boy. You gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition, the legacy. She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this. I’m like that’s right. Yes, you do. You got this.” (Andon, 2020 ). Bryant’s confidence in his daughter’s ability on the court was evident when he dubbed her “Mambacita” (Mervosh & Bogel-Burroughs, 2020 ).

There are two reasons why Kobe’s acknowledgement of “Mambacita” especially resonated with me. First, Kobe acknowledged society’s assumption that only a male could “carry on his tradition,” or perform to a level that would mirror his own sports accomplishments. Second, Kobe resisted this masculine assumption by emphatically mentioning three times, (“I’m like that’s right. Yes, you do. You got this.”) that he knows Gianna’s capabilities and abilities. Finally, Kobe fondly remembered incidents when he could quickly diffuse this masculine assumption by immediately drawing attention to Gianna, the daughter standing directly next to him who would carry on his name.

Kobe Bryant as Social Father

Through his words, it is evident that Kobe Bryant took seriously his role of biological father to four daughters and social father to many children not his own. For example, Kobe supported seven charities, and several of these charities, most notably After-School All-Stars, Cathy’s Kids Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Vijay Amritraj Foundation, enrich the lives of children, both nationally and globally (Look to the Stars, 2020 ). In addition to his support of children and youth, Kobe became especially interested in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) when his daughter Gianna became an avid player. During an interview with Barstool Sports, Kobe discussed whether females in the WNBA could transition to the men-dominated NBA, “There’s a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it.” Further, Kobe went on to name three WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) stars he believed could easily make the transition, namely, “Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Della Donne. There’s a lot of great players out there so they could certainly keep up with them.” (Trenaman, 2020 ). Instead of providing a generic response regarding the capability of females to one-day play in the male-dominated NBA, Bryant demonstrates a strong feminist stance by specifically naming three females whose skills currently enable them to enter that male-dominated space.

Kobe Bryant considered himself a role model and strongly believed celebrities should use their platform to be a positive example for youth and others. Not every NBA star, however, shared this view. Notoriously outspoken Phoenix Suns NBA star Charles Barkley declared that he was not a role model and believed it was ultimately the responsibility of parents to teach their children to emulate them, not athletes or celebrities. Boldly and defiantly, Barkley stated, “I'm not a role model…Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.” When Barkley made this statement, it caused a national controversy, especially among members of the African American community who believed Black youth, who primarily grow up in mother-headed households (Damaske et al., 2017 ; Dickerson, 1995 ), especially need strong, visible, positive role models. In his memoir, I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It , Barkley ( 2003 ) commented on the firestorm that resulted from his controversial statement, “The first time I got hit really hard was for taking that stance. There were some columnists that defended me but mostly I got killed. I’m okay with it, though, because nobody in all this time has been able to convince me that it’s wrong to tell kids to listen to their parents and not a basketball player they’ve never met.” (Eisenberg, 2019 ; Cited from Barkley & Wilbon, 2002 ). Some have publicly disagreed with Barkley. In the essay titled, Are Athletes Good Role Models? Dr. Frank L. Smoll, a Sports Psychologist at the University of Washington wrote, “Like it or not, our society has a strong dependence on athletes as role models for children and adolescents….Athletes are role models whether or not they choose to take on the responsibility, and whether they are good or bad role models.” (Smoll, 2015 ). While Barkley placed the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of parents to rear their children, Bryant assumed the responsibility of being a positive influence for youth.

During her television show on January 28, 2020, Ellen DeGeneres opened her show by giving a heartfelt tribute to Bryant. When featuring NCAA Champion Arike Ogunbowale on her show, DeGeneres surprised this young athlete by inviting Kobe to congratulate her. When Ellen asked Kobe, “Did you get one of these ever?” [Referring to Ogunbowale’s NCAA Trophy], Kobe quickly replied, “Never. Never. Never. Never even came close to that. And I’ve also never hit a game winning shot to win a championship. You gotta understand….that’s like the picture perfect moment. As a kid you dream about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, to win the championship and she actually did it.” He bought her a signed jersey and one of her dog (named Kobe) he wrote, “To Kobe, Bark with Force.” (The Ellen Show, 2020 ). When he was asked why he decided to come to the show and support the cause of epilepsy, Kobe said, “We all have a responsibility to help one another.” (The View, 2018 ).

This acknowledgement is not to minimize or ignore the negative press Bryant received during his life. Most notably, a white female worker at a Colorado hotel accused Bryant of rape (Stern, January 27, 2020 ). Although Bryant publicly admitted that he and this woman engaged in consensual sex, his admission of adultery and out-of-court settlement did little to erase the “dangerous Black Brute” label that many publicly attached to his name, even postmortem (Perrett, 2020 ). In spite of this accusation, Bryant and his wife Vanessa remained married and unitedly reared their four children. While some may wonder whether a man accused of rape can actually be a positive role model, I strongly believe that Bryant’s admission of the wrong [specifically, “making a mistake of adultery”] and repentance (i.e., no longer engaging in that behavior) are compatible with the Judeo-Christian belief of forgiveness (Bingemer, 2019 ; Lexcellent, 2019 ; Roberts, 2020 ). In his essay, Dr. Smoll provided several criteria by which to determine whether an individual could be a worthy role model. He wrote the following characteristics of the role model,

Freely devotes time and energy to community activities. The athlete makes appearances at neighborhood events, serves on local boards, works with charity organizations, etc.
Enthusiastic about being a role model . The athlete welcomes the platform for promoting positive societal change—a willing crusader for good. Furthermore, the athlete uses the position to share messages of inspiration and hope—a selfless drive to benefit others.
Presents himself or herself in a realistic and responsible manner . “I’m not a role model because I’m a superstar jock, but because I’m a great person.” The athlete also helps fans realize that he or she isn’t perfect. After all, role models are only people with weaknesses and flaws. They’re not immaculate idols.

Kobe Bryant was not a God nor was he perfect; however, Dr. Smoll offers several criteria to determine if an individual can be a positive role model. He first asks if the person influences the lives of individuals in the community away from the court. In the Essence article “10 Times Kobe Bryant Was a Star Off Of the Court,” Tanya A. Christian beautifully highlights numerous times when the NBA star inspired others. In 2007, Bryant became the national ambassador for After-School All-Stars, “an organization that promotes academic success for the country’s youth,” essentially teaching these young people to set professional goals for themselves and be future leaders (Christian, 2020 ). Later, Bryant donated books to LeBron James’s “I Promise School,” and the Asia Society named him a cultural ambassador and charitable diplomat for their country (Christian, 2020 ).

Next, Dr. Smoll asserts the person enthusiastically embraces being a role model and gives of himself financially and physically to assist people that look up to him. Kobe supported Stand Up To Cancer, raised money and participated in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to raise awareness for War in Darfur, gave money to a girls basketball team in Roseville, California, and supported The Kobe Bryant China Fund. His financial contribution to a female sports team caused one 14-year old student-athlete to acknowledge Kobe’s contribution “gave the Roseville girls basketball more opportunities to get better and to get prepared for our season.” In addition to making substantial contributions to these charitable organizations, Bryant also gave his time to others. “According to the Make-A-Wish foundation, over the span of his career, the father of four personally met with over 100 children through the 501 nonprofit organization that creates life-changing wishes for youth with a critical sickness. Prior to retiring, Bryant would often invite children to games to reconnect, inspire, and provide an escape.” (Christian, 2020 ).

Finally, Dr. Smoll asks whether the person displays values, specifically honesty and determination that are inherent to being a good person. Kobe demonstrated both. First, rather than lie about having an extra-marital affair, he publicly admitted to his wife Vanessa and the world that he committed adultery. With his wife by his side during the press conference, Bryant tearfully stated, “I didn’t force her to do anything against her will. I’m innocent. I sit here in front of you guys furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making a mistake of adultery.” (Lapin, 2020 ). Second, his determination are evident through his securement of an Academy Award for Best Short Animated Film, “Dear Basketball,” becoming a founding donor for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as his scandal-free life after the rape accusation.

When my uncle Don [Don Chaney] was at the University of Houston, he donned the #24 jersey. Now that the world has lost “Black Mamba,” the Los Angeles Laker has permanently retired his renowned #24 jersey. Although Kobe is no longer with us physically, his “Mamba Mentality” lives on and I have no doubt that when people view his interviews in the coming years, study his finesse on the court, as well as his commitment to philanthropic causes that improved the lives of others, he will be a beacon of excellence for millions the world over. Kobe leaves behind a wife [Vanessa] and three daughters, who have the opportunity to remember fondly the hidden nuances of Kobe’s life, or in the case of his baby daughter, to learn what made her father such a great athlete and inspiration to so many.

At the time of this writing, the world was approximately 7 months in the midst of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic for approximately one year and four months (Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, 2021 ). Even with the recent roll-out of several vaccines, society is adjusting to life after the pandemic (Branswell, 2021 ).. In light of the many ways that this pandemic has changed our lives, essentially forcing us to create “a new normal,” I sincerely believe there is always an appropriate time to demonstrate excellence. I am confident that if Kobe were still with us, he would echo this sentiment. Therefore, regardless of what we are currently experiencing, we can come out of challenges better, stronger, and more disciplined people. As this paper ends, I want the reader to concentrate on the positive aspects of Kobe’s life, creating and purposefully embarking on a life journey that would make him proud. The influential Black Mamba made it his life mission to “teach his kids what excellence looks like” by providing a stable foundation regarding the amount of work that excellence requires. Excellence is not easy, but it is most definitely worth the effort. When we live as Black Mamba lived, demonstrating excellence in every aspect of our lives, we become the beacons that honor and carry forward the legacy of Kobe Bryant, the MVP of Girl’s Dads.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Abdill, A. M. (2018). Fathering from the margins: An intimate examination of Black fatherhood . Columbia University Press.
Adams CJ. Black fatherhood in a time of fluidity. Psychoanalytic Perspectives. 2019; 16 (3):326–339. doi: 10.1080/1551806X.2019.1653670. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Allred, C. (2019). Black fatherhood in America through the lens of contemporary memoir, 1–9.
Andon, D. (2020). Kobe Bryant saw his daughter Gianna as the heir to his legacy. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/us/gianna-bryant-kobe-relationship-trnd/index.html
Baker, H. A. (2001). Critical memory: public spheres, African American writing, and Black fathers and sons in America (Vol. 8). University of Georgia Press.
Barkley, C. (2003). I may be wrong but I doubt it. Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Barkley, C., & Wilbon, M. (2002). I may be wrong, but I doubt it . Penguin Random House, LLC.
Belle, C. (2014). From Jay-Z to Dead Prez: Examining representations of Black masculinity in mainstream versus underground hip-hop music. Journal of Black Studies, 45 (4), 287–300.
Bingemer, M. C. L. (2019). Love and forgiveness: A Christian theological point of view. Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality , 19 (2), 232–249.
Black, M. M., Dubowitz, H., & Starr, Jr, R. H. (1999). African American fathers in low income, urban families: Development, behavior, and home environment of their three‐year‐old children. Child development, 70(4), 967-978. [ PubMed ]
Blackshear TB. Fathers–an untapped resource for increasing physical activity among African American girls. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2019; 8 (1):23–28. doi: 10.26773/mjssm.190304. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Bogle, D. (2001). Toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies, and bucks: An interpretive history of Blacks in American films . Bloomsbury Publishing.
Branswell, H. (February 2, 2021). Comparing the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Retrieved from Comparing three Covid-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, J&J (statnews.com).
Brooms DR. Fathering from the margins: An intimate examination of black fatherhood. Abdill, Columbia University Press; 2020. [ Google Scholar ]
Bryson, S. (1998). Relationship between race and attitudes toward black men. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 26 (4), 282–293.
Bzostek SH. Social fathers and child well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family. 2008; 70 (4):950–961. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00538.x. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Cacich, A. (2020). Unsurprisingly, Kobe Bryant was incredibly close to his two sisters. Retrieved from Who Is Kobe Bryant's Sister? The Athlete Actually Leaves Behind Two Sisters ( distractify.com )
Cavanaugh, E. (2020). Kobe Bryant’s 10 most touching quotes on fatherhood and raising daughters. Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/10-of-kobe-bryants-most-touching-quotes-on-fatherhood-2020-2
Cazenave, N. A. (1979). Middle-income Black fathers: An analysis of the provider role. Family Coordinator , 583–593.
CBS (2020). Kobe mourned as ‘Father Figure’ at Mamba Sports Academy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJF9mLF3WI4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (May 24, 2021). Basics of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/yourhealth/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html
Cerbone DR. Understanding phenomenology. Routledge; 2014. [ Google Scholar ]
Christian, T. A. (2020). 10 times Kobe Bryant was a star off of the court. Retrieved from: https://www.essence.com/feature/kobe-bryant-philanthropy/
Clayton, O., Mincy, R. B., & Blakenhorn, D. (Eds.). (2003). Black fathers in contemporary American society: Strengths, weaknesses, and strategies for change . Russell Sage Foundation.
Coley, R. L. (1998). Children's socialization experiences and functioning in single‐mother households: The importance of fathers and other men. Child Development, 69(1), 219-230. [ PubMed ]
Coles, R. L. (2009). The best kept secret: Single black fathers . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Coley RL. (In)visible men: Emerging research on low-income, unmarried, and minority fathers. American Psychologist. 2001; 56 (9):743–753. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.56.9.743. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Coles, R. L., Coles, R., & Green, C. S. C. (Eds.). (2010). The myth of the missing Black father . Columbia University Press.
Connor, M. E., & White, J. (Eds.). (2006). Black fathers: An invisible presence in America . Routledge.
Damaske S, Bratter JL, Frech A. Single mother families and employment, race, and poverty in changing economic times. Social Science Research. 2017; 62 :120–133. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.08.008. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Daniel, J. E. (1975). A definition of fatherhood as expressed by black fathers (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh).
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1998). Collecting and interpreting qualitative methods . Sage Publications.
Dickerson, B. (Ed.). (1995). African American single mothers: Understanding their lives and families (Vol. 10). Sage.
Durnell E, Dlamini PZ. Social father presence: The experience of being raised by Black social fathers. Journal of Pan African Studies. 2018; 11 (7):1–24. [ Google Scholar ]
Eisenberg, J. (2019). Iconic Sports Commercials: Charles Barkley’s ‘I am not a role model' Retrieved from https://sports.yahoo.com/iconic-sports-commercials-charles-barkleys-i-am-not-a-role-model-055726035.html
Emory, A. D., Nepomnyaschy, L., Waller, M. R., Miller, D. P., & Haralampoudis, A. (2020). Providing after prison: Nonresident fathers’ formal and informal contributions to children. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences , 6 (1), 84–112.
Franklin, A. J. (2009). Another side of invisibility: Present and responsible Black fathers. In Counseling fathers (pp. 159–178). Routledge.
Fletcher, T. (2020). Sport, fathers and fathering. In Negotiating fatherhood (pp. 41–67). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Garfinkel H. Studies in ethnomethodology. Prentice Hall; 1967. [ Google Scholar ]
Gary, L. E. (1981). Black men . Sage Publications, Inc.
Gunn, T. M. (2013). Influences on black fathers' identities and fathering behaviors . Oakland University.
Hairston CF. Fathers in prison: Responsible fatherhood and responsible public policies. Marriage & Family Review. 2002; 32 (3–4):111–135. doi: 10.1300/J002v32n03_07. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Hamer, J. F. (2001). What it means to be daddy: Fatherhood for Black men living away from their children . Columbia University Press.
Hamer JF. The definition of fatherhood: In the woods of never-married African American custodial mothers and the noncustodial fathers of their children. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 1998; 25 (4):81–104. [ Google Scholar ]
Hamer JF. The fathers of “fatherless” black children. Families in Society. 1997; 78 (6):564–578. doi: 10.1606/1044-3894.3387. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Hammond WP, Caldwell CH, Brooks C, Bell L. Being there in spirit, fire, and mind: Expressive roles among nonresidential African American fathers. Research on Social Work Practice. 2011; 21 (3):308–318. doi: 10.1177/1049731510383441. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Harris-Perry MV. Sister citizen: Shame, stereotypes, and Black women in America. Yale University Press; 2011. [ Google Scholar ]
Horn, W. F. (2018). Turning the hearts of fathers: Faith-based approaches to promoting responsible fatherhood. In Clinical and educational interventions with fathers (pp. 191–214). Routledge.
Hutchinson EO. The assassination of the Black male image. Simon and Schuster; 1997. [ Google Scholar ]
Islam, P. (2019). Perplexing patriarchies: Fatherhood among Black opponents and White defenders of slavery . Vernon Press.
Jackson, A. P., Choi, J. K., & Franke, T. M. (2009). Poor single mothers with young children: Mastery, relations with nonresident fathers, and child outcomes. Social Work Research, 33(2), 95-106.
Jimmy Kimmel Live (2019). Kobe Bryant on Shaq drama & raising four daughters. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8eoIKiDTw8
Johnson, M. S., & Young Jr, A. A. (2016). Diversity and meaning in the study of black fatherhood. Du Bois Review, 13(1), 5-23.
Kim JS. A father’s race to custody: An argument for multidimensional masculinities for Black men. Berkeley Journal of African-American Law & Policy. 2014; 16 (1):32–63. [ Google Scholar ]
Lakers Universe (2020). Kobe Bryant career achievements. Retrieved from https://www.lakersuniverse.com/kobe/kobe_bryant_achievements.htm
Lapin, T. (2020). Sexual assault claim marked Kobe Bryant’s darkest episode. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2020/01/26/sexual-assault-claim-marked-kobe-bryants-darkest-episode/
Larsen U, Chung W, Gupta MD. Fertility and son preference in Korea. Population Studies. 1998; 52 (3):317–325. doi: 10.1080/0032472031000150496. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Leverentz, A. (2012, June). Narratives of Crime and Criminals: How Places Socially Construct the Crime Problem 1. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 348-371). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Levine, J. A., & Pitt, E. W. (1995). New expectations: Community strategies for responsible fatherhood . Families and Work Institute, 330 Seventh Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10001.
Lexcellent, C. (2019). Forgiveness. In Human memory and material memory (pp. 73–80). Springer, Cham.
Lloyd VW. Masculinity, race, fatherhood. Concilium. 2020; 2 :64–73. [ Google Scholar ]
Logan S. The Black family: Strengths, self-help, and positive change. Routledge; 2018. [ Google Scholar ]
Battle, B. P. (2018). Deservingness, Deadbeat Dads, and Responsible Fatherhood: Child Support Policy and Rhetorical Conceptualizations of Poverty, Welfare, and the Family. Symbolic Interaction, 41 (4), 443–464.
Loo KK, Li Y, Tan Y, Luo X, Presson A, Shih W. Prenatal anxiety associated with male child preference among expectant mothers at 10–20 weeks of pregnancy in Xiangyun County, China. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. 2010; 111 (3):229–232. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.07.010. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving (2020). Kobe Bryant charity work, events and causes. Retrieved from https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/kobe-bryant
Los Angeles Times . (2019). Kobe Bryant’s final interview with L.A. Times columnist Arash Markazi. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2020-02-08/kobe-bryant-final-interview-arash-markazi-la-times
McAdoo HP, McAdoo JL. The dynamics of African American fathers’ family roles. Black Children: Social, Educational, and Parental Environments. 2002; 2 :3–11. [ Google Scholar ]
McAdoo, J. (1981). Involvement of fathers in the socialization of Black children. Black families , 225–237.
McDougal S, III, Durnell E, Dlamini PZ. Social father presence: The experience of being raised by Black social fathers. Journal of Pan African Studies. 2018; 11 (7):1–24. [ Google Scholar ]
McDougal S, III, George C., III “I wanted to return the favor” The experiences and perspectives of Black social fathers. Journal of Black Studies. 2016; 47 (6):524–549. doi: 10.1177/0021934716653346. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Mervosh, S., & Bogel-Burroughs (2020). The 9 victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/who-died-helicopter-crash-kobe-altobelli-chester-zobayan-mauser.html
Mincy, R. B., & Pouncy, H. W. (2012). The responsible fatherhood field: Evolution and goals. In Handbook of father involvement (pp. 556–598). Routledge.
Moon, S., & Silverman, H. (2020). The bodies of Kobe Bryant and 8 others killed in helicopter crash have been released to their families. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/us/kobe-bryant-crash-bodies-911-calls-released/index.html
Moran, E. (2020). Mamba Sports Academy honors Kobe by retiring “Mamba” from name. Retrieved from https://frontofficesports.com/mamba-sports-academy/
Moynihan, D. P. (1965). Negro family: The case for national action (a report for the US Department of Labor, Office of Policy Planning and Research). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved September, 10, 2008.
National Geographic (2021). Black Mamba. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/b/black-mamba/
Oscars. (2018). THE 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS. Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Sunday, March 4, 2018. Honoring movies released in 2017. Retrieved from https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2018/H
Oware M. Decent daddy, imperfect daddy: Black male rap artists’ views of fatherhood and the family. Journal of African American Studies. 2011; 15 (3):327–351. doi: 10.1007/s12111-010-9155-9. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Parent J, Jones DJ, Forehand R, Cuellar J, Shoulberg EK. The role of co- parents in African American single-mother families: The indirect effect of co-parent identity on youth psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology. 2013; 27 :252–262. doi: 10.1037/a0031477. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Perrett, C. (2020). Disney heiress says Kobe Bryant 'was not a god' in lengthy Twitter thread about rape allegations. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-abigail-disney-rape-allegations-not-a-god
Pollner, M. (1987). Mundane reason: Reality in everyday and sociological discourse. Cambridge University Press.
Prinsloo, J. (2006). Where have all the fathers gone? Media (ted) representations of fatherhood. Baba: Men and fatherhood in South Africa , 132–146.
Randles J. The means to and meaning of “being there” in responsible fatherhood programming with low-income fathers. Family Relations. 2020; 69 (1):7–20. doi: 10.1111/fare.12376. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Randles, J. M. (2013). Repackaging the “package deal” promoting marriage for low-income families by targeting paternal identity and reframing marital masculinity. Gender & society, 27 (6), 864-888.
Ransaw, T. S. (2017). Cool papas: Six fathers in mid-Michigan who utilize play in their fathering involvement to help their children learn. Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, 6 (1), 1–31.
Roberts, M. (2020). Opinion: The worst way to handle the Kobe Bryant rape case. Retrieved from Opinion | The worst way to handle the Kobe Bryant rape case - The Washington Post.
Rosenthal L, Lobel M. Stereotypes of Black American women related to sexuality and motherhood. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 2016; 40 (3):414–427. doi: 10.1177/0361684315627459. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Smith DC. Critiquing reality-based televisual black fatherhood: A critical analysis of Run's House and Snoop Dogg's Father Hood. Critical Studies in Media Communication. 2008; 25 (4):393–412. doi: 10.1080/15295030802328020. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Smoll, F. L. (2015). Are athletes good role models? What are the qualities that make an athlete a good role model? Retrieved from Are Athletes Good Role Models? | Psychology Today
Stern, M. (2020). Kobe Bryant’s disturbing rape case: The DNA evidence, the accuser’s story, and the half-confession. Retrieved from https://www.thedailybeast.com/kobe-bryants-disturbing-rape-case-the-dna-evidence-the-accusers-story-and-the-half-confession
Taysum, A., & Ayanlaja, C. C. (2020). Education success for Black children in the public school system: Parent participation and community empowerment. Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education , 1825–1847.
The Ellen Show (2020). Ellen pays tribute to Kobe Bryant’s legacy. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HfyDaFb6ok
The Ellen Show (2019). Kobe Bryant want his own starting lineup of kids. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asVcuHxLhmA
The View (May 16, 2018). Kobe Bryant surprises 6-year-old with epilepsy | The View Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8irdEz9-nA
Threlfall JM, Seay KD, Kohl PL. The parenting role of African-American fathers in the context of urban poverty. Journal of Children and Poverty. 2013; 19 (1):45–61. doi: 10.1080/10796126.2013.764846. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
Trenaman, C. (2020). Kobe Bryant says WNBA has players who could play in NBA ‛right now'. Retrieved from https://www.cbs46.com/news/kobe-bryant-says-wnba-has-players-who-could-play-in/article_fffd59b4-3d34-11ea-94a8-3fdadecd4dc2.html
Welch, K. (2007). Black criminal stereotypes and racial profiling. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 23 (3), 276–288.
Wetzel, D. (2020). The tragedy of losing Kobe because he was trying to be the best dad. Retrieved from Kobe Bryant: A legacy of fatherhood ( yahoo.com )
Wikipedia. Don Chaney. (2021b). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Chaney
Wikipedia. List of career achievements by Kobe Bryant. (2021a). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Kobe_Bryant#Miscellaneous_records
Zimmerman MA, Salem DA, Maton KI. Family structure and psychological correlates among urban African American adolescent males. Child Development. 1995; 66 :1598–1913. doi: 10.2307/1131899. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

Dear Basketball

18 pages • 36 minutes read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Poem Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Analysis: "Dear Basketball"

Kobe Bryant is the speaker of the poem. Kobe is the “I,” and he signs his letter, “Love you always, Kobe” (Lines 51-52), so it is clear that the speaker is Kobe, the man, instead of the formal name Bryant used for the author.

The reason Kobe writes his letter to basketball is to announce his retirement. When Kobe composed his poem, he was playing his 20th season in the NBA, and he lets basketball know that he won’t hang around for a 21st season. Since Kobe frames his poem as a letter, the poem is a part of the epistolary genre—a literary work in the form of a letter or letters. Due to Kobe’s deep love for basketball, the poem is also a love poem. Kobe treats basketball like a person and gives it a personal pronoun—a “you.” When a poet gives human characteristics to something nonhuman, they’re using a literary device known as personification . Here, personification allows Kobe to address basketball as if it’s a person who can hear and reciprocate his words and feelings.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

7,200+ In-Depth Study Guides
5,000+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Ready to dive in?

Get unlimited access to SuperSummary for only $ 0.70 /week

Related Titles

By Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Kobe Bryant

Essay Database
world trade center
Greek Food and Culture
The Future Portrayed I…
Intercultural Communications
In Heart of Darkness, …
Things Fall Apart by C…
In J.M. Coetzee's Wait…
The Criminals Of Profe…
Socialization of Children
The Poet of Nature, Wi…
Leonhard Euler
Articles of Confederat…
About all Sharks
Vietnam Poetry

Kobe Bryant: Rise and Fall What Happened?

What is paper-research.

Custom Writing Service
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Biographies

How does this work

Finished Papers

Meeting Deadlines

Gombos Zoran

Election 2024
Entertainment
Newsletters
Photography
Personal Finance
AP Buyline Personal Finance
Press Releases
Israel-Hamas War
Russia-Ukraine War
Global elections
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East
March Madness
AP Top 25 Poll
Movie reviews
Book reviews
Personal finance
Financial Markets
Business Highlights
Financial wellness
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media

The Lakers are planning to fix a few errors carved into the base of Kobe Bryant’s statue

FILE - A statue in honor of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is displayed after being unveiled in a ceremony outside the NBA basketball team’s arena, Feb. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. The Lakers say they’re planning to fix a handful of errors on the base of the statue of Kobe Bryant unveiled last month outside their arena. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)

Copy Link copied

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers say they’re planning to fix a handful of errors on the base of the statue of Kobe Bryant unveiled last month outside their arena.

The names of former NBA players Jose Calderon and Von Wafer are misspelled on the base in a rendering of the box score from Bryant’s 81-point game in January 2006, along with a misspelling of the phrase “Coach’s Decision.” There are also minor formatting mistakes in another spot on the busy base of the statue, which displays many of Bryant’s accomplishments.

“We have been aware of this for a few weeks and are already working to get it corrected soon,” the Lakers said in a statement.

The box score is carved into the marble base of the 19-foot bronze statue, which depicts Bryant in his postgame celebration of the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. Hundreds of fans gather daily around the statue, which sits among several statues honoring other Los Angeles sporting greats in front of the arena.

The statue is the first of three renderings of Bryant that will stand outside their downtown arena, according to his widow, Vanessa. The Lakers unveiled the first statue Feb. 8 to honor Bryant, who died along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five championships. He is the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Gain efficiency with my essay writer. Hire us to write my essay for me with our best essay writing service!

Enhance your writing skills with the writers of penmypaper and avail the 20% flat discount, using the code ppfest20.

Earl M. Kinkade

Customer Reviews

We never disclose your personal information to any third parties

I work with the same writer every time. He knows my preferences and always delivers as promised. It’s like having a 24/7 tutor who is willing to help you no matter what. My grades improved thanks to him. That’s the story.

Do my essay with us and meet all your requirements.

We give maximum priority to customer satisfaction and thus, we are completely dedicated to catering to your requirements related to the essay. The given topic can be effectively unfolded by our experts but at the same time, you may have some exclusive things to be included in your writing too. Keeping that in mind, we take both your ideas and our data together to make a brilliant draft for you, which is sure to get you good grades.

Reset password

Email not found, read what our clients have to say about our writing essay services.

Customer Reviews

PenMyPaper: a student-friendly essay writing website

We, at PenMyPaper, are resolute in delivering you professional assistance to write any kind of academic work. Be it marketing, business, or healthcare sector, we can prepare every kind of draft efficiently, meeting all the points of the question brief. Also, we believe in 'research before drafting'. Any work without ample research and evidence will be a flawed one and thus we aim to make your drafts flawless with exclusive data and statistics. With us, you can simply relax while we do the hard work for you.

Our team of writers is native English speakers from countries such as the US with higher education degrees and go through precise testing and trial period. When working with EssayService you can be sure that our professional writers will adhere to your requirements and overcome your expectations. Pay your hard-earned money only for educational writers.

IMAGES

≫ Why Kobe Bryant was Successful Basketball Player Free Essay Sample on
Kobe Bryant
In appreciation: Kobe Bryant, a life defined by hard work
Kobe Bryant: Simply the Best Essay Example
Kobe Bryant Text Dependent Analysis Essay Prompt and Final Copy Paper
Ezekiel Taylor Foundation Announces 24-Hour Kobe Bryant Essay Contest

COMMENTS

Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant (born August 23, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died January 26, 2020, Calabasas, California) American professional basketball player, who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to five championships (2000-02 and 2009-10).. Bryant's father, Joe ("Jelly Bean") Bryant, was a professional basketball player who spent eight ...
Kobe Bryant Essay
The Black Mamba, Kobe Bean Bryant, became the youngest player to ever join the NBA, and has struggled personally to become one of the most successful players of all time.\\\\\. Kobe Bryant was born on August 23rd in 1978 and named after a famous steakhouse. At just the age of 6 Kobe's dad (Joe Bean Bryant) had retired from the NBA and decided ...
Of Vanessa Bryant'S Eulogy to Kobe and Gianna Bryant
Vanessa Bryant's eulogy exist thereby allowing my thesis to begin filling that void in the literature. Eulogistic Rhetoric: Functions and Strategies A eulogy responds to the rhetorical exigence that is created when death occurs. Generally speaking, eulogistic rhetoric and ceremonies serve two main purposes: "to separate the body of
Thesis Statement on Kobe Bryant
Bryant, Kobe, born in 1978, American basketball player who became the youngest National Basketball Association (NBA) player in history in 1996. He entered the NBA straight from high school at the age of 18. The 6-ft 7-in (201-cm) shooting guard soon became a star and helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to league titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
Kobe Bryant Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines
Some of these exceptions could have applied to the Kobe Bryant prosecution. The medical exam evidence could have been allowed had the alleged victim not placed fault on Mr. Bryant. The burden would then have been on the prosecution to prove Mr. Bryant's fault. However, the prosecution submitted a conclusory statement with regards to the ...
An essay on Kobe Bryant
Instead, Bryant delivered one of the most iconic performances of his career. He poured in 60 points, including the game-winning jumper, on two legs that the thousands of hours of physical wear had finally caught up to. Following the game, Kobe addressed the Staples Center crowd; true fans didn't dare to leave the arena.
Essays on Kobe Bryant
The Life and NBA Career of Kobe Bryant. 1 page / 887 words. Kobe Bryant, a name synonymous with basketball greatness, left an indelible mark on the NBA and the world of sports. This essay is a comprehensive exploration of the life and NBA career of Kobe Bryant, one of the most iconic figures in basketball history.
The Life and NBA Career of Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant's NBA career is a testament to his relentless work ethic and unmatched skill. He was a true basketball virtuoso, known for his scoring ability, footwork, and unmatched competitiveness. Throughout his career, he amassed an impressive list of achievements, including five NBA championships with the Lakers, two NBA Finals MVP awards ...
Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic
Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 (1978-08-23). He is a National Basketball Association (NBA) player. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant became the cornerstone of Lakers in the 2003-2004 season after Shaq left the LA Lakers. He is ranked as the only second player to have scored the highest points in the club's history ...
Dear Basketball by Kobe Bryant
Summary of Dear Basketball. 'Dear Basketball' by Kobe Bryant is a moving poem that was written as an announcement of the Lakers star's retirement from basketball. The letter, which is in the form of a poem, separated into stanzas, takes the reader through Bryant's emotional connection to the game.
The Life and Legacy of Kobe Bryant: Reflections from Cal ...
I was in the midst of teaching a "Politics, Policies, Pop Culture," course at Cal Poly Pomona when I learned of Kobe Bryant's tragic death. Every single one of my 46 students were fans of all things, Los Angeles. And, there was no one that symbolized and reflected the spirit of Los Angeles more than did Kobe Bryant. His flair, flash, and brilliance on the court, his winning spirit, and ...
Religion in the Life of Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was a practicing Catholic who emphasized the importance of faith in a myriad of ways. This article shows how religion had a transformative impact on his life, including the influence of Catholic social teachings on Bryant's outlook and motivation during and after his playing days. ... "Statement on the death of basketball icon ...
"I'd Rather Be with Them Than Doing Anything Else": Kobe Bryant's
Qualitative analysis of the words featured in the Insider article, "Kobe Bryant's 10 Most Touching Quotes on Fatherhood and Raising Daughters" By Emily Cavanaugh (February 25, 2020) revealed three themes: (1) Bryant made being a present father a priority; (2) Bryant publicly praised his late daughter Gianna and her sisters; and (3) Bryant ...
An Academic Analysis of 'Dear Basketball'
With numbers falling away as snow from the sky, Kobe / Bryant / Mamba ties his love up with Basketball into a neat little package and gently places the bow. A piece of literature, so far unparalleled in the history of poems written on November 29th, 2015. One can naught but gasp with awe at this striking accomplishment.
Dear Basketball Poem Analysis
Analysis: "Dear Basketball". Kobe Bryant is the speaker of the poem. Kobe is the "I," and he signs his letter, "Love you always, Kobe" (Lines 51-52), so it is clear that the speaker is Kobe, the man, instead of the formal name Bryant used for the author. The reason Kobe writes his letter to basketball is to announce his retirement.
Kobe Bryant Thesis Statement
Kobe Bryant Thesis Statement - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
Thesis Statement on kobe bryant
Kobe Bryant: A player. You have to be very careful what you ask for in life-you just might get it. Just ask Kobe Bryant. May 12th, '97. The Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT. Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Utah Jazz. Game Five. There's 11.3 seconds left in regulation and the score is tied, 87-87. In the words of De La Soul, stakes is high.
Thesis Statement on Kobe Bryant: Rise and Fall What Happened
With Kobe's past he has always had everything he wanted. His whole life he has always had the answer. This time he put him self in a hard spot. Kobe Bryant is not a well-rounded individual. I think that his fame and money has made him think that he is above the law. No one is above the law. Life has been good to him, maybe too good.
Thesis Statement On Kobe Bryant
Thesis Statement On Kobe Bryant. 1-PAGE SUMMARY. We are quite confident to write and maintain the originality of our work as it is being checked thoroughly for plagiarism. Thus, no copy-pasting is entertained by the writers and they can easily 'write an essay for me'. Nursing Business and Economics Management Aviation +109.
Thesis Statement Kobe Bryant
Thesis Statement Kobe Bryant. EssayService strives to deliver high-quality work that satisfies each and every customer, yet at times miscommunications happen and the work needs revisions. Therefore to assure full customer satisfaction we have a 30-day free revisions policy.
The Lakers are planning to fix a few errors carved into the base of
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers say they're planning to fix a handful of errors on the base of the statue of Kobe Bryant unveiled last month outside their arena.. The names of former NBA players Jose Calderon and Von Wafer are misspelled on the base in a rendering of the box score from Bryant's 81-point game in January 2006, along with a misspelling of the phrase "Coach's ...
Thesis Statement On Kobe Bryant
Avail our cheap essay writer service in just 4 simple steps. The writers of PenMyPaper establish the importance of reflective writing by explaining its pros and cons precisely to the readers. They tend to 'do my essay' by adding value to both you (enhancing your knowledge) and your paper. Essay, Research paper, Coursework, Discussion Board ...
Thesis Statement Kobe Bryant
Thesis Statement Kobe Bryant, School Administrators Resume, How To Write A Good One Direction Fanfic, Cheap College Essay Ghostwriters Site For School, Custom Expository Essay Ghostwriting Sites Gb, Justification Report Utility 2.1, Sample Thesis In Networking ...
Thesis Statement On Kobe Bryant
Thesis Statement On Kobe Bryant, Book Report From The Black Lagoon Lesson Plan, Orthodontic Treatment Case Study, Essay About Paying College Athletes Rough Draft, Cover Letter Phd Student, Essay On Coastal Plains Of India, Executive Resume Templates Nonprofit Jobs ID 4746278.

The Life and NBA Career of Kobe Bryant

Table of contents

Cite this Essay

Related Essays

Still can’t find what you need?

Related Essays on Kobe Bryant

Related Topics

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

Kobe Bryant and His Work Ethic Essay

Reference List

Religion in the Life of Kobe Bryant

Cite this article

Similar content being viewed by others

Religious Traditions in Africa: An Overview of Origins, Basic Beliefs, and Practices

Spirits and Bodies as an Interdependent Network of Relations and Approach to the Study of Religion in Brazil

Edep: ethical imagination and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammed

Introduction

Religious Athletes and the Manifestations of Religion in Sport

Kobe Bryant and His Catholic Roots

Religiousness of Kobe Bryant

The Bryant Family Foundation

Author information

Corresponding author

Additional information

Rights and permissions

About this article

Share this article

“I’d Rather Be with Them Than Doing Anything Else”: Kobe Bryant’s Status as the MVP of Girl’s Dads

Goals of the Current Work

Significance of the Current Work

Review of Literature

The Perception of Black Males in the Media

Fatherhood Among Black Men

The Benefits of Black Fathers for Black Children

Theoretical Framework: Phenomenology

Presentation of the Findings

Theme 1: Bryant Made Being a Present Father a Priority

Theme 2: Bryant Publicly Praised His Daughters

Theme 3: Bryant Saw Himself as a Role Model to Children

Kobe Bryant Publicly Praised His Daughters

Kobe Bryant as Social Father

Dear Basketball

Poem Analysis

Analysis: "Dear Basketball"

Related Titles

Kobe Bryant: Rise and Fall What Happened?

How does this work

Meeting Deadlines

The Lakers are planning to fix a few errors carved into the base of Kobe Bryant’s statue

Gain efficiency with my essay writer. Hire us to write my essay for me with our best essay writing service!

Do my essay with us and meet all your requirements.

Reset password

PenMyPaper: a student-friendly essay writing website

IMAGES

COMMENTS