Kobe Bryant- Black mamba

On Monday I had the privilege to lead an assembly for the children honouring the life of Kobe Bryant
and his daughter Gianna who died on 26th January in a tragic accident. Kobe Bryant, was without a
shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest basketball players who has ever lived. Born into a basketball
family, Kobe signed a contract at the age of 17 with the Lakers, an LA team. He spent an incredible
20 seasons with them before retiring three years ago at the age of 37. He scored more than 30,000
points for the Lakers averaging 25 points a match. He won two Olympic gold medals and five NBA
Championships. Kobe was renowned for his passion and determination, incredibly hardworking a
fierce and competitive opponent he developed a focus and commitment which he described as the
“Mamba mentality.”

On leaving the Lakers Bryant wrote a touching tribute to the game he loved called Dear Basketball,
he later made this letter into a short animated film for which he won an Oscar for the best animated
short film- the only African American to ever to achieve this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4E_4c3j9Y8

A hero to many African Americans, Kobe also won over the hearts of the Hispanic community in LA.
A committed and practicing Catholic Kobe was married to a Mexican American and was a fluent
Spanish speaker, giving his retirement conference entirely in Spanish. Kobe was influential in the
work of many charities. He was the official spokesman for After-School All-Stars, a national
children’s charity that provides after-school programs to 72,000 kids. In 2008, he was named a
spokesperson for Aid Still Required, which helps people left behind after natural disasters and other
crises.

Besides his work with sick children through Make-A-Wish, he also supported cancer initiatives. For
instance, he participated in a fundraising effort for Stand Up To Cancer in 2012 that raised more than
$80 million for cancer research. With his wife Vanessa he sponsored international enrichment
experiences for minority college students and provided domestic and international youth
scholarships for the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy.

Kobe’s daughter Gianna, (Mambacita) was a promising young basketball player, and Kobe looked to
her to carry forward his legacy. Kobe was dedicated to pushing forward women’s basketball in
America. It was with Gianna and two of her team mates that the tragic accident occurred as the
helicopter they were in crashed in fog. That morning Kobe had attended Mass at Our Lady Queen of
Angels Catholic Church in Newport with his family and had taken communion alongside his daughter
Gianna.