On Jan 26, people around the world were shocked to hear of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA's most legendary (传奇性的) players. The 41-year-old, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others died when theirhelicoptercrashed in California, the US.
In the basketball world, Bryant ranks among the top players of all time. Fans remember him as the player who helped the Los Angeles Lakers win five NBA championships during his 20-year long career. He started out as a basketball prodigy (神童) who skipped (跳过) college and took his talents directly to the NBA. His deadly agility (敏捷) and aggressive tactics (进攻性的策略) earned him the nickname Black Mamba (黑曼巴). That's why his competitive philosophy (哲学) is known as the "Mamba Mentality". "Mamba Mentality is you're going, you're competing, you're not worried about the end result," Bryant said. "It's all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most.
He was also known as a proud family man. His friend, baseball star Derek Jeter, remembered him as such in an essay: "Throughout our friendship, the most meaningful conversations we had they were always about family.
