On Jan 26, people around the world were shocked to hear of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA's most popular players. The 41-year-old, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others died when their plane crashed in California, US.
In the basketball world, Bryant is 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 basketballprodigywho spent just two years in college while others need four years. He took his talents directly to the NBA. His quickness and playing skills made him get the name Black Mamba. 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."
Off the court, he was known as a successful businessman, buying stakes (股份) in several companies, including Alibaba and Dell. He also left footprints in the movie industry, winning an Oscar in 2018 with his short film Dear Basketball.
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."
As the Los Angeles Times noted, Bryant's greatness was made further by his skills, hard work and tireless pursuit of victory. His personality will live on long after his death.
