Famous Faces of Black History Month:Kobe Bryant

Black History Month, also known as African-American month, is an annual celebration of equality and the African Americans who helped build the nation. B.H.M. has been celebrated since 1970 and has been enjoyed ever since. The event is all about sharing the rich cultural heritage and diversities that are all part of the country. 

A great example is Kobe Bryant. Bryant was a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers for his whole 20-year career. He also produced a little bit of music on the side. Bryant was having a great basketball career and a big happy family, until a tragic event that shocked the entire world.

On January 26, 2020, Bryant and eight others died when their helicopter crashed into a California Hillside. Along with Bryant, his team and his daughter were all on the helicopter. They were all on the way to one of Bryant’s daughters, Gianna Bryant, basketball games. This shocking event tested the whole world. 

2020 was already a bad enough year, but when the news of Bryant was released to the public, social media exploded. “There is no words to express the pain I am going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences go out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. I AM SICK RIGHT NOW”. 

The quote above was from Shaquille O’Neal, the famous basketball player, celebrity and all-around positive guy. The death of Bryant turned the always happy Shaq and completely flipped his emotions around. Hundreds of thousands of other celebrities and average citizens posted and put out their hearts for the death of Bryant. 

“If you do not believe in yourself, no one will do it for you”.

This is one of Bryant’s most famous and frequently said quotes. His number one rule was to believe in yourself and if you did not do that, there was no point in competing.  On or off the court, Bryant was always positive and excited to get to the next day. 

“The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win”.

This is another amazing quote from Bryant. This can be interpreted for anyone, if you are playing sports or not, it does not matter. Bryant was always someone that anyone could relate to. 

Kobe Bryant was one of the best on the court, but off the court, was even better. With his big heart and ambitious attitude, he was one of the nicest people to be around. Bryant will always be missed and remembered as a perfect player, and a fantastic father.