SOBAN FAISAL
Special to The Leader
Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Drake, Eminem, Rihanna, Jay-Z, LeBron James and Lionel Messi. What do all these people have in common?
They have all shaped the 21st century and those who have grown up in this century.
Now imagine you are at home with your mom and siblings watching television while your dad and younger sister are on the way to her basketball game. Your show is interrupted by a piece of breaking news that your dad and younger sister were in a crash with no survivors.
This tragedy is what the Bryant family went through on January 26, 2020. Kobe Bryant was an extremely influential person who shaped the lives of millions throughout his lifetime.
The five-time NBA champion, 2008 Most Valuable Player and future Hall of Famer has gone above and beyond off the court.
Dominick Roman is a junior at SUNY Fredonia and perfectly explains how Kobe Bryant inspired the youth worldwide “by influencing basketball as a sport in general.”
He explains, “Growing up, you hear kids shooting paper balls into the garbage can in class yelling ‘KOBE.’ Just the fact that everyone knows that or has even done that shows how much he was well known.”
Bryant loved helping children of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Kobe Bean Bryant has appeared for Make-A-Wish over 100 times through two decades. Bryant and his family have been very outspoken on youth homelessness, which led him and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, to team up with My Friend’s Place and Step Up on Second to fight homelessness in the Los Angeles area.
Kobe Bryant is a superstar on and off the court everywhere globally, not just in the United States. The same month that he won the NBA championship, he created the Kobe Bryant China Fund to raise money for education, sports and culture programs for children of both China and the United States.
He took part in the NBA Cares initiatives, where he stocked food pantries, supported reading initiatives, built homes and basketball courts. In his MVP year, he became the spokesman for Aid Still Required, which helps areas destroyed by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Back in Bryant helped raise over $80 million for cancer research, according to The Undefeated.
Kobe Bryant does not just make changes in a suit and tie starting organizations. He lived his everyday life to help others. On a cold and foggy December 13, 2019, Bryant left his car in an intersection. He saw a wreckage, so as he does, he talked to the victims and helped direct traffic until the police came.
After Kobe Bryant’s retirement from the NBA in 2016, he had signed a five-year contract extension with Nike that just expired this past Tuesday. Vanessa Bryant and the Kobe Bryant estate decided not to renew their partnership with Nike. Rumors are that the Bryant estate has been annoyed with the decrease of Kobe product availability after his retirement, especially after his death.
Vanessa Bryant and the Kobe Bryant estate reportedly will not settle for anything less than a “lifetime” deal, such as with Lebron James and Michael Jordan. Nike does not seem to have the same idea in mind. It looks like the Bryant estate will be flirting with other companies to reach the deal they want, which includes their branch brand named “Mamba,” the famous nickname bestowed upon the late great Kobe Bryant.
Bryant deserves at least that much. He has influenced the NBA immensely. Kobe Bryant introduced the low-top shoes and soon after he wore them, roughly half of the players started wearing low tops. Some players such as Devin Booker, P.J. Tucker, DeMar DeRozan, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Thomas and several others have created their player-exclusive colorway of Kobe shoe models, according to ESPN.
Jordan Purvis is a senior and resident assistant at SUNY Fredonia.
In response to whether the Bryant estate deserves a ‘lifetime’ deal, Purvis said, “What? That shouldn’t even be a question. Kobe has done a lot for Nike, and his family deserves to see a return from them.”
As for whether the Bryant estate should go to a different company if Nike doesn’t offer that deal, however, he said, “No, I’m afraid I have to disagree—the reason why is because they don’t have a connection to Kobe on or off the court.”
Kobe Bryant is a top 100 most influential person for our generation. On the court, players wanted to be him. People want to emulate his work ethic. He has shown the perfect way to balance work and family. Bryant has shown us the good in humanity and that our children need to be protected. He deserves for his legacy to be safe.