“Rest at the end, not in the middle!” – Kobe Bryant’s High School English Teacher

Dad! Kobe Bryant has died!” The words echoed through our house as my oldest son Drew told me in a very distraught and disillusioned voice. I tried to deny it and told him that it couldn’t be true. I checked my phone and couldn’t find anything and was hoping the words he spoke were a big mistake. Yet, as more reports came in, we both knew Kobe’s death was a tragic reality. Even worse, his daughter Gianna and 7 other people also died.

This is one of the hardest blog posts I have ever written! No words can describe how I feel about Kobe Bryant, and not as an idol but as a person of tremendous impact in both my life and the lives of so many! It has taken a few days since the death of Kobe Bryant to try and find the words to say, and I am still at a loss. I have shed tears and have thought deeply about my life, my wife, and my boys. It has caused me to pause and reflect on words such as legacy, impact, and influence. 

I am a lifelong Lakers fan! I grew up watching Magic; my five boys grew up watching Kobe! I loved getting to share incredible moments with my boys watching basketball, telling them stories about Magic’s indomitable will to win, and reliving that same spirit through Kobe Bryant. We loved watching Kobe get that look in his eye, pump his fist, stick out his chin, and make that gut-wrenching shot! Kobe carried on the legacy of Magic, Bird, and Jordan not just through championships, but also through being the ultimate closer. Kobe was always about excellence…both in the process and in the outcome. He put in and fell in love with the work! Kobe knew that focusing on the process of becoming great would lead to the outcome of greatness.

He was fearless, and he pursued complete mastery of anything he put his mind to. And he had great clarity about this and what he wanted to accomplish. If and when he failed, he learned from the past in order to perform in the moment, both on the court and in his personal life. Kobe’s second stage of life was becoming as big and possibly more impactful than his first assignment as one of the best basketball players in history. Many people did not understand when he said he wanted to focus on storytelling after his incredible NBA career. Some even laughed thinking he would be back soon to arenas and studios seeking the limelight as an analyst or coach. In response to this doubt, he dedicated himself to mastery of a new craft just as he had done in every other part of his life that mattered and won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for his work entitled Dear Basketball.

Kobe was also embracing his role as a husband and father of 4 daughters. He was doing dad things. He was picking them up from school. He took his daughter Gianna to NBA basketball games, not because he wanted to be recognized and revered, but because she wanted to go. She implored him to take her to games, and he gladly obliged getting to see basketball through her eyes. He also coached her AAU basketball team and created a whole academy to share insight and help others realize their dreams to become better players and people.

In this next stage of life, Kobe was realizing how important it was to invest in others. Many players and people have come forward in the days after his death talking about the influence and impact he had on their lives. While I did not know Kobe personally, he was one of my favorite all-time players, because he had a laser focus on excellence in practices and performances. The Mamba Mentality was real and authentic and something that could be applied in any area of life. As I reflect on the character traits I loved most about Kobe, I narrowed it down to this list:

• His will to win
• His competitive desire
• His attention to detail
• His intellectual curiosity
• His full engagement in sports and life to be a force for a positive result
• His resiliency and perseverance in the midst of valley moments

As you consider these traits, here are a few things that you can apply in your own life:

• Be curious and seek out knowledge and insight from others.
• Seek to improve and grow every day.
• Don’t just hope to have a few meaningful moments but make a meaningful moment of your life.
• Let Kobe’s life serve as an example of how to pursue excellence in everything that you do and to make the most of the moments in your life.
• Let Kobe’s death be a crucible moment in your life that forces you to stop and reflect on where you are in life, consider what’s important, and live your life with a passionate purpose!

Your life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s not a practice game that doesn’t count. It’s real, it counts, and it matters. You have been blessed with the gift of life, and God has given you a specific and unique calling. As a leader and person of influence, your story will be told and revealed in the lives of others. While it’s understandable to be rattled by moments like this, let this moment be a revelation to you that life is short and that we need to make the most of it! Decide today to pursue excellence instead of mediocrity, impact over indecision, and contentment over regret. Choose not to coast or “rest in the middle.” There will be an eternity of time to rest at the end of a life well-lived!

Thanks Kobe for teaching us this lesson and sharing the story of your life of excellence. While the length of your life was far too short, the depth of your life and impact will carry on for generations to come.