Written by – Andre J. Thomas, Contributing Blogger
IG: @AndreTheBlogger
Last night, I travelled to Atlanta to witness @KobeBryant play a game in his final season against the Atlanta Hawks. Although the Lakers lost, one thing that stood out to me, was the effect that Kobe Bryant had on fans.
In my second season of covering games at Phillips Arena, I’ve never seen an overwhelming amount of fans, cheer for someone on the opposite team. It seems as if everyone respected Kobe for what he has done and what he brought to the league.
After the game, I was invited to attend Kobe’s press conference. His demeanor was calm and transparent. He didn’t seem to show any regrets. Kobe laughed a lot during the press conference and reflected positively over his nineteen year career. Referring to the Lakers Organization as “family,” Bryant states, “ we will always be tied at the hip.”
Observing Kobe during the press conference, I began to see what I have termed, “The Kobe Effect.”
He has an innate way of inspiring us through his demeanor, his smile, his wisdom, and most of all his presence.
Kobe made one statement last night that I believe that defined why he is an icon:
“What is it about yourself that you’re most proud of? Just sticking with it… there are a lot of tough times, a lot of self doubt, criticism and moments where you feel discouragement.. to continue to work at it, believe, and to push.
I’ve always heard of people referring to Kobe as one of the greats in NBA history. I expected him to say that he was proud of his championships, his rings, his wealth, endorsement deals etc. However, Kobe’s response was actually one that could be embraced by all of humanity. Kobe showed us that although material things are great, the greatest of those things is your commitment to overcome self-doubt and to believe that your dreams can come true.
Kobe’s response automatically made me reflect on my own career as a journalist and the challenges I had when I chose to add sports to my resume. Recently, I found myself getting discouraged because I was starting to feel as if I was “out of my league” sometimes when it came to the other media affiliates in the room. I’m always the one in the group asking them a lot of questions, simply because I don’t know the sport as well as I should.
Truthfully, I only chose to take on sports as part of my resume because I wanted to challenge myself to grow and to develop as a writer. Considering I knew nothing about basketball when I started, I challenged myself after each game to create engaging commentaries from a different perspective.
Those who are well-versed in the sport, will definitely approach the interview differently than someone who is a novice like myself. Sometimes, I get it right, and sometimes, “let’s just say I’m glad the Hawks didn’t revoke my press room privileges.” lol
Kobe reaffirmed to me that when you’re walking in your purpose, the universe will place you in position to win. There will be moments when I will be discouraged, but Kobe encouraged me to stick with it. Being able to sit in the press room with Kobe Bryant, less than two feet away, is something that sports writers dream of. I am forever grateful for being able to be a part of this experience. Thank You to Kobe Bryant and The Atlanta Hawks for allowing IG: @AndreTheBlogger to witness this moment in NBA history. Kobe’s presence will definitely be missed on and off the court.
To see more from Bryant’s press conference, click the video below.
Andre J. Thomas is a 5x Award Winning Producer and Entertainment Blogger based out of Birmingham, Alabama. He can be heard every Saturday on the hit radio show, Joe Lockett Show. The Joe Lockett Show airs on 101.1 FM & 1260 AM (Metro Birmingham) every Saturday from 4pm to 7pm CST. You can also read articles written by Andre in The Birmingham Times, Black Moguls Magazine, and on andrejthomas.com.
