By now, there would have been already countless tributes about Kobe Bryant. How great he was. How loving of a father he was. How he was an icon. They are all true. But for this tribute and introduction, a Kobe Bryant quiz about a man who was once my hero, I just simply want to describe him as the best. For this tribute, I just want to call him as someone who just wanted to be the best version himself. He was not only a great basketball player, but he was also able to do something far greater for us. And that was to be a hero and a teacher for all of us.

Kobe taught me at a very early age that there was no merit in giving up. When I watched his games against NBA legends as a kid, I felt that I wanted to do what he was also doing. I wanted to stand up to the giants as well. My father, although a Kobe fan himself, often talked to me about how Michael Jordan is superior to Kobe. But to an eight-year-old kid seeing a man flying through the air, dunking, and flexing on these legends afterwards, there was nothing that could convince me that this man was not the best.

As I grew older I came to know more and more about what the best meant. This meant that you had to be the best version you can be. Kobe pushed that button in me, I didn’t know him personally. He certainly didn’t know me. But I felt connected to him in that way. And so did his teammates. Countless friends on and off the court, even rivals, shared about how Kobe was always seeking ways to better himself as a man, as a player, as an icon, and as a father. Jordan even said that Kobe was like this little annoying brother who just kept bugging him and bugging him about the different lessons, different strategies, different insights on and off the court. Kobe was that type of guy. He was the best because he said he was. He was the best because he made sure that he was going to give it his all, whatever the case may be.

Kobe inspired a generation. Kobe taught us that the Mamba Mentality was more than just an inspiration tag-line; it was a lifestyle. After his retirement, he conquered more and more heights. He made a film, wrote a book, taught basketball, coached, and became the best father he could be. As I write this, I can’t help but tear up remembering what the Black Mamba meant to the whole world. He was more than just a basketball player. He was us. He was every single one of us. Kobe is in every single one of us. 

KOBE BRYANT QUIZ

Kobe, you will never be forgotten. You will live on with our hopes and dreams, the very generation you inspired. We love you. Mamba Forever. Mamba for life. Above, you can start the quiz.