Los Angeles Lakers: What Kobe Bryant could have still given basketball

Kobe Bryant’s expertise is missed by the NBA as much as any other field he left his mark on, but it is especially in the world of basketball that he could have still contributed a lot.

The world of basketball and beyond is still morning the loss of Kobe Bryant. It will take a long time to process the departure of a legend and human being who left us so young, way too early.

A player loved by fans. The nightmare of who had to face him on the floor. A once in a generation talent so good that he is been compared to Michael Jordan his whole career. His feuds with Shaquille O’Neal are as famous as his work ethic.

His relentlessness is the stuff of legend. No injury, no-load management could prevent him from stepping on the court and put on a show night and in and night out. He left all of himself on the floor in order to achieve victory. He put his body on the line every night while no one matched his mind and mentality.

Kobe Bryant was all you can say about a winner. He knew what took to win and was willing to do even more.

It was the rarest case where great talent and physical gifts matched intelligence and unparalleled work ethic.

As a Los Angeles Lakers fan from Italy growing up in the Kobe era, who spent countless nights awake watching him play, it has been so painful to see him go when he was just starting to have the same success off the floor as he had on it.

Bryant proved that he was not just a brilliant basketball player, but also an eclectic performer who could get the job done even in other areas. In 2018, just two years after his retirement he won an Oscar for the short film Dear Basketball, based on the letter he wrote to announce his retirement.

To celebrate Kobe Bryant’s legend and remember his greatness, here is how he could have still contributed to the game of basketball.