NBA legend Kobe Bryant is one of the most popular basketball players of all time. Over the course of his career, the Black Mamba won almost everything there is in the league and at the international level. However, his imprint is not just limited to winning and the sport of basketball.

The 5x NBA champion spent most of his adult life honing his skills to be better on the hardwood. But Bryant was also a firm believer that anyone can achieve big things when they put their mind, heart, and soul into something. And he proved it when he broke barriers to become the first athlete to win an Oscar award.

Kobe Bryant wanted to inspire the next generation

It is no secret that Kobe Bryant wanted to be the greatest basketball player ever and that he was obsessed with winning. At least that was how he was perceived because of his intensity on and off the court. However, he was much more than that and was focused on bigger things that were not just about him but about the future generations.

During an interview with CNBC in 2016, Kobe said, “Winning championships comes and goes. It’s going to be another team that wins another championship, another player that wins another MVP award.”

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Despite winning 5 rings and 1 regular season MVP, Bryant clarified that he measured his aspirations in different terms. “If you really want to create something that lasts generations, you have to help inspire the next generation, right? They create something great, and then that generation will inspire the one behind them. That’s when you create something forever, and that’s what’s the most beautiful,” he explained.

Bryant inspired many with his immense work ethic, elite mentality, craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Hall of Famer has left a lasting legacy behind and will be forever remembered for his work.

Today, let’s look at how Kobe has inspired stars beyond basketball with a few examples.

Kobe Bryant’s mentality helped a soccer team win the title

Kobe spent most of his childhood in Italy, during which, he became a huge fan of soccer and played it every day. He even once stated that soccer was the foundation of his basketball skills.

Notably, Bryant was a fan of AC Milan which is one of the most successful teams in the world. However, the team was in a major trophy drought of 11 years without winning the Serie A title. Ultimately, it was a video clip of Bryant that inspired his boyhood club to lift the title in 2022.

After a crucial victory in the title race, Milan’s head coach Stefano Pioli wanted to remind his team that it was not the time to be complacent. So he showed them the video clip of Kobe’s iconic interview after going 2-0 up in the Finals where he said that the “job’s not finished”. It helped the players keep their focus and not rest on their laurels. Ultimately, this helped them end their title drought. It can’t get bigger than this!

He also became a fan of FC Barcelona while working closely with the club. The 2008 NBA MVP also shared a friendly relationship with soccer legends like Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, and so forth. However, he was more than just another celebrity for a lot of athletes in the sport. 

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Bryant was a huge inspiration for a whole generation of soccer stars. After his demise, almost every athlete paid their tributes on social media. Furthermore, many took to the soccer field to express their love and respect for their idol. Notably, Brazilian superstar Neymar dedicated his goal to Bryant. The forward held his hands up showing #24 before bowing his head in prayer.

Multiple other stars also expressed their love for the Black Mamba in their goal celebrations.

Kobe Bryant motivated and mentored tennis stars

Bryant was a huge fan of tennis as well. However, unlike soccer, he started following and playing tennis well into his adulthood. Interestingly, tennis instantly became the 18x NBA All-Star’s favorite sport after his retirement in 2016 as he started playing the game more. However, he did not just stop there. Displaying his incredible versatility, Bryant turned his newfound passion into kids’ content.

In 2019, he co-created the sports and adventure book Legacy and the Queen with Annie Matthew. He went on a tour promoting it as well.

Even though Bryant started playing tennis after his retirement, he started inspiring many stars earlier. Notably, players like Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, and Nick Kyrgios are some of the biggest fans of Kobe. The Los Angeles Lakers legend had a huge influence on them. After his unfortunate death, these three along with other tennis players were heartbroken and paid their respects.

Kobe had a close bond with Djokovic and mentored him and Osaka as well. Notably, both stars won the 2018 US Open. The Djoker once revealed that the NBA legend helped him go through physical and emotional struggles. A few months back, The Serbian honored Bryant after winning his 24th Grand Slam title. 

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“Kobe was a close friend,” Djokovic said as per NBA.com. “We chatted a lot about the winner’s mentality when I was struggling with the injury and trying to make my comeback, work my way back to the top of the game. He was one of the people that I rely on the most. He was always there for any kind of counsel, advice, any kind of support in a most friendly way.”

Djokovic was seen wearing a shirt with an iconic image of him and Kobe together with the words “Mamba Forever”.

Kobe Bryant’s love for baseball and his impact

The Black Mamba became a baseball fan very early in his life and was hooked. In his early years, he was a New York Mets fan and idolized Darryl Strawberry. Spending his whole basketball career in Los Angeles, Bryant became a fan of the Dodgers in his 20s and regularly attended games. The Blue Crew, its players, and the fans loved him as well.

Notably, he threw the ceremonial first pitch before a Dodgers game for the first time in June 2000. He also read the lineup before game 4 of the 2018 World Series as well. 

Kobe inspired a lot of baseball stars. A few hours before the game, he met one of his biggest fans, Manny Machado, who idolized the Black Mamba growing up. Notably, Machado donned the #8 jersey to honor his hero.

Ahead of the game, Kobe made it clear that he wanted to wear Machado’s jersey. When the third baseman came to know about this, he went wild. Later, Bryant and the Machado had a chat as well. He recounted the amazing experience full of joy. 

Baseball stars like Aaron Judge, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are also huge Kobe fans. Judge once stated that he strives to have the Mamba Mentality every day and noted that it helps him stay focused. He added that he continues to watch Bryant’s highlights and interviews to motivate himself.

A few months back, the Dodgers showed respect to Kobe and invited his oldest daughter Natalia Bryant to throw the ceremonial first pitch on Lakers Night. The organization also gave away special baseball jerseys celebrating the 5x NBA champion.  We have only scratched the surface in terms of Bryant’s impact on athletes from various sports. There are certainly plenty of other superstars from different disciplines who were inspired by him which we will try to cover in the future.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.