Kobe free and easy

It was a different aura that Kobe Bryant exuded in his latest visit to Manila over the weekend. Kobe, now retired as a player, seemed more relaxed and more accessible in his status in life.

I’ve had the chance to interview Kobe from his first-ever trip to Manila in 1998 when he was still endorsing Adidas. Sneakerhead and shoe authority Martin David counted eight Kobe visits in all, including his participation in the All-Star Game during the NBA lockout in 2011 and a commercial appearance for Lenovo.

I was in Los Angeles for two Nike Kobe shoe launches and also got the opportunity to interact with the Black Mamba during media availability. The first was in 2012 when Kobe landed on the rooftop of the AT&T Center in downtown L. A. in his helicopter. The second was in 2013 when Kobe welcomed the media at the Museum of Contemporary Art, also in L. A. On both occasions, Kobe was his usual reserved self, answering questions almost like he had to not because he wanted to. Just the same, Kobe was professional about it and gave the media the access that the events promised.

Kobe is now 37. From how he was three or four years ago, he’s a completely different man. Finally, the pressure of performing in an 82-game regular season with a history of injuries is now off his back. It wasn’t easy being Kobe on the court. Fans expected a high level of performance game in, game out. Anything less would be a letdown, considering who Kobe was. Things got even more difficult for Kobe because the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t made it to the NBA playoffs the last three seasons. And the last time they did, the Lakers were blanked, 4-0, in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. The weight of suffering one disappointing season after another bore down heavily on his shoulders.

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What hurt Bryant even more was he couldn’t do much to relieve the Lakers’ woes. Over the last three seasons, Bryant has been slowed by injuries so that he has played only six, 35 and 66 games. Because Bryant took up so much salary space in the Lakers payroll, the franchise couldn’t bring in top talent to alleviate the situation. That, too, must have bothered Bryant’s conscience. He continued to earn big bucks but couldn’t put in the numbers to justify his salary.

Throughout his NBA career, Kobe worked for everything he attained. Nothing came easy. He didn’t come in with a silver spoon in his mouth. In fact, Kobe was the 13th overall pick in the 1996 draft. He was chosen by Charlotte then traded to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. In his first year, Kobe averaged 7.6 points in 71 games. In his second year, he started only once in 79 outings.

But once Kobe got going, there was no stopping his rise to stardom. In his fourth season, Kobe was on the Lakers team that won the NBA title in 2000. That was the first of his five championships. At that time, Shaquille O’Neal was the Lakers top dog. Kobe was his caddy. In the NBA Finals, Kobe hurt his ankle in Game 2 and missed Game 3 which the Lakers lost to Indiana on the road. Under the format of 2-3-2, the Pacers got to host Games 3, 4 and 5.

In Game 4, Shaq fouled out in overtime but Kobe came to the rescue, hitting three clutch baskets to lift the Lakers to a 120-118 win, opening a 3-1 series lead. Indiana roared back to Game 5 then the Lakers clinched it in Game 6 at home, triggering a city-wide celebration that included sporadic looting of stores and burning tires on the streets. Shaq was named the Finals MVP. Kobe, however, made a name for himself with his heroics in the pivotal Game 4. If the Pacers won Game 4, the Lakers would’ve had to win Games 6 and 7 to bag the title.

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As Kobe’s career evolved, he wound up being named Finals MVP twice and led the league in scoring twice, both times averaging over 30 points. For what Kobe has done in the NBA, there’s really nothing more to prove. His body has taken a beating and he’s endured injuries all over from his shoulder to his Achilles tendon. To push himself further would be disrespecting the game because he couldn’t be what he used to be anymore.

Of course, for one last game, Bryant reminded everyone how he once was, scoring 60 points in leading the Lakers to a win over Utah at the Staples Center to end his career on a high note.

Over the weekend, Bryant enthusiastically answered questions from media and didn’t mind elaborating, didn’t mind the time, didn’t mind the same, old questions. Kobe’s moved on to the next chapter of his life which is story-telling to inspire others in their pursuit of excellence with the Mamba Mentality. Of course, he’ll never be away from basketball, hinting that the best Nike Kobe shoe will always be “the next one.”

“You inspire others to be the best version of themselves,” said Kobe, quoted by Lee Jenkins. “I do that by sharing things which are very personal to me, things I’ve struggled with and letting them relate that to their own journey.” He’s looking to tell his story in books and in videos and he’s looking to create biographical portraits of inspiring figures in the process of education. Now, he wants to be accessible, he wants to interact and he wants to share the glow of his success. It’s a different Kobe on stage, someone who’s free and easy. But deep down, it’s still the same obsessed and passionate Black Mamba doing his thing on a brand-new court.