Watching Kobe Bryant’s entire career, it was hard to comprehend how young he still was. Although the legendary basketball player featured in NBA for more than two decades, he was only 37 years old when he retired. Kobe was introduced to the world stage as a teenager and retired from the basketball court in his thirties. Kobe managed to win five NBA titles with LA Lakers and two Olympic Gold rings with Team USA.
He embodied the Mamba Mentality which defined his career and is a true reflection of his legacy. Despite being in the public limelight for a long time, he was only 41 years old. It, therefore, came as a shock to learn about the helicopter accident that took away his life, along with the lives of eight other individuals onboard during the dreadful event. He was only getting started!
Poker World Mourns the Loss of a Legend
Although Kobe rose to fame as a basketball player, he was an all-rounded athlete who had some association with poker. In the summer of 2013, after the passing of the former Lakers owner and poker player, Jerry Buss, the World Series of Poker invited Kobe to take part in the festival. While Kobe failed to participate in the games, he honored his former boss by announcing the kick-off of the Event.
All over the social media, multiple celebrities and sports figures have paid tribute to the legendary NBA player. Doyle Brunson, an old poker legend, took to Twitter to share about how life is not guaranteed. From the Canadian online gambling world, Daniel Negreanu, a another professional poker player who won six WSOP gold bracelets, also shared his condolences message over Twitter.
Allen Kessler, who almost only tweets about poker, decided to take a break from tweeting about poker in honor of Kobe Bryant. Allen went further and shared a picture of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, which had changed its colors to the LA Lakers jersey colors to pay tribute to Bryant.
Many other figures in the poker world shared their emotions on the passing of Bryant. Although Kobe was not a bigtime poker player or fan, many people in the poker world felt that they shared in his Black Mamba mentality of competitiveness.
Too Much to Do after Retirement
Kobe still had a lot to do! Even after retirement, the legendary athlete flourished. He still had his competitive drive in him. He had an athlete post-retirement life that you could only admire. He started a company, Kobe Inc., which targeted sports branding. He ended up pocketing $200 million when Coca-Cola acquired a company he had invested in. Besides, he was also hosting his own streaming television on ESPN. He had formed a partnership with a multi-sport training facility for young athletes. He became even more vocal in criticizing the president, paving the way for other athletes to share their political opinions.
Kobe also published more than one book during his less than five years after retirement. His Nike Shoe brands remained one of the best-selling although he was no longer an active participant in the sport. The legendary player even managed to win an Oscar! He had too much going on his life for it to be cut short!
Kobe had a young family. He had just welcomed a new daughter into the Bryant family last June. His time after the basketball career was for him and his family. He had Gigi to mentor. The Bryant family has lost a pivotal figure to guide and nurture the kids.
Conclusion
Most athletes’ careers may seem long and it, at times, comes as a surprise when we realize how young they really are, even after retiring. Actually, most of them have a lot going on even after retiring and for Kobe Bryant, he was just starting! He still had a lot to do. He had ventured into multiple businesses and philanthropic initiatives. It is sad to lose a legendary sportsman at such a tender age of 41!
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