mamba         out

I woke up at around nine o'clock in the morning, turned on my phone, and saw a message from my friend: Kobe is dead. The word "death" is directly and dazzling, piercing into a person's mind like a knife, and lingering. Death happens every day, and many times it is just a string of numbers, cold, just like the recent epidemic, death is far away from us, but very close.

And this time it was Kobe.

I am not a fan of Kobe, and never. In my craziest years as a fan, I hate him, his style, his playing style, his personality. I never even criticize Kobe because I hate the way a person handles is indifference, not caring, not paying attention.

In 10 years, Kobe defeated the Celtics and won the championship with the Lakers. I was very unhappy. I didn’t pay attention to any news about the NBA that summer. I am not a Celtic fan, I just don’t like Kobe very much. I believe many people have the same mentality as me. That year, I was 20 years old, and I had a clear distinction between basketball.

In 2020, 10 years have passed, and this winter is not too cold, but it is unforgettable. Because of the Morey incident, I haven't paid attention to the NBA for a long time. The basketball world on the other side of the ocean is gradually moving away from me. Because of the epidemic, people are hiding in their own nests and paying close attention to the development of the situation. At this time, Kobe appeared again. He always appears so unreasonable, just like his move, but it will always amaze you.

But this time, I would rather not be amazed.

I can't remember when I changed my mind about Kobe, maybe when he became no longer strong? When he had to reconcile with the world, the world would understand him. Or maybe I had completely different views on life after entering society, and I also had different views on Kobe. Basketball is no longer a simple victory or defeat, but like life, it became a glass of bitter wine.

Teacher Su Qun once said in the preface of a book that one of the reasons why young people love basketball and NBA is that they can see the ups and downs of a player's career in just over ten years, witnessing his growth, glory, decline and end. This is the most realistic and moving reality show in the world, and Kobe must be the most dazzling star in this show.

His dazzling lies not only in his football skills, but also in his personality. People use a lot of negative or positive words to describe him, rebellious, paranoid, persistent, crazy, tough, etc., among which negative words account for more. This is also the reason why so many people don’t like Kobe. He is too sharp, like a knife, hurting many people.

In our Chinese social and cultural concepts, the most important characteristic that a mature person needs is "smoothness". It is often said that society will remove the edges and corners of young people. I wonder how many people become smooth while struggling. Smoothness is a common evaluation standard in our society. Only smoothness can adapt to the world, smoothness can cater to others, and smoothness can just roll. But is this process of grinding away edges and corners really necessary? Can a person survive only by smoothness?

In my growing environment, no one told me how you should live if you are not smooth, and whether you can survive if you are not smooth. No one told me how your personality should be developed, what kind of independence your personality should be obtained, and how to find your goals. Parents told me to be humble, teachers told me to be united, leaders told me to take the overall situation into consideration.

Then, Kobe told me, do what you want and try your best. And prove that this is OK with his practical actions.

In fact, he told me a long time ago, but I just couldn't understand it. Now I understand that all the words that describe Kobe are just superficial. In my opinion, the Mamba spirit that people often say only has one real meaning: pursuing a true and independent self. This is the most precious spiritual wealth left by Kobe to all those who love basketball.

Kobe still died. Death is fair. At the moment when life disappears, everything about the individual is gone. No matter how many honors, wealth, status, or how many praises there are behind him, the remembrance and tears are turned into ashes and dust, falling into the earth, and dissipating in the years that can only be looked back.

Kobe is still alive. The real death of a person is not the physical death, but the forgetting of everyone. Kobe will not be forgotten. No matter you love him, hate him, or just appreciate him, he will be remembered. In this special date, if Kobe left us any tips, I think there are two points: First, cherish the present and cherish the people you love around you. You don’t know which one will come first or tomorrow. Second, always pursue truth, independence, not blindly follow, not compromise, not surrender, and be the real self.

mamba          out.

mamba        still        there.
Chapter completed!