Personal Branding Lessons from Kobe Bryant

It's normal to see a lot of people "crying more than the bereaved" when celebrities die but this one is different. Everyone who had any kind of admiration or respect for Kobe Bryant would be pained by his passing. His impact on basketball, sports, entertainment, fashion and culture is broad, and that's why so many people are deeply stunned and saddened by the news of his death.

Many times when people die, we don't know what to say; especially because the tragedy is shocking. Nobody expects the intense emotion or plan their response ahead of time. In the case of Kobe's death, I didn't know how to respond either and I can't imagine how hard this must be for his family and those who knew him personally.

One thing we can do with this tragic loss however is to reflect on his life and accomplishments, and learn from him how to live a life of impact.

Why does this matter to me:

Simply, I loved Kobe's personality and dedication to his game. I only watched basketball when Los Angeles Lakers had a game because that was Kobe's team for his entire basketball career. Kobe was my favorite basketball player and I remain a fan.

Here are 5 lessons we can learn from the life and times of Kobe Bryant:

#1: Success starts with showing up.

Even though his father, Joe, was a former NBA player, Kobe knew that success wouldn’t be handed to him. He didn't simply wish to be a basketballer or write it down on his list of goals. He showed up and put in the work, every single day.

"For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning," - Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner

What does this mean for you?

Fear shouldn't stop you from trying. In Kobe's words "If I wanted to implement something new into my game, I'd see it and try incorporating it immediately. I wasn't scared of missing, looking bad, or being embarrassed. That's because I always kept the end result, the long game, in my mind. I always focused on the fact that I had to try something to get it, and once I got it, I'd have another tool in my arsenal. If the price was a lot of work and a few missed shots, I was OK with that."
You don't have to be special. Gary Vitti, longtime head trainer for L.A. Lakers once said on the Legends of Sports podcast “There’s nothing really special about Kobe.. I mean, there were other players that had more talent than he did, so what was there about him that more talented players had zero rings and he ended up with five?" He was referring to the fact that even though Kobe Bryant was big and quick, there were people bigger and quicker. Kobe was powerful, but not the most powerful player that coaches had ever seen. The answer is clear from the flood of stories now being shared about Kobe: Even though he wasn't the best on paper, he decided early on that failure was not an option and figured out how to win.