It’s no secret that the Philippines loves Kobe Bryant.
Ask any twenty-something Filipino basketball player today who his/her basketball superhero is and the name they’ll say will probably be Kobe Bryant.
Kobe is the type of basketball player that makes you want to watch every game he plays in. Every basketball junkie probably remembers where they were and what they were doing when #8 dropped 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. Who could forget when the “Black Mamba” struck the New York Knicks with 61 points and a showcase of his solid fundamentals?
There’s just something about Kobe that Filipinos love so much. Mr. Bryant plays every game like it’s his last. Perhaps it’s reminiscent of how flip-flop wearing Pinoys play in pickup games in barangays and street courts all over the archipelago.
The Mamba, in spite of nagging injuries and personal trials, has never played just for the sake of playing- he always plays to win. Pinoys, even if bogged down by life’s daily struggles, always seem to give it their heart and soul whenever they step in between those sacred lines. Within that space, nothing else matters other than the ball and the hoop.
For Kobe, Basketball isn’t just a game, it’s his escape where he can just lose himself in.
For Filipinos, Basketball isn’t just a pastime, it’s a haven where they are the masters of their own fate.
Thank you, Kobe, for inspiring a whole nation.
Happy Mamba Day!
BasketBola 