Kobe Bryant: A Master on and off the court

I have the coolest day job.

I am the Chief Operating Officer of an organization in Metro Atlanta called Refuge Coffee Co. I have the opportunity to do two things that I am passionate about each day:

1. Develop people through our platform of job creation and training for the Refugee populations of Georgia
2. Build teams that create amazing experiences and coffee beverages for our loyal customers

Recently we took our refugee barista trainees on a field experience to  tour one of our biggest and best catering customers; The Ron Clark Academy in Downtown Atlanta. We were privileged to be able to sit in as Ron Clark himself (yes, the “Survivor” Ron Clark) taught a sixth-grade Math class. “How exciting,” you might be sarcastically thinking, but this was a moment I will not soon forget. What we witnessed was a man using classical music, no words, hand motions, and dance to teach a fairly complex equation to a room full of students. These students were locked in to his every move and gesture. We were in the room to experience a true Master at his craft. I was emotionally moved and even found myself asking, “Do I want to become a teacher?” (Update: I don’t).

This past weekend we received the news of another Master–this one who lost his life along with his daughter and seven other precious souls. Kobe Bryant was a Master at not only dominating on a basketball court, but also captivating our attention and affections. We watched as he developed from a lanky teenager into a young husband and father. He played side-kick to an older Master during the Laker years with Shaquille O’Neal. We watch as he immaturely handled that relationship as it ultimately fell apart. We also watched as he was accused of an unthinkable crime of violence and violation in a Colorado hotel room. To be honest, many of us still don’t know what to make of that incident to this day. We had a “front-row seat” as Kobe learned to play and win championships as the best player on a team. We cheered as he hoisted the championship trophy two more times after the departure of O’Neal–and five times in all.

Through it all we sighed, cheered, jeered, critiqued and marveled. As we watched a true Master at his craft, we wondered how he could be so disciplined, how he could be so athletic, how he could be so foolish, and ultimately how he could be so incredibly great.

The question I pose today is this: “how should we properly approach the Masters among us?”

1. Allow them to inspire us. We need the Masters in all areas of life. We need them to help us challenge what is possible. This enables us to dream and challenge the process in our own lives.
2. Learn from their discipline and drive. Most of us will not reach the level of accomplishment in our fields that Kobe Bryant did in basketball and entertainment. However, we can learn and apply the principles of his work ethic. Kobe was known to be the hardest worker on the team and was locked on being the best.
3. Adopt their attitude of not settling. This was famously referred to as the “Mamba Mentality.” Kobe refused to settle on becoming even above average. He would not settle for doing anything less than what he felt he was created to do. His passion was not to simply be good at basketball, but to hone his skill and ability to become one of the greatest to ever step foot on a court. Often, we choose to settle for a lesser story in our lives. We should instead ask the question, “what am I passionate about?” and take Kobe’s lead of not settling for anything less than our best.
4. Heed the warning of their shortcomings. There are only two people who know exactly what happened in that Edwards, CO hotel room. I certainly hope that if any harm was done to that young woman that Kobe was able to take steps to make things right with her. He certainly seemed to learn from that mistake and remained committed to making his marriage and family work. We must be careful not to expect the Masters among us to be perfect. That is simply a standard they as humans are not able to attain. When they do fall short we must allow it to serve as a reminder lest we follow the same path.

The day after this tragic accident I coached both of my daughters in our final middle school basketball game of the season. We did not have a great season as far as wins and losses were concerned; however, as the news of Kobe’s death and the death of the other passengers sank in, I began to reflect on the temporary nature of our lives and what truly matters most. I believe as he got older he settled into becoming the best dad and husband he could possibly be. He truly seemed to be the biggest supporter of his daughter’s dreams. Kobe was not a perfect man, but he was a man who was able to say that he loved his “day job,” and performed it with a passion and mastery that inspired us all to work a bit harder, care a bit deeper, and protect the things and people we care so much about.