Kobe Bryant was an exceptional Basketball player – he was an inspiration to real players and writers of fictional characters as well!
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When Kobe Bryant had to face the league as a solo act, the fans were worried. Since his entry into the league, Kobe had always been a sidekick to Shaquille O’Neal.
And after driving their beloved big man to the East coast, fans were against him. With news articles coming out daily about how strained their relationship was, Kobe needed to do something to calm it down.
But injuries were slowly catching up to him, and in 2006, he injured his knee. Despite a rickety knee, he dropped the modern NBA’s highest points by an individual—81.
In an interview, he explains how he got himself into ‘the zone’ of the present—a headspace where he did not care about the past or the present, but here and now.
The outcome of the game did not matter, but he forced himself to go into that zone and take it play-by-play. This description is uncanny for the viewers of a popular basketball anime, Kuroko no Basket. A fictional character based on Kobe Bryant? Best character ever!
Anime writers need to find inspiration from somewhere – The Lakers legend was the best place to look
Anime tends to dramatize even a fly, so something as fast-paced as basketball deserves every bit of drama and more. And where better to look than at the NBA? Writers look at things differently, and anime writers, very much so. These are the guys who find the deeper meanings in simple sentences like “the sky is blue”. There’s one in every English teacher; they just don’t know it yet.
What is being described here is almost verbatim from what Kobe said in his interview. Nobody can tell otherwise. According to the fans, Aomine Daiki is written based on Bryant, and based on what can be seen throughout the series, it can be confirmed.
Inspiration is everywhere, and anime writers use every last drop of it. And when your inspiration is someone with troves of knowledge, you soak up everything you can.
Kobe Bryant is given his due respect as a basketball player – But do not put athletes above other professions in the list of people who inspire you
Athletes, celebrities, and actors are great people to watch and enjoy, but probably not the best people to look up to. Their dark private lives are something not many people look at, brushing them under the rug for a life imagined in front of the cameras. Even a player like Kobe Bryant had a dark past, yet people forget it because he’s Kobe.
Surviving in a cut-throat world such as the sports field is not something many can do-the Mamba mentality has many layers to it. Like an onion, to be more precise. Life is not all onion rings and Funyuns. Peel a couple of layers and see how it makes you cry.
Use their life experiences to become better in the profession you choose. If you do want to become an athlete, well and good. But be an Aberforth and not an Albus if you choose to be a Dumbledore in your world. Be a good guy all around, not a facade that you parade around to make your name.
Also Read: Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James – The Finals We Never Saw, Yet a Rivalry of a Lifetime
