Mamba Legend Lives On
Stories of a man who was so much more than basketball.
Yesterday we lost a sports legend, Kobe Bryant. Today, we’re sharing with you why Bryant is being mourned by so many - he was so much more than basketball. He was a man who wasn’t perfect, but never claimed to be. He was one of the best in the history of the game and inspired generations of basketball players, athletes and go-getters around the world.
Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife Vanessa, daughters Natalia, Bianca and Capri and the families of all the victims. We hope you take the next three minutes to read a little bit more about Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant who was just starting his second act.
Still in shock,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna “Gigi” were amongst nine victims who died yesterday in a helicopter crash. The basketball loving father-daughter duo were en route to Gigi’s basketball game. His career accomplishments are awe-inspiring - five-time champion, MVP, all-star, gold medalist and the list goes on. He remains the only person in the NBA to have two jersey numbers retired (8 and 24). GONE TOO SOON
Overtime
Bryant was a man of many talents. He was raised in Italy and spoke three different languages. He would occasionally pick up another, like Slovak, to talk trash. Once, he wanted to learn how to play the piano for his wife but instead of hiring a piano teacher, which was the easy way out, he taught himself. He put on headphones and listened to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" on repeat until he perfected it. WHAT COULDN’T HE DO?
Sideline stat
On Saturday night LeBron James passed Bryant to overtake third place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Before the game, James wrote "Mamba 4 Life" and "8/24 KB" (a tribute to Bryant’s jersey numbers) in gold marker on his shoes to honor the legend he was about to surpass. In his final tweet, Bryant took to Twitter to congratulate James on his accomplishment saying “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644.” RESPECT
Coaches’ corner
Bryant was known for his love of the game but it extended beyond the NBA. He was a vivacious supporter of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) and a friend and mentor to women’s basketball players from his daughter’s team, to the college level and of course, the WNBA. PROUD PAPA
What to watch
As part of his second act, after leaving basketball Bryant turned his passion toward entertainment, founding Granity Studios, where he won an Oscar for “Dear Basketball.” TELL THE STORY
We’ll bring you Super Bowl coverage on Wednesday. Until then, channel the "Mamba mentality" and be fearless like Kobe.
The Oscar Goes To...5 Academy Award-Winning Sports Movies
From the locker room to the red carpet. Plus today’s Wednesday Wisdom.
The Oscars are no different than sports, there’s still a uniform (albeit a tux and a ballgown) and you still have to be a good sport even when you lose.
Game faces on, if the botox allows,
The Last NIght’s Game Team
1. Million Dollar Baby (2004) This movie about a middle-class female boxer who forges a life-changing bond with her trainer is tied for the most celebrated movie on our list. The movie took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actress (Hilary Swank), Best Director (Clint Eastwood) and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). The other flick with four wins? Chariots of Fire. GIRL ON FIRE
2. Rocky (1976) We all remember the iconic line of “Yo Adrian” and Sylvester Stallone’s run up the steps, but while the actors and their lines are what we remember, the movie took home the award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. A big fat TKO for Rocky and Adrian. WE’LL STILL NEVER EAT A RAW EGG FOR BREAKFAST
3. Jerry Maguire (1996) Tom Cruise may have yelled “show me the money” in a story about a sports agent down on his luck but Cuba Gooding Jr. showed them how it was done as he received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. OSCAR, YOU COMPLETE ME
4. Chariots of Fire (1981) In a class-focused, divided society, two runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. The movie is probably best known for its Oscar winning original music score. THE MUSIC THAT STILL INSPIRES US ALL
5. The Blind Side (2009) Sandra Bullock took home her first Oscar for her role as a pushy mom who takes in a homeless teen and helps to harness his talents to turn him into a football powerhouse. Based on a true story, the real Michael Oher became a college football sensation and an NFL (National Football League) player. DREAMS DO COME TRUE
BONUS - Since it wasn’t a full-length feature film, the honorable mention goes to Kobe Bryant’s Dear Basketball. The animated short took home an Oscar last year and Bryant proclaimed that his win “felt better than winning a championship.” THE TROPHY ISN’T AS COOL
DON’T SKIP TODAY'S WEDNESDAY WISDOM
The Oscars may be on Sunday, but there’s plenty happening in the sports world today including a new, very odd nickname for a football player, a viral inspirational locker room speech and why someone almost needed a trip to the plastic surgeon’s office. READ
And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
Don’t really want to divulge the details of your weekend during the small talk around the coffee pot this morning? Use sports to shift the conversation and show off your savviness.
Don’t really want to divulge the details of your weekend during the small talk around the coffee pot this morning? Use sports to shift the conversation and show off your savviness.
You’ve got this,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Basketball
If you’re feeling like a champ this morning. It’s championship week in college basketball. That means the different conference tournaments have begun in advance of the big March Madness tournament, which starts next week. Teams that win their conference championship earn an automatic bid into the tournament. The rest will have to sit and wait to hear their team name announced on Selection Sunday (March 11).
Who doesn’t love an underdog? The Lipscomb University Bisons won their conference tournament, which guarantees the team from a small university in Nashville a spot in the March Madness tournament for the first time ever. LIST OF TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED
If you’re interested in participating in the bracket madness of the NCAA (the governing body of college sports) tournament, you can play with us. After Selection Sunday we’ll share a link to our bracket so you can pick your teams and play along in a judgement free zone for a chance to win prizes and have a little fun too.
Overtime
Kobe Bryant isn’t only one of the best in basketball, but he can now add one of the best in Hollywood to his list of accomplishments. Last night he took home an Oscar for his animated short Dear Basketball. He is the first professional athlete to win an Academy Award.
Sideline stat
In hopes of making a team, NFL (National Football League) hopefuls showed off their athletic and mental abilities to scouts in the NFL Combine. University of Central Florida’s Shaquem Griffin was not on the original invite list but the one-handed Griffin certainly made the best out of his appearance, dominating the Combine. Not only did he bench press 225 pounds an impressive 20 times using a prosthetic hand, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash for linebackers in 10 years. And with that, we have no excuse to skip the gym today.
Coaches’ corner
Michelle Wie and Phil Mickelson are two of the biggest names in golf who have been down on their luck for years until this weekend. Wie ended a four-year losing streak by taking home a win on the last hole of the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore. Mickelson, 47, finally broke his five-year losing streak, winning the Mexico Championship this weekend.