When it was ''Go Time'' - Kobe was always ready

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - What is it that we're going to remember most about Kobe Bryant? For me, it was his readiness for the big moment.

He was the guy that always wanted the ball and especially when the game was on the line. He mesmerized us with his basketball talent and especially in those all-important clutch moments. That's what really set him apart.

The first time I watched him in person was at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he was hands down the most popular athlete at the Games. When Kobe walked into the Wukesong Arena to watch the USA women play, the crowd erupted as if one of the teams had just made a huge play.

He couldn't escape the limelight, nor did he attempt to. He smiled, always, and waved to everyone. It was a great time in his life because Kobe knew he had a special place in the hearts of all the Chinese fans.

 

The biggest moment on the court from that first tournament that I saw him compete in was his four-play late in the Final against Spain. World champions two years before, Spain, with a little more than three minutes remaining, only trailed 104-99.

The game felt as if it was even closer, that it was on a knife-edge. Kobe caught a pass on the wing and Spain's Rudy Fernandez, knowing the shot was going to go up, got a hand in his face before the USA star released the shot. A referee blew his whistle to call a foul on Rudy and the ball sailed through the air and into the hoop. Game over!

Kobe made the free-throw and the USA ended up winning, 118-107.

What a shot, what a performance, what a moment!

 
Kobe won the first of his two Olympic Finals against Spain at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

Kobe did it all in the NBA and for one team, the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA titles (2000–2002, 2009, 2010), received a league MVP award (2008) and was an 18-time all-star.

In 2006, he scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors, the second most all time behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 that he poured in in 1962.

He retired in 2016 yet remained the one and only Kobe. He still had big moments. Honestly, everything Kobe was involved with was a big moment, if not for him, then certainly for everyone else.

Just a few months ago at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, where he was a Global Ambassador, Kobe was more popular than ever.

Like a gift from heaven, I got a message one night asking if I'd be available the following morning to moderate a sit-down with Kobe and some journalists. I answered immediately yes, and went to meet Kobe and sit close to him as he gave thoughtful answers to every single question, whether it was about coaching his daughter, Gianna, or the USA's Quarter-Final exit at the hands of France.

He was such a pro. About 30 minutes later, I was walking down a hallway and Kobe was still there, going from one room to another to do another interview. As he walked past me, he smiled and patted me on the back.

Kobe also had a press conference at the Wukesong Arena, that same venue where he'd had the four-point play 11 years earlier. The room was full. I sat next to Kobe and welcomed everyone and the questions began. Kobe spoke calmly but with a real sense of purpose.

Once again, it was Go Time!

His greatest comment that night was about the beauty of the international game and how he wanted everyone to know about national team basketball.

Yes, even three years after his retirement, Kobe was so influential that he was continuing to have those big moments. 

After the press conference, Kobe went to his courtside seat and watched basketball. He relished being there.

On Sunday night, I got a message that Kobe and one of his daughters had died in a helicopter crash. "This can't be," I thought. "We just saw him in China". He was only 41 years old.

Then I got another message, from a friend who knew that I worked in basketball, expressing his sadness. It was as if a member of my own family had died and the friend was offering his condolences. The truth of the matter is that Kobe was in our basketball family. We're all in shock. We can't believe this has happened.

Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and several other people all died in that crash.

Everyone has reacted, from his former Lakers teammates like Pau Gasol, Brian Shaw and Shaquille O'Neal to football megastars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

President Barack Obama was a huge fan of Kobe. He has reacted, too.

For the millions of Kobe fans, all of us who drew inspiration from what he was able to do on the court and even off it, we need to grieve. But we will also want to honor his memory.

We're all passionate about something whether it relates to basketball or something else. We need to set goals and do everything we can to accomplish them. We need to make an impact.

It's Go Time!

That's how Kobe would have approached it.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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