The Life and Legacy of Kobe Bryant: Reflections from Cal Poly Pomona

I was in the midst of teaching a “Politics, Policies, Pop Culture,” course at Cal Poly Pomona when I learned of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death. Every single one of my 46 students were fans of all things, Los Angeles. And, there was no one that symbolized and reflected the spirit of Los Angeles more than did Kobe Bryant. His flair, flash, and brilliance on the court, his winning spirit, and his million-dollar smile were all Hollywood. Although his death was mourned worldwide, the trauma of this tragedy was most intensely felt in the city of angels. As a Kobe fan, a Laker fan, and a fan of greatness, I mourned Bryant’s death with the same deep despair as his most ardent fans. In my search to highlight his uniqueness as an icon that transcended basketball, my students were assigned a paper that required them to examine Kobe’s life and legacy. They were asked to respond to the following questions: (1) How did Kobe Bryant become one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history? (2) How was he able to transcend basketball and become a cultural icon? (3) Why was he loved globally—especially in Italy and China? (4) What is the Mamba Mentality? (5) What is his legacy? Their responses capture the essence of Kobe’s transcendent profile. This essay examines the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant from a Los Angeles-based professor’s perspective and the perspective of his Cal Poly Pomona students.