January 26, 2020, will always bring painful memories for basketball fans around the world. It was a day when Kobe Bryant, arguably the greatest cager in history after the incomparable Michael Jordan, boarded a helicopter with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, for a game of basketball she was scheduled to play in only to meet his maker.
The chopper crashed in California, killing all nine people on board, and leaving the sports-loving world in floods of tears.
Kobe was scheduled to coach his daughter’s team at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. Following his retirement in 2016, the Los Angeles Lakers legend often spent time on the court, showing kids how to play the sport he loved until his last breath.
About one year and 10 months after the tragic crash, Abu Dhabi opened the doors to the NBA for groundbreaking pre-season games, allowing fans and young cagers in the region to witness the global icons in action and interact with past and present stars of the game in fan zones.
Many legends of the sport have graced the NBA Abu Dhabi Games since the first edition was held in 2022, but the big void left by Kobe’s untimely departure is still felt by fans in the UAE.
Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles for the Lakers alongside Kobe, though, believes fans and youngsters can still learn from the greatness of his ‘best friend’.
“There are so many Kobe memories and things that it’s hard to pick one or two,” Fisher told the Khaleej Times over a Zoom interview from the US.
“What I loved most about being his teammate for a really long time is to see how hard he worked on his game every single day of his life. He is one of the greatest basketball players that ever played. There is no debate about that, but he never stopped working on his craft, and looking for ways to grow and get better.”
The insatiable desire
Fisher, who would interact with fans during the two pre-season games between Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets on October 4 and October 6 in Abu Dhabi, says Kobe’s greatest legacy was not his legendary scoring ability.
But it was the incredible desire to keep pushing the boundary which separated Kobe from mere mortals.
“A lot of people in life, after they reach a certain level in their respective fields, they are like, ‘Oh, this is what we have done, we know what we can do’. But Kobe was never satisfied,” Fisher said.
“He always wanted to get better and this is what made Kobe so special. He always looked for ways to improve further.
“I think that’s what great people do, that’s what great athletes and great teachers do in life. They never stop and that’s what Kobe used to do on a day-to-day basis. This is something that we can all learn from.”
Having revealed what youngsters could learn from the immortal Kobe, Fisher opened up about the advice he gives to aspiring players.
“I think the biggest piece of advice I often give is how important it is to grab the opportunities that you get in life,” he said.
“If you truly follow something or love something it should not matter the minutes you get on the court, or the position you get to play in.
“What matters is the focus, it’s very important to stay focused on the job. There will always be things in life which are out of your control, but you can always control the controllables.”
A future NBA star from Middle East?
The 50-year-old says these pre-season games between elite teams in Abu Dhabi would inspire a lot of youngsters to dream big and reach the NBA in future.
“One of the most important things we have seen, you know, is developing emerging talents, creating opportunities, putting the game in a position where people can see it,” he said.
“There is the opportunity now to see these global stars live and get inspired by them. For basketball fans, it’s an amazing gift, it’s a blessing.”
Fisher says he can’t wait to be a part of the NBA pre-season games in Abu Dhabi as a global basketball ambassador.
“It’s going to be my first time in Abu Dhabi, so I am looking forward to meeting people, meeting fans, taking photos with them and talking to them about the sport. I am very excited,” he said.
“In my life, in my journey, it’s a great experience, to be able to connect with fans (in different parts of the world) for a long time. In my playing career, I didn’t get to experience trips like these, I had not reached different parts of the globe the way I have reached now.
“Basketball for me is obviously a lifelong passion and it will continue until I am no longer here (in this world).
“So thankfully we are having this opportunity to come to Abu Dhabi, spend time in the UAE and hope this wonderful sport keeps growing and growing.”