But he was also a father

Kobe Bryant was a lot of things to a lot of people.

To most of the world, he was a basketball savant, a former Los Angeles Lakers star who won five NBA titles, two NBA finals MVP awards, and a swath of other awards like the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008.

In his 20-year career — all with the Lakers — his production was staggering: 33,643 points, which stood third in franchise history until LeBron James unsettled it this weekend; 7,047 rebounds, an insane number for the type of player he was — at least, the type of player he was supposed to be before he made history by jumping from Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia to the NBA; 6,306 assists, a number that buffers him not only as a talented scorer, but a consummate teammate and professional.

There’s an argument to be had that Kobe Bryant was the G.O.A.T, though we’ll leave the debate between him, MJ and others for another day. His impact on the game was incredible, both domestically and internationally; that’s enough, for now.

Also among the deceased — and all of their families deserve our thoughts and prayers — is Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, a budding basketball phenom in the spitting image of her dad.

Basketball player. Celebrity. Businessman and philanthropist. But the most important title Kobe Bryant held was father. Dad. Daddy.

The most tragic result of Sunday’s deep tragedy is not that the world lost a legend, that Los Angeles lost a hero, or that the NBA lost one of its greatest ever.

The biggest tragedy is that Vanessa lost a husband. The biggest tragedy is that Natalia, Bianka and Capri lost a father. They also lost a sister, a daughter, and a friend.

Kobe Bryant was an established basketball legend.

But he was also a father.

A father. Two fathers. A mother. Two sisters, daughters and rising basketball players.

All were taken far too soon, sent to return to their own Father, the one in Heaven, upon the completion of their mortal work.

And while it’s impossible to know exactly what went wrong in Sunday’s helicopter crash — pilots of the Sikorsky S-76 have been known to become disoriented in thick fog, like the one that enveloped Southern California on Sunday morning — it’s easy to imagine that Kobe and John and the rest of those in the chopper died doing what they loved.

Not playing basketball. Not coaching baseball. Being fathers, shuttling their daughters to a basketball game, or tournament, or practice.

One can only imagine the conversation that took place before taking off that fateful morning between Bryant and Altobelli:

“We need to get the girls there on time. How about we take my helicopter?”

“Are you sure? Is it safe?”

“Sure, it is; I take the Sikorsky out 30–40 times per month.”

How little they knew then, how many people will forever wonder “what if?” they hadn’t boarded that helicopter? What if they hadn’t been in such a hurry to get off that ground? Would they still be with us, not gone too soon, at such early ages as 41 or — even worse — 13?

“Kobe Bryant’s untimely death is a reminder to us all,” wrote sports business writer Kristi Dosh. “Love someone? Tell them. Want to write a book? Write it. Wish your life was different? Change it.

“No more excuses. Whatever you’re putting off until tomorrow, vow to do it.”

We’ve all lost people in our lives, some sooner, some later. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, friends and loved ones.

What would they have us do with the time we’ve been given — time they weren’t allowed to have?

Live your life in such a way that you can impact your circle the same way these men and women and young people impacted their own. Because in the end, none of us know how much time we have left.

Use your influence to do good, whether as a basketball player, a coach, a teacher, a writer.

Or even, most importantly, as a father.

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