Kobe Bryant and prodigal Nigerian sports starBy Tunde Odesola
Death spread a blanket of grief over the sporting universe last Sunday morning when the helicopter conveying basketball superstar, Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers, crashed into a fog-covered mountain in Calabasas, California, bursting into a furious ball of fire as the massive metallic black bird shattered to the ground. The immeasurable tragedy opened global floodgates of tears and tributes unwitnessed in the sporting world this century.
The pain of Kobe’s death was the more devastating not only because of its manner but because of the virtues he represented. His 41-year-long life encapsulated the very hopes, fears, fulfilment, joy, regrets and disasters that define modern-day living. In the bid to impact his universe, Kobe committed his life to his art and pursued his dreams with uncommon passion, unobtrusively elevating himself to immortality.
Kobe wasn’t a saint. Not at all. He fell out with his father, Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, a former NBA player, and mother, Pamela, for selling his memorabilia; and some of his siblings, for not doing enough for themselves. He made up with them long before he died, though. Kobe was accused of sexual assault by a white female hotel attendant, who claimed the Black Mamba sexually assaulted her in a Colorado hotel room in 2003. He admitted having sex with the lady but insisted it was consensual. Kobe reached a settlement with his accuser, tendered an apology and the charges were dropped.
For a world short on father figures and role models, Kobe was a classic example of a man who toiled and climbed life’s ladder to global acclaim, and yet still had the heart to draw up others at the bottom of the ladder - when he could simply have walked away, and never look back. His love for his family is fast turning into folklore among millions of his fans with videos and pictures of him doting on his four daughters and wife becoming commonplace. For a world that pays lip service to worship, it is noteworthy that Kobe, a Catholic, still went to church early on his deathday, said his prayers, before hopping on the chopper for his last flight.
When his marriage hit a rough patch in 2011, the insanely talented athlete was determined to steer it back on course. For two years, he worked extremely hard on himself, making his wife, Vanessa, change her mind in 2013 on the divorce she filed in 2011 when she cited irreconcilable differences. In a 2015 interview, Kobe told GQ: “I’m not going to say our marriage is perfect. We still fight, just like every married couple. But you know, my reputation as an athlete is that I’m extremely determined, and that I will work my ass off. How could I do that in my professional life if it wasn’t like that in my personal life, when it affects my kids? It wouldn’t make any sense.” This is the essence of Kobe who was drafted straight from high school into the NBA at the age of 17 in 1996.
With a net worth of $500m, no Nigerian athlete, living or dead, can hold a candle to Kobe’s wealth as there’s none who has ever earned $60m. The net worth of, arguably, the richest among them, John Obi Mikel, is reportedly put at $57m. Aside from his basketball legacy, Kobe bequeathed a number of juicy startup investments in media, enterprise tech and legal services with a $100m venture fund, though he had a couple of financial losses, too.
Unlike Nigerian multi-million-dollar athletes with nose-in-the-air mentality, Kobe vigorously supported charities and foundations that included After-School All-Stars, Aid Still Required, Cathy’s Kids Foundation, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer, Vijay Amritraj Foundation, investing in adoption, fostering, orphans, HIV and AIDS, blood, marrow and organ donation, cancer, children, disaster relief, education, mental challenges, health, physical challenges, women etc.
Aside from Nwankwo Kanu, whose Kanu Heart Foundation has helped many Nigerian kids with heart conditions, the generality of Nigerian athletes, footballers especially, gives little or nothing back to the Nigerian society. Week-in, week-out, millions of Nigerian football fans support Nigerian footballers in various leagues all over the world. Many Nigerians today support Arsenal FC because of Kanu’s exploits with the English team just as the same goes for Mikel with Chelsea. When Nigerian players come home from their foreign bases during the offseason window, videos of them ‘spraying money’ at nightclubs would hit the internet. If each of Nigerian megabucks athletes gives back to the Nigerian society by supporting the education, health and sports sectors, for instance, many lives would be improved.
I agree that Nigeria has an utterly irresponsible political leadership that wrings its fingers while herdsmen turn southern communities into Golgotha, but that should not deter good intentions. If Kanu didn’t invest in his foundation, many Nigerian kids, whose lives have been saved, would have become sad memories to their families.
Did I hear someone say that every athlete is entitled to spend their money the way they want? Yes, I agree absolutely. Conversely, therefore, no Nigerian athlete should turn to government for assistance after frittering away their fortunes. After years of carousing and philandering with the most beautiful ladies in town amid lavish spending, I have heard many Nigerian athletes complain of being abandoned by government when the wind of poverty blew their way.
Gullibly, Nigerian masses also fall victim to the sense-of-entitlement card played by many retired athletes, who had failed to make hay while the sun shone. This is when you hear, “Upon all I have done for this country.” Hey, mister prodigal, what have you done for this country? Sports stars should be grateful to the country for giving them the honour to wear the national colours, and not the other way round. There are one million and one Nigerian athletes who hadn’t the opportunity to represent the country despite their immense talents. Nation-building entails an intricate web of citizens working in their various capacities to engender a better country. So, no one sector of the society, or group of professionals, should feel entitled to ask for preferential treatment after retirement. The duty of the footballer is not, in any way, superior to that of teachers, farmers, civil servants, tailors, doctors, mechanics, drivers, traders and even night soil men because society needs every profession.
In the US, for example, the only profession given preferential treatment to is the military. This is because military men and women are the only professionals who mandatorily sign to lay their lives for society. This is the highest honour anyone can give to their fatherland. The Nigerian military, with its garbage of imperfections, should be repositioned to serve, and not terrorise the people. This is not to say that Nigeria doesn’t owe her military a modicum of gratitude, despite their unmerited bumptiousness.
From Mike Tyson to Evander Holyfield to Diego Maradona, Leon Spinks, OJ Simpson etc, the list of sports superstars who have gone broke after earning megabucks is endless. The list is even longer in the music and entertainment industry. But because there are clear rules of engagement in the western world, there’s no call on government to build personal houses for or pick the bills of ex-internationals who mismanaged their fortunes.
Like the extraordinary Kobe, Nigerian athletes should spend their money wisely and give back to society. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, goes a popular verb phrase. But I’ll add, if it’s broke, fix it yourself, Mr Nigerian Superstar, because you can’t eat your cake and have it too.
Adieu, Kobe. Rest in peace, all.
Published in The PUNCH on Monday, (February 3, 2020)
Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
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