Kobe Bryant, a former basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, his daughter Gianna and seven others passed away earlier this week in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles. He was beloved by millions, and his name was known by millions more. For countless fans his death is a time for mourning, sadness and reflection. Eissa Dar takes a look at his life from the Muslim perspective, remembering a man who was bigger than basketball.
What does it mean to fly?
To witness man personify greatness in his field, to enter legend within his lifetime? What does it mean to see a man so complete in his game, so flawless in his competition, an inspiration, the pinnacle of athleticism; what does it mean to be the absolute sportsman?
Kobe Bryant was more than just a man, he was an inspiration; an inspiration who had earned his reputation as the greatest. His success didn’t come without pain, sweat and tears. He worked tirelessly, constantly, consistently, every day to improve, to become better. Since being drafted into the NBA at 17, straight out of high school, he was always called “the next Michael Jordan”. At the end of his career, having played 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson, another NBA legend, called him “the greatest to wear the purple and gold,” the home colours for the team. He exemplified excellence in everything that he did, consistently, effortlessly. And one of the greatest things he ever accomplished, was to be a good father, a “girl dad”.
He was a father to four daughters, and he loved being it. He would take his family to games and practices, always involving them in his career to never lose a minute with them. His daughter, Gianna, was to take up his mantle, being just 13 yet full of potential. It is this legacy that will be remembered, not just his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, but as a complete father, who worked day in and day out to raise his family. But all things, no matter how beautiful, will transition into the next world.
His passing, the passing of his daughter and the passing of the seven others on that helicopter produced shock and confusion throughout the world. Disbelief poured in, and condolences were issued across the globe in every sphere of society. I, like many other Muslims, felt the same shock and sadness at his passing as millions around the world. But our confusion was different, the question arose, what does it mean to be Muslim and to mourn the death of someone who had not taken the testimony of faith?
It’s okay. It’s okay to feel the pain and sadness. It’s a natural part of the human condition to feel shocked at the unexpected. Death is a reality, and it will occur for everything, and we are built to emote, to feel for our fellow humans. I’m reminded of the tradition of the Prophet ﷺ in which he stood for the funeral procession of a non-Muslim. When questioned he simply replied: “Was he not a soul?” The fact of the matter is that Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to millions, both inside and outside the sphere of basketball. I know for myself at least, that watching him play growing up was mesmerising. To see a man fly was amazing, my eyes glued to the screen, five seconds left on the clock, the final pull-up jumper and the swish of the net as the buzzer sounded. The electricity, the excitement, the hope that one day you’ll fly too.
To be a Muslim is to feel the empathy, to want good for people and to call them towards that same good. Yes, we have our belief and we are firm in it, but our job here on Earth is simply to spread that belief, with love, wisdom and compassion. That was the way of our Prophet ﷺ in his calling, why would ours be any different? To feel respect for someone who has mastered his science is not wrong, to call him the greatest at his craft and to honour him for it doesn’t conflict with sound faith that every soul shall taste death {Q. 29:57}.
There is much to learn from the death of Kobe Bryant as a Muslim. The swiftness of death, the absoluteness of the final outcome and the fact that there is no hiding from it: “Death will overtake you no matter where you may be, even inside high towers {Q. 4:78}” We also learn to take hold of what time we have, and to look after it, to work hard to ensure that we all have good endings. There is also so much to learn from his life itself: his work ethic, his dedication, his efforts as a father of four daughters. These are all admirable qualities that are found within our own tradition. These are attributes that all of us should have in our daily lives. It is from the quality of a Muslim to seek excellence in everything that we do, and although Kobe Bryant was not a Muslim, his striving was honourable and inspirational and should serve as a reminder of just how hard we should all be working to pursue that excellence.
Kobe Bryant was truly the greatest basketball player of all time, and history will remember him as such. To feel sadness at his loss is human, to remember your Lord in these times is Muslim.