The Legacy of Kobe Bryant, Lensed by Nathaniel S. Butler

“With the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania,” said the late NBA Commissioner, David Stern. Shortly after his name was called, a 17 year-old Bryant would immediately be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Center, Vlade Divac. The fuel of being traded would equate to a 20-season NBA career highlighted by being the youngest player to ever win the Dunk Contest title, 12 All-Defensive awards, 18 All-Star selections, 5 championships, MVP honors and Olympic gold. Bryant accomplished countless feats and awards, yet arguably his most impressive accomplishment is his influence. Kyrie Irving, Kyle Kuzma, Devin Booker and many other players around the league sought Kobe’s mentorship in hopes of learning the ‘Mamba Mentality.’ It’s a mindset synonymous with fierce competitiveness, relentless drive to be the best, living every moment to the fullest and making every move count.

Bryant vocally praised Michael Jordan, crediting his skill set and relentlessness to be the best basketball player of all time. He would watch countless videos of MJ, imitating his moves on and off the court. Reluctant at first, Jordan wasn’t fond of Kobe’s approach to be ‘like Mike.’ OG sports journalist Nathaniel S. Butler first learned of Kobe’s MJ obsession during the first time they met at the 1996 NBA Rookie media event, a day before the draft.

“It’s kind of a crazy story. It’s the first time I worked with [Kobe] one-on-one. I introduced myself and he said, ‘Wait, you’re Nathaniel Butler?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he gave me a big hug. When he was growing up in Italy, he had Jordan posters all over his room and in those days the poster would have a photo credit. He would stare at those posters, and he knew my name from being on them. Even at such a young age, he was that detailed.”

Here, Butler shares his eight favorite photos and memories of the late icon: