Former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant was one of the most impactful people in U.S. sports during his 20-year NBA career, and he is trending on social media in a special way on Tuesday.
Sports fans around the world have taken to social media to celebrate what would have been the 44th birthday of the late Kobe, if not for his tragic death in January of 2020.
Lakers legend Kobe Bryant would've turned 44 years old today 🐍
RIP Bean 💛
(via @NBA)https://t.co/IfvkpvY9tK
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) August 23, 2022
KOBE BRYANT’S 10 RULES
1. Get better every single day
2. Prove them wrong
3. Work on your weaknesses
4. Execute what you practiced
5. Learn from greatness
6. Learn from wins and losses
7. Practice mindfulness
8. Be ambitious
9. Believe in your team
10. Learn storytelling pic.twitter.com/DeFLRYjPoP— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) August 23, 2022
"Dedication makes dreams come true." – Kobe Bryant
Happy Birthday, #KobeBryant! The impact, inspiration, passion, and legacy will always be unmatched. 🙌🏿 pic.twitter.com/f1rcEutXnN
— REVOLT (@revolttv) August 23, 2022
Today we celebrate the life of late Class of 2020 #HOFer Kobe Bryant. #HOFBDays
📸: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images pic.twitter.com/UN4RnOWtMr
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) August 23, 2022
Happy Bornday @kobebryant 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/BiOlVCYfkC
— Cari Champion (@CariChampion) August 23, 2022
Today would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday.
Here’s video of LeBron and the rest of Team USA singing happy birthday to Bryant during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing – while Kobe is holding Gianna.
Miss you, Beanpic.twitter.com/2aZAOsa7FP
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) August 23, 2022
Among those who posted about Bryant on Tuesday was Vanessa Bryant, who posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram page remembering her late husband.
“Happy birthday, baby! I love you and miss you so much! #44,” said Vanessa Bryant.
One of Bryant’s best teammates throughout his career, Pau Gasol, also posted about his late friend’s birthday, expressing how he misses his “hermano” meaning brother in Spanish.
“Happy birthday, hermano. Miss you, always,” said Gasol.
Happy birthday, hermano. Miss you 🐍, always ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dyqy8dh3sL
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) August 23, 2022
Bryant’s list of accomplishments in the NBA is only matched by a few, making 18 All-Star appearances along with five NBA Championships as a member of the Lakers.
He was posthumously indicted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2020 for his accomplishments both on and off the court.
The tragic death of Bryant shook the sports world to its core, and today is a reminder that the impact of his life and tragic passing is still felt by fans across the country.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.