‘He was my superhero’: WSU’s Tyson Etienne on the impact Kobe Bryant had on his life
Basketball fans from all over the world mourned the death of former NBA star Kobe Bryant on Sunday.
For today’s college players, Bryant was the measuring stick of success, the ultimate competitor with the jump shot that so many emulated over the years. Throw in his popular brand of Nike shoes and “Mamba mentality” catchphrase and Kobe took on a persona that was bigger than basketball.
As a child growing up near New York City, Tyson Etienne was raised a Knicks fan but always felt an attachment to Bryant. Etienne has watched countless hours of Bryant’s YouTube clips and tried to emulate his approach on and off the court.
Etienne, a current freshman guard for the Wichita State basketball team, was one of millions that felt shook to their core Sunday by the death of Bryant, 41, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California with his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others.
“He was my superhero,” Etienne said. “Kobe Bryant is much more than a player to me. How I carry myself on and off the court is a testament to him. I looked up to him and the blueprint that he laid for basketball players like myself and many other kids across the world. It was a tremendous impact he had on the lives of millions of people.”
Many of the current Shockers were deeply affected by the loss.
Morris Udeze changed his jersey number to No. 24 this season in honor of Bryant. Dexter Dennis frequently wears a throwback Bryant jersey from his high school days at Lower Merion in Philadelphia. Grant Sherfield’s family are huge Lakers fans who idolized Kobe.
But no one took the news harder than Etienne, who penned a lengthy tribute to Kobe on his Instagram.
“I felt like a part of me was taken away when he passed,” Etienne said. “It still hurts me a lot just saying that Kobe Bryant, somebody that I looked up to my whole life, is no longer with us.”
Etienne said that he plans to continue to honor his hero with the way he trains and plays the game that he loves.
“Anything in life can be made, anything can be built if you’re willing to put in the hours and willing to pay attention to details,” Etienne said about what he learned from Bryant. “Hard work beats talent and he was a testament to that. If you read his books, watched his interviews, he talked about how he built his game. He wasn’t the most naturally talented person, but he built everything and that’s the route I’ve had to do my whole life. I’m just following his blueprint.”
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