CLEMENTE LISI, in an article first published on Religion Unplugged, looks at the role his Catholic faith played in the life of US basketball icon Kobe Bryant after he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday…
Kobe Bryant means a lot of different things to many people. To most, the 41 year old was the Los Angeles Lakers star and a five-time NBA champion who spent two decades wowing us on the bashetball court. He may even be one of the best players to ever dunk a ball.
To others, he’ll forever be the cheating spouse, on trial in 2003 for allegedly raping a woman inside a Colorado hotel room, an encounter he claimed had been consensual. It should be noted that Bryant was married at the time.
Kobe Bryant, pictured above preparing to take a free throw in 2005, was a practicing Catholic. PICTURE: Wikipedia Commons.
“All but forgotten – as well as under-reported by the news media since Sunday’s tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed Bryant, his daughter and seven others – was his Catholic faith and how getting closer to it made him a better man, husband and father.”
A judge eventually dropped the charges, but the woman filed a civil lawsuit against the basketball star that was settled outside of court. Bryant later issued a public apology, saying he was ashamed for having committed adultery.
After his retirement, Bryant became known primarily as a doting father, largely shunning the chance to coach or work for the Lakers in some official capacity. It’s no surprise then that he died Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, a budding basketball talent herself, on their way to one of her games.
All but forgotten – as well as under-reported by the news media since Sunday’s tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed Bryant, his daughter and seven others – was his Catholic faith and how getting closer to it made him a better man, husband and father. Bryant had spent a chunk of his childhood in Italy, a majority Catholic country, and was raised in the faith. How devout was Bryant? He attended Mass regularly, including just two hours before he died.
Kudos to Catholic News Agency for being the first to report that Bryant was a devout Catholic, then updating the story throughout the day with more details. Within 24 hours, others had followed suit, including Fox News, Breitbart and conservative Catholic media websites. Repairing your marriage and finding redemption in God must be a right-wing thing if most of the news media finds it uninteresting to report on as part of the Kobe story and legacy.
Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez called Bryant, who retired from the NBA in 2016, a “very good Catholic, a faithful Catholic.”
“I remember one time going to the Lakers’ practice, and I had a good conversation with him,” Gomez told Catholic News Agency. “We are praying for the eternal repose of his soul, his daughter who also died and for the family. It must be a very challenging time for his family. So, let’s pray for him and pray for his family.”
The mainstream news media has been squeamish to report on Bryant’s faith. The reason may be two-fold. One, it would involve actually reporting on religion. The second, rehashing the rape allegation, an episode that is both dark and bleak from his past, is no way to remember Bryant’s life. After all, who wants to speak ill of the dead.
After years of trying to work on his marriage, Bryant’s wife Vanessa, whom he had four children with, filed for divorce in 2011. She later withdrew the petition and the couple reconciled. Bryant, in a 2015 interview with GQ magazine, said he had turned to his Catholicism during his time of trouble.
“The one thing that really helped me during that process – I’m Catholic, I grew up Catholic, my kids are Catholic – was talking to a priest. It was actually kind of funny: He looks at me and says, ‘Did you do it?’ And I say, ‘Of course not.’ Then he asks, ‘Do you have a good lawyer?’ And I’m like, ‘Uh, yeah, he’s phenomenal.’ So then he just said, ‘Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So let it go.’ And that was the turning point.”
“Bryant’s rise, fall and return to greatness is a wonderful redemption story rooted in Christian virtue. Was Bryant perfect? Not at all. Instead, he was a human who struggled with fame and temptation. Bryant repaired his marriage, a process that took years, and raised his children to be Catholic.”
Regarding his marriage, Bryant told the magazine: “I’m not going to say our marriage is perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. 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 I wasn’t like that in my personal life, when it affects my kids? It wouldn’t make any sense.”
Bryant’s rise, fall and return to greatness is a wonderful redemption story rooted in Christian virtue. Was Bryant perfect? Not at all. Instead, he was a human who struggled with fame and temptation. Bryant repaired his marriage, a process that took years, and raised his children to be Catholic. Bryant and his wife also founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation dedicated to helping young people and the homeless.
Bryant will be forever remembered for his skills on the court. Some will choose to highlight his philandering. Yet Bryant’s biggest legacy should be that he was a pious man who worked hard every day to be the best husband and father he could be.
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He currently teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City.
