“You go…over the top!”- Kobe Bryant
Yesterday, January 17th was the birthday of the original ‘G.O.A.T’. The greatest of all time Muhammad Ali. Before I went to the gym to hit the treadmill I sat and watched a segment on SportsCenter dedicated to Ali and began to think about something I think about an awful lot. Greatness! Ali was the epitome of greatness. He thought he was great even before he proved his greatness. Of course there are those who will debate him being the greatest boxer (not many) but there is no denying his greatness. I truly believe there is greatness in all of us. Then there’s a next level of greatness that very few people decide to pursue that involves not only external motivation but also internal struggle and challenges. This kind of greatness is the premise for Nike’s new comedic promotional campaign for Kobe Bryant’s new sneaker and “The Kobe System”.
I am a believer in the Kobe System. Although I wouldn’t declare myself a die-hard Kobe fan I am a fan of his mentality as an athlete. In fact just the other day my friend told me that I’m secretly a Kobe fan. For the record Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are my favorite players but Kobe is just undeniable. Everyone is trying to catch up with him right now. The “Kobe System” commercials are pretty funny and intriguing because they include a cast of notable greats like Richard Branson, Jerry Rice, Serena Williams and Kanye West. All of the featured guests in the video are really good at what they do solidifying that you have to at least be on their level to be a part of the Kobe System.
So what is the Kobe System? The commercial explains it as “success for the successful”. Its what you do once you reach the top and that would be to find a way to push yourself over the top once you get there. Although I wouldn’t say I’m at the top of anything just yet I talk to my closet friends about this kind of philosophy all the time, I just never had a name for it. I’m pretty sure they think I’m crazy or entirely too idealistic but I strongly believe in wanting to do the things it takes to be great. Everyone is not built that way nor will everyone understand the desire to be great. Think about the cameos in the commercial. Kobe Bryant who’s arguably the top player in the NBA. Jerry Rice, the argument for him being the best receiver ever in the NFL is less arguable. Then there’s Richard Branson whose Virgin Empire literally reaches out of this world. They not only want to be the best but also need to be better than they were any time before the current moment. That’s just incredible to me. Then once they’ve achieved so much they don’t quit, they try to find away to get even better. That there my friends is all apart of the Kobe System.
While I was jogging on the treadmill I reminded myself not to just sit in awe of other peoples’ greatness but to find ways to incorporate what they do or have done into what I do in order become undeniable. From there I thought of other people, past and present, which I feel represent the Kobe System. Of course Michael Jordan, set the precedent for Kobe himself. Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Will Smith, Roger Federer. The Kobe System isn’t just limited to entertainment celebrities though. There are others whose work ethic and wit are just as undeniable like Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet. Even past legends like Harriet Tubman and Ben Franklin probably practiced the same core practices of the Kobe System. Hell even fictional characters like Batman or King Leonidas of “300” fame were on the Kobe System. Leonidas would be more like the Kobe System times well…300. All of these people shared the desire to be great, pushed themselves to be better or smarter, learned from their mistakes, led by example and have a killer instinct. I’m not really sure about Ben Franklin but considering all the things he’s invented or helped create we’ll just have to assume he was on the Kobe System.
What does the Kobe System or this mentality really consist of? To me it consist of a few things that work together as a system divinely represented by none other than a triangle. If you do a little research you’ll find that many scientists and mathematicians of the past and present consider the triangle the strongest building block for anything. The power of 3 is another topic for another day but in this case whoever designed this like logo was definitely on the right track. The traits that are apart of this system seem pretty simple but most people don’t possess enough of any one these traits. I’ve deduced that these traits are (in order): Talent. You must have some kind of ability to share and utilize. Confidence. You have to have belief in that talent. Desire. You must have the passion it takes to hone and utilize your talent. Discipline and practice. You must have enough discipline to master your talent so that it becomes a deadly weapon and you greatest asset. Application. Now you must apply that talent and skill.
Now remember the Kobe System isn’t for the weak. Participants in the Kobe System are workaholics, misunderstood and probably don’t have many friends. But hey what can you say, sometimes that’s what it takes to get to the top and then go over.
I’m sure others share my thoughts, or a variation of, on greatness or the Kobe System or whatever you’d like to call it. I just hope you share it and apply it and try to be great at something for some period of time in your life so that you can inspire someone else just like Muhammad Ali did. Happy birthday Champ!
The G.O.A.T
UPDATE: Today Jan 18th its report that Jordan himself has admitted that Kobe is the closet player to his “Air-ness” More proof that the KobeSystem works
