5 life lessons that Kobe Bryant taught us

#2 Use setbacks as motivation

Bryant was plagued by injuries during his final years in the NBA

Whether combating an issue on or off-the-court, Bryant was always able to recover from his setbacks. Most testing was his injury issues towards the end of his career as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in 2013 before suffering a fractured knee the following season. Nevertheless, Bryant was always eager to emphasize that setbacks are part of life, and the most important thing is how you respond to them.

"Hopefully it’ll inspire them to understand that overcoming is part of the deal, part of living. When you are faced with those types of challenges, you have two options, one you can shy away from it, do nothing about it or you can rise to the challenge."

After his retirement in 2016, Bryant notably offered motivation and encouragement to some of the NBA's biggest stars following injuries. Shortly after Gordon Hayward's devastating injury in 2017 - Bryant reached out to the Celtics star and emphasized that his current limitations would soon feel like mini-victories. As predicted, Hayward eventually came back stronger than ever, and Bryant's thoughts on setbacks can be related to all walks of life.

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#3 Pass on knowledge to those willing to learn

Kobe Bryant took a young Anthony Davis under his wing

Due to his relentless drive, Bryant didn't always see eye to eye with all his teammates, and he particularly had a shaky relationship with Dwight Howard during their time together in Los Angeles. However, Bryant was well known for his willingness to offer advice and work with younger players around the league - and he had a huge impact on an increasingly young roster during his final years with the Lakers.

Bryant was also well known for his mentorship role to Anthony Davis, which began at the 2012 Olympics when Davis was a 19-year-old who had yet to make his NBA debut. Bryant's impact also wasn't just felt in basketball, with Novak Djokovic sharing stories of how the Laker legend impacted his career.