🏀 Why so many people connected with Kobe

I hope you've had a great couple weeks.

It was a busy couple weeks for me, and I just got back from a long weekend trip to visit friends in Calgary and Fernie, BC, and get some skiing in. It was a great trip, but not what I'd describe as 'restful'. I did manage to get lots of reading done–flights are the best spot for that.

I spent a significant amount of time reading and thinking about the death of Kobe Bryant.

It's a bit strange for me because I'm not a big basketball fan. I think the reason for his universal admiration was the relentlessness in which he pursued the mastery of his craft.

A large part of why I spent more time reading about him was that he was imperfect, and had gone seriously wrong in parts of his life. In 2003 he was accused of rape, and though he was not convicted, he later apologized and admitted to wrongdoing.

He was known throughout his career for his drive and competitiveness, embodied in his nickname, the Black Mamba. Lately, his image has been that of a loving father and husband to his wife and daughters.

He was clearly a complicated person, and while he lived a life most of us will only dream of, perhaps that is why we are all so drawn to him.

With that in mind, here are the best articles I read about him, which mostly drive home what we all understand–his death is a tragic one, and while his life was not perfect, he embodied many of the qualities we would like in ourselves–pride, mastery, love, and the desire to get better as people.

• How Do You Remember the Very Human Legacy of a Superstar Like Kobe Bryant? - Ella Ceron
• Two Things Can Be True, But One is Always Mentioned First - Jeremy Gordon
• The Kobe I Knew Became a Champion for Others - Jemele Hill
• The Unfinished Kobe Bryan - Jamil Smith
• The Making of an NBA Icon - Howard Beck
• Kobe and Gianna - Shea Serrano

And now on to the regular newsletter!

Articles I'm Reading:

• The Tokyo Job: Inside Carlos Ghosn's Escape to Beirut - Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg- The story of how former Nissan & Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn got himself smuggled out of Japan after facing criminal charges.
• The Savior Elite: Inside the Special Operations Force Tasked with Rescuing Navy SEALS - Joshua Sinclair, Esquire - A story about elite special operations soldiers, and a rescue they performed on a container ship in the middle of the Atlantic.
• How Will You Measure Your Life? - Clayton M. Christensen - A classic post from Clayton Christensen, who recently passed away. He wrote The Innovator's Dilemma, one of the best books about innovation I've read.

Book I Read Again:Skin in the Game - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Taleb's books have changed my thinking more than almost any others I've read, and this is one I'm going to continue making an annual read. Touches on where asymmetries exist in life, and how we can avoid them. Includes lessons on what to eat, religion, careers, and more.

Photo from this week: Skiing on a bluebird day in Fernie, BC

Have a great week!

Graham