Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant was a basketball icon. Even to this day, he gets celebrated whenever his accomplishments get brought up. In the Utah Jazz's case, they were a thorn in his side in his early days. To Jazz assistant coach Jason Terry, he still remembers what Bryant taught him: live every day like it's your last and up to your full potential.
In an exclusive interview with Ratings' Landon Buford, Terry revealed what Bryant taught him before his death.
“The most important thing I learned from Kobe is this: He once said that, as humans, we always think we have more time — that there will be a next play, another game, another day, or another opportunity to tell your daughters or your family members that you love them,” Terry told Buford. “But nothing is guaranteed. That’s probably the biggest life lesson: live every moment to the fullest and strive to be the best.”
Bryant's ruthlessly competitive nature made him very well idolized by players that came at the same time or after him. He was also not well-liked by his teammates, best evidenced by his well-publicized fallout with Shaquille O'Neal back in the early 2000s.
However, Bryant really did show the world that he wanted to do everything to live up to his potential from start to finish. Of course, there were speed bumps along the way, and those last years with the Lakers were kind of sad, but Bryant did it his way, and that's all that mattered.
Jazz alum referenced Kobe as a mentor
A few Jazz alumni have played with Bryant through the years, including Derek Fisher, Carlos Boozer, and Ed Davis. However, when someone thinks of Jazz alum who played next to Kobe, the first name that comes to mind is Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson was there for the last two years of Bryant's career (2014-2016), where it's clear you can see how much Bryant influenced his career. Clarkson was a scorer right away when he entered the NBA, and having someone like Bryant there from the jump helped him feel more comfortable in his shoes.
When Bryant died, Clarkson revealed that he considered the NBA legend a mentor him in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen. While Utah helped turn Clarkson into more of an effective player, he definitely needed Kobe's mentorship.
And that's the kind of example Bryant set when he was in the NBA. Even to this day, Jazz alumni and coaches remember him for both basketball and non-basketball reasons.