The UAAP All-stars cheers from the sidelines as Kobe Bryant — donning a FEU Tamaraws jersey scores against the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team. (AFP Photo)

MANILA, Philippines — For his die-hard fans, Kobe Bryant is this generation’s sports icon.

But for the kids of Gawad Kalinga (GK), who are lucky to share the hard court with the NBA superstar last Wednesday, Kobe is more than just a basketball champ. He is their inspiration.

Known to be a strong supporter of charitable organizations, Kobe makes it a point to connect with kids when on tour. He has made it his personal mission to encourage the youth to reach for their own sports dreams.

On his Manila visit last week, Kobe led the inauguration of a refurbished basketball court at a GK community in Barangay Pinagsama, Taguig City, as part of Nike Philippines and Kobe’s commitment in helping young athletes fulfill their dreams by giving them a better venue to practice, and by serving as a reminder for this new breed of hoopsters of his time with them.

A pat on the head and a smile from Kobe

In 2009, Kobe met with children from GK’s SIGA program, a youth developmental project that focuses on providing scholarships to out-ofschool youths and values formation through sports, health and creative programs. On his return two years later, Kobe made sure to check on these kids’ progress, hoping to mold them as the next generation basketball stars.

But this time, Kobe connected with even more young athletes in a mini-basketball clinic where he shared some tips to improve their basketball skills. The kids got up close with Kobe who worked them pretty hard yet again to their hearts’ content. Some got the thrill of their lives as they received pats on the head and the sincerest smile from the “Black Mamba” himself.

“Everytime I come back I notice they become better,” Kobe observes of his protégés. “I always look forward to see how much they’ve improved. It’s been great teaching them. And I hope one day they would spread their wings. I love being around kids. I really enjoy playing basketball with them. I think it’s all our responsibility to help out kids achieve their goals,” he adds.

Passion and dedication

Kobe's love affair with basketball started when he was three years old. Back then, he already knew that he wanted to become a basketball player.

“Every chance I would get, I would practice my drills and skills,” he tells Philippine media.

In 1996, he was drafted in the NBA and has since won five championship rings with his team — the Los Angeles Lakers, an MVP Award and received four All-Star MVP honors.

But beyond his skills, Kobe’s success as an athlete is grounded on his passion and dedication for basketball which have given him a strong foundation to get him to where he is today.

“My advantage is my work ethic. I don’t quit. You may beat me on Monday or Tuesday but I’m coming back Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and I’m not gonna stop. I just keep on going and going until I reach my goal,” says the 32-year-old shooting guard.

Lucky camper

Like Kobe, nine-year-old Vincent de los Santos of Montalban, Rizal has always known early on that he wanted to become a professional basketball player. Being a huge Kobe fan, he even dreams of playing in the NBA for the LA Lakers.

Last year, Vincent flew to the US for free to attend the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy in Santa Barbara, California. Vincent, along with other campers from all over the world, spent five days training with Kobe where he conducted lectures, interacted and played ball with the campers.

“Thank you for bringing me to the States. I will never ever forget that opportunity you’ve given me,” Vincent tells Kobe during the meet-and-greet session with fans at the Nike Park in Bonifacio High Street, The Fort.

Main event

The highlight of Kobe’s one-day visit was the exhibition game at the Araneta Coliseum between the Nike-UAAP All-Stars composed of players from the Ateneo Blue Eagles, De La Salle Green Archers and FEU Tamaraws against the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team.

Kobe was just supposed to oversee the game at courtside when he decided to suit up with a Tamaraws jersey, teamed up with La Salle’s LA Revilla and Joshua Webb and Ateneo’s Greg Slaughter and Kirk Long, and gamely put on a show for his Filipino fans.

Practice, practice, practice

Kobe first visited the Philippines in 2007, then 2009. For this year, he made Manila his first stop, after which he proceeded to Seoul, South Korea and various cities in China.

He urged the Filipino youth to take advantage of opportunities to improve and succeed in their lives.

“There’s no magic formula. You just gotta continue to practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the better you get. And work out hard all the time. That’s all I do,” Kobe advises, and in addition, promises to bring his basketball summer camp here soon so he can mentor more kids.