Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Honors Kobe Bryant on 8/24 with Praise for a Seemingly Bad Game Statistic

Ryan Parker
·2 min read
36
Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shshare a moment at halftime after both of Bryant's #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center on December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shshare a moment at halftime after both of Bryant's #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center on December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday honored the legendary Kobe Bryant by praising a game statistic that usually would not be celebrated.

The NBA icon Abdul-Jabbar, 75, posted a tribute to the late, beloved Bryant on his Substack newsletter to remember his fellow Los Angeles Laker on 8/24, aka Kobe Bryant Day.

"Many professional athletes are admired, praised, and cheered by the public for their inspiring athletic prowess," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "Sadly, most of these famous athletes are as temporary as snowmen ... But some athletes are so special that they represent more than their athletic achievements. Kobe Bryant was such an athlete."

RELATED: Shaquille O'Neal Shows Support for Vanessa Bryant in Ongoing Lawsuit: 'I Feel for Her'

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 2, 2016 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 2, 2016 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.

Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty

Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among the nine killed in January 2020 when the helicopter they were aboard crashed in Calabasas. The tragedy shocked and saddened the globe.

To honor his friend on this year's 8/24 (Bryant's two NBA numbers), Abdul-Jabbar noted that others would likely focus on the obvious accolades and awards, but he wanted to highlight something different that Abdul-Jabbar found most impressive: "Kobe Bryant missed the most career field goals in NBA history. He missed 14,481 times."

Calling that stat "the foundation of his greatness as an athlete," Abdul-Jabbar said what would otherwise be perceived as a negative flew in the face of what most athletes fear most: Losing.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"They strive and hustle and push because they don't want to fail," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "That fear of failure is often rooted in anxiety about how they will look to others. However, the great ones are driven not to win, but to exceed their own expectations."

RELATED: Vanessa Bryant Wishes Kobe A Happy 44th Birthday: 'I Love You'

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 16: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against the New York Knicks on December 16, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 116-114.
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 16: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against the New York Knicks on December 16, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 116-114.

Stephen Dunn/Getty

And that was exactly who Bryant was, Abdul-Jabbar noted.

"Kobe Bryant holds the record for most missed shots in NBA history. To some, that's a bad thing. To me, it means he wasn't intimidated by missing, by losing, by failure," penned Abdul-Jabbar. He didn't hesitate by worrying, 'What if I miss? What will the coaches think? The team? The fans?' He acted like the ultimate competitor: he took the shot."

Continued Abdul-Jabbar, "To take the shot is to embrace failure and success at the same time. To miss so much and yet feel confident enough to shoot again and again embodies the best qualities of human beings: to imagine something beyond what is, beyond what you've ever been able to do, and to strive to make that a reality, no matter how many times you fail. We love Kobe because he wasn't afraid to take the shot."