Tuesday, September 13, 2016

WHAT KOBE LEARNED FROM THE MOVIES

I believe that the stories and narratives we tell ourselves can sometimes trip us up, but also have the ability to bring out our very best. And music is often a powerful way to evoke those stories and passions.  Read on and see what you think...

The legendary film composer John Williams (Star Wars, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List and so many more) was recently honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.  Alongside the many actors who had appeared in John Williams movies (Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford) and directors who had brought him on board (Steven Spielberg, George Lucas) who were invited to honor Willians was one rather surprising guest from an entirely different walk of life, and that guest was Kobe Bryant, who offered the following words:


In December  2013 I was coming back to the Lakers after an injury, and the music I chose to bring me back onto the court at the Staples Center was The Imperial March from Star Wars.

Why?  Because I needed John Williams to inspire me that day.

The Black Mamba was back … and The Imperial March put me in the character – and that’s a villain ready for an epic battle.



I’m a passionate believer that everybody needs a muse, and John Williams is one of mine.  In 2009 I asked him to meet with me. I needed to understand how he created timeless music, and what made it timeless was that his complex music told simple stories that captured the magic within all of us.

John’s music achieved a level of perfection that I wanted to replicate on the basketball court. And if I could understand how he did it, then maybe, just maybe, I could do it too. His music was a catalyst for me to search, learn, and be inspired.

And every time I hear his Olympic Fanfare, which he wrote for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, it reminds me of being on one of the American teams that brought home two Olympic gold medals.

Perhaps you can point to some narrative you have told yourself that held you back, much like David, a college post player whom I helped to replace his with a different narrative which empowered him to go out and play his best. For David's story click here




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