The world mourns basketball legend Kobe Bryant after his tragic death last Sunday. Kobe, his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people were victims of a helicopter crash over Calabasas, Calif. There were no survivors.

The response was powerful and immediate. Tweets flooded in from athletes, politicians, and fans who were touched by his greatness. NBA games played that day started with 8- and 24-second violations, in honor of the two numbers Kobe wore during his basketball career. The UConn women’s basketball team displayed custom jerseys to honor both his daughter and him.

Kobe Bryant is an inspiration to a sports world that watched in awe as he made seemingly impossible plays. However, he inspires more than sports fans with his dedication, intensity, and refusal to fail, as he’s been noted for the intellectual, artistic, and entrepreneurial contributions he brought after his retirement as well.

In Italy, a young Kobe watched his father play, learning about the game and developing his competitive edge. He then played high school basketball in Pennsylvania before entering the NBA at only age 17. Kobe ended his 20 year career as a league MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, an 18-time All Star, and a five-time NBA champion. He was the third all-time leading scorer until Saturday, the night before he died, when Lebron James passed his scoring record. Kobe tweeted his support of James’ achievement that same night.

“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother,” Kobe tweeted.

Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Jerry Colangelo announced Monday that Kobe Bryant will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year. Kobe played with an intensity that may best be described by the term he coined himself: mamba mentality. The Mamba promised to outwork everybody, to do whatever it took to win, and to be the best version of himself. Lakers fans loved him. Fans of other teams dreaded his tenacity and despised his ruthlessness. The whole world respected him.

Kobe made his name through basketball, but he continued to inspire even after he played his last game. Retirement from basketball marked the beginning of his life as an author, a producer, and a businessman. He wrote “The Mamba Mentality: The Way I Play,” a book that details his technique as a player, his leadership strategies, and work ethic. He became an Academy Award winner for the short film “Dear Basketball,” a piece that acts as a love letter to his sport. He even founded the investment firm Bryant Stibel, the media company Granity Studios, and the basketball program Mamba Academy. In his last interview, Kobe hinted he had much more planned for his post-basketball career.

“[My new challenge will be] taking books and making them into films, feature films and in series, some of which will be animated, some of which will be live action,” Kobe said in his last sit-down interview.

Kobe was in no way finished fighting for excellence. Even in retirement, he was working and pushing the limits. He still had stories to tell. 

Kobe’s death hurts, and his loss will impact people, communities, and organizations across the globe, but it deals a particularly stinging blow to the women’s basketball community. He praised the women’s game for its soundness and fundamentals and became a mentor to players, like Diana Taruasi and Sabrina Ionescu, in whom he recognized his same competitive edge and obsession for the game. He worked out with them, he supported them from the stands, and he praised them publicly.

Kobe’s involvement with women’s basketball expanded once his daughter began to play. He coached Gianna and her team and brought her along with him to watch women’s basketball games so she could learn to emulate the greats. In a recent interview, Kobe went so far as to say that certain players, including Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Elena Delle Donne, could play in the NBA. Kobe appreciated women’s basketball when it so often goes under-appreciated. 

Spurs assistant coach and former WNBA player Becky Hammon deeply mourned his loss.

“The women’s game lost a real advocate and someone who truly believed that women can do anything,” Hammon said in an article by CNBC.

Kobe’s former teammate and current Los Angeles Sparks coach Derek Fisher calls for Kobe’s advocacy to be carried on. 

“I want us to continue to push for what he was most recently striving for in terms of equity and opportunity for young girls, for girls like his daughter, that are still with us,” Fisher said on NBA for TNT.

Kobe shocked the world as a basketball player with incredible skill, confidence, and competitiveness. But he became so much more than the talented number 8 or 24 in purple and gold. He became an artist and a businessman. He became a champion for women’s basketball. He fought endlessly for true greatness and recognized it when he saw it in others. The final dialogue in Kobe’s short film is almost too perfect.

“Love you always, Kobe.”

 After everything he gave, the world returns the sentiment. 

Abby Gray is a member of the Wesleyan women’s basketball team. She can be reached at agray01@wesleyan.edu.