Pats reflect on Kobe’s death
Talk about star’s visit to Gillette 2 years ago
MIAMI — With a given name of Shaquille Olajuwon Mason, it comes as no surprise Patriots offensive lineman Shaq Mason grew up a huge basketball fan. Specifically, a Lakers fan. Mason was sitting in bed Sunday, watching TV and scrolling through Twitter when the tragic news broke about Kobe Bryant being killed in a helicopter crash in California, along with his 13year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
He began texting Patriot teammates and one other person he knew would be hit hard by the news — his mother.
After all, she had named her son after Kobe’s former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, as a long-time Lakers supporter.
“Ihadnochoicebuttobea Shaq fan. But I watched both of them. I admired Kobe’s game a lot,” Mason said when reached in Foxboro after a workout Monday afternoon. “It was only fitting my favorite player was Shaq growing up, but Shaq and Kobe was a big duo; probably the greatest duo the NBA will ever see. So I had to call my mom first.
“She’s such a big Lakers fan. She was devastated, just like everyone else.”
The Patriots were one of many sports teams left empty and reeling by the news. Bryant was an iconic figure. His star reached well beyond basketball.
That’s why it was once so special to have the retired superstar come to Foxboro for a visit.
It was two years ago in May that the Patriots met Bryant at Gillette Stadium during organized team activities. The former NBA star talked about his book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play” and discussed his approach to playing the game as well as having a similar approach to life.
“There was just a different type of energy in the way he went about his preparation, the way he played the game,” said Mason. “I think the biggest takeaway from that mentality and his way of doing things, is you don’t have to be an athlete to be able to use those principles in everyday life. He affected so many different people off the court. Anybody can use that mentality and make their life better; attacking each day, in everyday work life or whatever.”
Center Ted Karras was so impressed he took notes on Kobe’s session, and went in search of that notebook Sunday after hearing the news. Karras had been riveted by the talk, and does his best to live by Bryant’s motto.
“Getting to meet someone of that stature, someone who had such dominance in sport, of course it’s going to impact you,” said Karras, reached Monday afternoon in Foxboro. “I wanted to go back and find my notes in whatever notebook I took it in. I just remember feeling moved. It was cool to be in the same room with him. Such a competitor.”
Bryant’s message truly hit Karras. Even a 300-pound offensive lineman could relate to one of the world’s greatest athletes. His words resonated with Karras and everyone else in the room.
“I loved hearing him describe his work ethic and his killer instinct,” said Karras. “I was also reading some quotes of his, where he doesn’t want anything to do with lazy people. How he’d get into fights with guys who weren’t in the gym. It just motivates me. He wasn’t just the best, but he worked to be the best. I think that’s what I liked about him most. He was obviously very talented, but he was the hardestworking guy in his craft.”
Karras also remembers the pair of Kobe shoes that the star gave to everyone during the visit.
“I wore them for like a year straight,” said Karras. “They still look brand new, too. They’re like the best shoe I ever had.”
Shoes aside, it was a visit the Patriots will always cherish, and certainly are remembering now with the sobering news of Bryant’s passing at age 41.
“I felt very fortunate to be able to hear him speak last year,” Patriots defensive captain Devin McCourty told the Herald via text. “He was very open … encouraged us as dads and husbands to do that. … (I) think about that every day.”
Added Mason: “He opened up a different way of thinking. How he went about each day and how he never took any opportunity to get better for granted. That goes a long way resonated with an athlete. You see this guy from afar, but when he’s right in front of you talking, it hits a different nerve hearing it out of his mouth.”
The players also tried to imagine if Bryant had been a football player, what position he’d play. It was interesting to hear the answers and rationale behind them.
“With his length and everything, he would have been a receiver,” said Mason. “But with his mentality and everything, the way he sees things, I’d say quarterback.”
Karras went in a different direction. He said tight end, or outside linebacker.
“I was struck by how big he was,” said Karras. “You see a lot of NBA guys, and there’s parity in their size, but meeting him in person, he was so large. He’d have to be a tight end, or outside linebacker, maybe, but he’d probably be good at any position. Well, maybe not O-line. He’d have to put on a hundred pounds, but he would have been good at anything a team wanted him to do.”
Judging by the responses, Bryant was also a good motivational speaker. Being a 5-time NBA champion, he had the cachet. Everyone knew him on a first-name basis before he walked in. They knew him even better after he left.
“A whole generation of us grew up, every time we shot anything — be it a piece of paper, or a water bottle — we yelled, ‘Kobe!’’’ said Karras. “It was extremely sad (Sunday) with that news of him and his daughter, too. Just an unbelievable tragedy.”