Kobe Bryant LA Laker Basketball Image Art

Kobe Bryant and Inspiration

This is a basketball image of Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all times who played his whole basketball career with the LA Lakers.  He has been a great inspiration to me even though he is quite a bit younger than I am.  How has Kobe inspired me?  I remember a quote he said a few years ago when it was difficult for him to be playing.  He said,” I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.”

As I am getting older and there are days I just do not want to go into the studio, I think of how much harder it was for him to face the challenge of his daily playing.  Me?  All I have to do is go into the studio and slap some paint on some canvas.  It’s not like I have to go down into a coal mine and dig out the rock with a hand pick.  Kobe gives me some perspective on my life.  

No, I do Not Want to be Michael Jordan 

Another thing Kobe said that is very insightful - and in particular, to painting.  He said, “I don't want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”  How does that relate to painting?  Well, one of the mistakes most artists make is that they want to paint like someone else.  They create similar work to others so it is the same thing.  What makes interesting art if for the artist to be different than others.  Be unique.  Don’t copy what others are doing but create your  own work that is unique to you. We already had a Picasso or Van Gogh.  And in Kobe’s case, there was already a Michael Jordan.  It was great to have a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James.  And now we have a Stephen Curry.  It is much more exciting to have a variety of different kinds of talent.  So we do not want another Kobe Bryant (although we miss you) or a Michael Jordan because we now have a Stephen Curry.

Do I want to be the new LeRoy Neiman of sports art?  No  I want to be the best John Robertson.  I may not being the best sports artist or create great sports art but I will paint paintings and not LeRoy Neiman paintings.

This LA Lakers basketball image of Kobe Bryant is 13" x 19" acrylic on paper.