Kobe Bryant speaks during his jersey retirement press conference in Los Angeles, the United States, Dec. 18, 2017. Photo: Xinhua

"Mamba Never Out." On the one year anniversary of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, the Chinese social media has been flooded with tributes to this legendary NBA basketball player. Aside from expressing feelings about the beautiful shots he made during his career, many Chinese also believed Kobe's diligent efforts to make it to the top and his "never surrender" spirit will be with them forever.

Hashtags such as "death of Kobe," which was read 6.6 billion times online, along with "one year after Kobe's death" and "Mamba spirit" were trending on Chinese social platform Sina Weibo on Tuesday, one year after Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash. 

Some netizens said they never felt that Kobe has left. "I felt my friend was joking with me when he told me this sad news. Now, looking back, the death of Kobe and COVID-19 are the worst things that happened in 2020. The coronavirus will eventually be beaten, but Kobe will never come back," said a Chinese fan named Zheng Yue.

Over the past year, video clips of Kobe's top moments in the NBA have been continuously trending on the Chinese internet. "For me, I commemorate him every day, not just on this one year anniversary," said Deng, a die-hard Kobe fan.

Among the expressions of mourning, some Chinese fans paid tribute to his efforts to make it to the top of his field, saying the "Mamba spirit" will be with them forever.

A stalwart Kobe fan, surnamed Tang, said, "We are lucky to have him in our youth. We mimic every classic move of his on the playground. And his Mamba spirit, never surrendering in the face of adversity, has inspired us to fight in life, makes us stronger."

One of Kobe's most famous quotes "Have you seen Los Angeles at 4 am?" has long been an impetus for hard-working Chinese, especially those who are part of the 9-9-6 work culture.

"Whenever my colleagues and I feel burned out after staying up working, we cited Kobe's example. The man was already top of his field, and could still get up at 4 am to play. It gives me inspiration. But he will never show up in LA at 4 am anymore," said Yu Jingya, who works in Beijing.

Another Kobe fan with the username Xueyimo listed Kobe's good deeds in helping China, including donating to Wenchuan, the county in Sichuan Province that was devastated by a strong earthquake in 2008, and investing in basketball playgrounds for impoverished places in China.

"What Kobe means to us is not just a basketball superstar, it's faith. Mamba never out, we miss you," said Tang.

 Global Times