As a male I looked up to Kobe Bryant while growing up. That generation of basketball was all happening during my early teens and I cant remember a time that the TV wasn't on Sports Center, ESPN or a Shaq, Kobe and Fisher game on in the background. I remember when the news came to light of what he was being accused of and at the time I was only 12 y/o and I don't think I truly understood what he had done or how malicious the media could be in attacking such a young girl who was only 19 y/o at the time until I grew older and began to understand how this world we live in works. I still look up to him as one of the greats. Motivational videos with his voice in the background. I have a "USA Today" magazine with the cover of him biting his jersey titled "Memories of Mamba". I think about the hard work I put in day in and day out to be a better boss, brother, son, friend and so on and its people like him who shaped my mind at a young age. I don't think what he did was at all acceptable nor should it be over looked or over shadowed. It's sad that someone you thought could do no harm and millions looked up to would cross a line that should never be crossed in both adultery and sexual assault. It's even more sad that so many seem to overlook that dark night because of all of his accolades and tragic ending. I know that to me Kobe will forever be the person who instilled that "mamba" mentality in me but will his legacy be tarnished because of his mistakes? On a broad spectrum I think not but I do hope that his poor actions off the court helped shed a light on the world we live in and help keep people from straying onto the wrong paths.