On Sept. 30 two sports legends pass away: Pete Rose and Dikembe Mutombo.
Pete Rose–a three-time world champion, a Silver Slugger, World Series MVP, Regular Season MVP, Rookie of The Year, two-time Gold Glover–is probably most known for being the all-time hitting leader. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos in his career.
We also lost Dikembe Mutombo, who was a two-time all-NBA third team, three-time all-defensive second team, four-time defensive player of the year, all-NBA Second Team, three-time all-defensive first team and all-rookie first team. He played for the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.
One thing these two legends have in common, besides all the awards, was they inspired so many kids to do great things.
That’s what comes with being a famous athlete. There are three athletes who have inspired me.
The first player who has inspired me to be the best I can be is Kobe Bryant, a four-time regular season MVP, 11-time all-NBA First Team, two-time finals MVP, and five-time NBA champion, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe inspired me to try and be the best at everything I do. He had the famous saying “Mamba Mentality.” I’ve always looked up to Kobe because he was always the first person in the gym, the first person at practice, the first person at the games. He played through injuries and hardships because he didn’t want to disappoint anyone.
The second person that inspired me was MLB pitcher Shohei Ohtani, a two-time Silver Slugger, two-time MVP and Rookie of the Year. He was the first Asian player ever to join the 40/40 Club, and he also is the first player ever to make it to the 50/50 Club, He is also the only baseball player to pitch and bat in today’s game. He’s played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels. He taught me that no matter where you’re from or how you were raised, you can still be great at what you do. You just need the drive to do it. He also taught me to be humble in life and never try to act like I’m better than another person.
The athlete who inspired me is South African rugby player Eban Etzebeth, a 2019 champion, 2019 World Cup winner, 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa winner, 2024 World Cup winner, who has played for the Durban Sharks, West Cape Town Stormers, Western Province and the South African Springboks. He inspired me to love and recognize what I have in life. I would say that rugby has been the most impactful on my life. He brought me closer to my dad just by watching him play. Another thing that he taught me is to never let anyone push you around and tell you what to do.
These athletes have had a big impact on my life. They’ve taught me so much as I’ve grown up. The main thing they taught me was to love people and try my hardest, to never give up when I encounter trials in life. They’ve shown me that I need to take in the moments because they don’t last long.
