From our Owner - A Tribute to Kobe
For those of you that don’t know, I’m a die hard NBA fan and I always dreamed to be a part of the basketball culture in some way, shape or form. I grew up in the 90’s watching Michael Jordan destroy everyone on court. Never in my life did I think someone can match his talents until God blessed us with the next generation talent - Kobe Bryant.
Truthfully, I used to have a love-hate relationship with Kobe. Growing up in NY/NJ area, we tend to stick to our hometown teams through the good times and the bad. My favorite basketball player was Jason Kidd who at the time played for the NJ Nets, and once he finally got us to the NBA finals in 2002, my heart was broken when Kobe decided to end our great run. From that day on, I had nothing but respect for his greatness. Kobe had just completed his three-peat, winning his 3rd NBA title in a row. Kobe had won me over as a fan, and I cheered for him for his entire career. I will never forget the day when he dropped the most impressive 60 points in his last game.
If you've met me recently, perhaps you've heard me talk about Lebron James and his fitness recovery methods. However, it was actually Kobe Bryant who originally inspired me to pursue our rejuvenation center - CryoEmpire, which emphasizes proper recovery above all else. About three years ago when we were just starting the business, I read an article from 2011 how Kobe Bryant was an early adopter of cryotherapy, athletic healing and injury recovery. He began his experience in Germany at a soccer rehabilitation center, searching to explore new ways to heal, way before cryotherapy found its way to the mainstream U.S. market. Various forms of cryotherapy is now widely accepted in the US and is practiced by many athletes world-wide desiring a peak performance. But it was Kobe who was one of the first frontiers that understood real benefits of cryotherapy. I truly believe that thanks to Kobe, he inspired a whole generation of athletes to pursue recovery techniques to be able to play this great game of basketball longer and healthier.
My kids are huge basketball fans and I tell them Kobe stories all the time. He inspired me to work hard, push my limits and be a family man at the end of the day. Thank you for everything you taught me, Kobe. You were a true leader, a super star athlete, a great team player and the biggest inspiration off court to all the dads as an amazing parent. #RIPMAMBA
