Kobe Bryant’s glimpse of What’s Bigger than Kobe Bryant

There’s probably a certain amount of community service hours required for NBA players and their respective franchises. And why not since the Association does more than $3 billion in revenue annually according to Plunkett Research, Ltd. That’s not a typo. I said $3 billion. Needless to say, the very face of professional basketball is like a rare part for a  finely crafted foreign sports car. Kobe Bryant is one of several rare parts but the NBA as a whole is the car built for speed and performance. Marketing ploys and public relations aside,however,  Kobe’s involvement with a local program like After School All-Stars provides a tangible influence for which inner-city kids are desperate.

“Founded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2002, After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles (ASAS-LA) is a leading after-school program provider whose programs educate, enlighten and inspire thousands of middle and high school students each day. Activities are centered around health, fitness and nutrition; the visual and performing arts; and youth leadership and community service learning.”

So often I ask, “What is the difference between Kobe talking to poor students from an inner-city charter or public school and him talking to kids from Upland, CA for instance.” Upland is a city located about 40 minutes east of downtown Los Angeles and there are poor kids in Upland but murder is less prevalent. There are homeless in Upland but the effects of substance abuse appear less pervasive.

After-School All-Stars is a reminder that without intervention, destructive cycles among the poor are perpetuated. Raise your hand if you like the following outside your window: VIOLENCE, HOPELESS APATHETIC CHILDREN, IDLE MINDS, IGNORANCE, etc. We know that the existence of these factors are either the result or the cause of some of society’s greatest ills.  Poverty can be a trap because of something as simple as learned helplessness. Those of us fortunate enough to live in places devoid of graffiti, police helicopters and negative role models have difficulty grasping how important it is for Kobe Bryant or any other notable athlete to endorse community action. We have to remember that neither  success nor its perceived possibility is formed in a vacuum. Somewhere in low-income communities across the nation, a junior higher could be one after-school program away from avoiding life as a stereotype fueling statistic.