Kobe Bryant just retired, and love him or hate him, the man has had an illustrious career.

Growing up in Utah, I hated any other teams that were not the Utah Jazz, especially Jordan and the Bulls. I hated him because he was SO good, and it wasn't until he retired that I was able to appreciate how amazing of a basketball player he was.

I learned from that in how I looked at Kobe Bryant. He knew what it was that he wanted from the beginning, driven by his clarity.

He started his career with the potential to be good, sitting on the bench, saying to Shaquille O'Neal, "I will be the best."

There's no middle ground with  Kobe; either he's loved OR hated.

This guy has the most insane work ethic, which is why his body is so beat up. He trained and trained and trained to become the best.

Instead of hating on a man that's great in his craft, what example could you learn from him? Just like I mentioned in the Dark Warrior episode, Kobe embraced the hate and let it fuel him as The Black Mamba, a Dark Warrior that would work through being scrutinized in the public eye.