Kobe Bryant: Remembering a Legend

Sunday, January 26, a day that was supposed to be like any other Sunday, minus the week off from football as the NFL prepares for Super Bowl Sunday just one week away. With no Sunday football to wake up to for the first time in 20 weeks, there was simply no alarm clock needed as I managed to get some rest and sleep in. Unbeknownst to the shocking news that I would wake up to just moments later, the text messages began pouring in from family members and friends alike, followed by an alert from my ESPN app: "12:04pm - NBA legend Kobe Bryant among five people killed in helicopter crash in Calabasas, California."

At first glance upon opening the texts and reading the alert while still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I thought, "that can't be right." Less than 24 hours earlier while taking on the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James passed Kobe for third place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, which James honored Kobe in his hometown of Philadelphia with a pair of customized sneakers that included a handwritten message that read, "Mamba 4 Life". In the visiting team's locker room, LeBron would give a post-game interview and answered a number of Kobe-related questions after being asked what it meant to move up the list of the game's all-time scorers while passing an NBA great and Laker legend like Kobe Bryant. James would share a number of stories, including the first time he met Kobe while attending a basketball camp as a teenager where he was gifted a pair of sneakers from the Mamba himself. And despite them being a full shoe size smaller, LeBron wore them anyway. Kobe took to Twitter to congratulate LeBron on his achievement with a short message that read, "Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644." Little did we know it would be the last interaction between the two and the last time we'd hear from Kobe.

For me, a kid born in the year 1990 that grew up a Lakers fan and was fortunate enough to watch Kobe straight out of High School from the beginning of his career to the end, the man was not only an icon, but a global ambassador for the game of basketball. Serving as the transitional piece alongside his former teammate and good friend Shaquille O'Neal that helped bridge the gap following the Michael Jordan era, Kobe Bryant who entered the league at the tender age of 18, was the quintessential rock star from a basketball sense. Unlike Jordan who I only remember during his second stint with the Bulls and towards the twilight of his career, Kobe was the Jordan of my childhood and my hero. From having his own video game that I would play as a child for hours on end to his own sneakers and fashion line that I would beg my parents to buy me, Kobe Bryant was larger than life and is perhaps even more recognizable overseas than he is here in the States. Possessing a work ethic unlike any other, Kobe Bryant was the ultimate competitor, even greater than that of Jordan. And like Jordan who Kobe drew so many comparisons to and admits he molded his game around, Kobe was a player that brought the best out of everyone he faced on a basketball court. Whether you were a fan of his or you hated his guts for the sole reason that he likely ripped the heart out of your team on multiple occasions on the scoreboard and in the box score, chances are he had you glued to the TV in one way or another.

Having been a sports fan for my entire life, I can truly say that I've never followed someone who was so obsessed with something the way Kobe was with basketball. But as much as Kobe needed basketball, basketball needed Kobe just as much if not more. Having inspired an entire generation of athletes, not one player in the NBA today would admit that Kobe didn't inspire them or their game in some way, shape, or form. Whether it was a move they saw Kobe make in a game, or the way he handled himself on the court with a focus and a hunger for success unlike any before him which coined such phrases as "Mamba Mentality" and "Kobe System," chances are Kobe made an impact on each and every basketball fan and player out there over the last two decades. Kobe is a household name that is as synonymous with the game of basketball as well as any we've ever seen, so much so that his jersey numbers: 8 and 24, both of which retired by the Lakers, line up with two of basketball's most basic rules in the 8 Second Violation and the 24 Second Shot-Clock Violation. This allowed for the many NBA teams that were in action on Sunday to pay tribute to Bryant just hours after the tragic news broke as teams began purposely committing these violations, simply as a salute and a thank you to one of their very own. Dallas Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban, whom Kobe never played for in his entire career, had his own way of honoring Bryant and released a statement Sunday evening praising Kobe's legacy and saying that the number 24 will never be worn again by a member of the Mavs.

Sadly, the 41-year old Kobe who was beloved by fans and meant so much to the Los Angeles community, was not alone on that helicopter that came crashing down and killed more passengers than initially reported. Among the eight others that were on board and killed in the accident was Bryant's 13-year old daughter, Gianna. A prodigy under her dad's tutelage, Gigi was expected to be the next big thing in women's basketball. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see when her time on the hardwood came calling, almost as an extension of Kobe who basketball fans, myself included, dearly miss seeing on a basketball court. Sadly, she was taken from us before her basketball legacy could even begin and before she was able to continue that of the family's. Among the game's all-time greatest players, Kobe in the public eye was even greater at being a father. I could sit here and talk about the many accolades and accomplishments that Kobe achieved on the court, but that would likely take all night and considering I have to be up for work in a few hours, that's probably not a great idea.

This photo was taken exactly three years ago to the day, the last Laker game I had attended prior to this season and of course donning the jersey of my all-time favorite basketball player and one of my favorite athletes ever. When you follow ones career and become as big a fan of someone like I was with Kobe, you begin to feel as if you knew that person on a personal level. And though that's not the case as I was merely a fan, I still feel like I've lost a close friend.

Rest in Peace.


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