When I was growing up, one of the first things I learned about myself was that I loved basketball. As my life has continued to develop, I've never lost that love, through all the camps I attended and teams I played on. When I first began watching the sport, it was 2008, and the first NBA Finals I watched was between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was here that I was introduced to the dominance and tenacity of the great Kobe Bryant. Although Boston's Big Three would win that series, it was easy to respect and admire Kobe, thanks to his relentless drive to be the best and never ending passion for the game.
When I sit back and think about it, Kobe is perhaps the only true constant for my entire life. Just a year after I was born, he won his first ring of many to come, and as I began to take shape as a truly individual person, so did he, taking over the reins as Los Angeles' top star and face of the franchise. Kobe defined basketball in so many ways, and it seemed like he always would. No injuries, no rule changes and no other players could ever stop the man from continuing to be one of the best, all the way to his preposterous 60 point final game and retirement in 2016.
But hanging up the sneakers is only one step on the journey of an NBA star, and Kobe remained a constant presence, both as an ambassador for the league and the sport, and more importantly as a husband, a father and a pillar of the community. Kobe Bryant was the only true constant of my life, and it seemed like he always would be. But then, I got the news yesterday that a helicopter crash had ended Kobe's life, and my heart was broken.
Even with a day to compose my thoughts, it's tough to articulate just what Kobe meant to me. All I can say is that the world feels so much more empty now, and there's a weight on my chest that may never lift. I encourage anyone who grew up with him like I did and who loves the game of basketball to look through the thousands of tributes, from coaches, players, and so many others who knew him far better than I. I urge you to listen to their stories, to truly comprehend just what this man meant to them, as a competitor and as a person.
It is crushing to know that Kobe will never appear on my television screen again, but even more soul rending that his 13 year old daughter, Gianna, was also claimed in the same tragedy, along with seven others. My thoughts are with all of the families of those affected, I can't even begin to understand the agony and grief they must be going through. Yesterday was a dark day, but my hope is that my tribute, and the many others like it, can help to begin the healing process.
Kobe Bryant meant so much to so many, and basketball will never be the same without him. Although his lasting legacy may now be one of tragedy rather than triumph, nothing will ever take away from what he accomplished. Nothing will ever take away from his five rings, or the individual dominance he achieved on the court, night in and night out. Nothing will ever take away from what he meant to me, a young kid trying to find his place in the world. This is the most difficult piece of writing in my life, and it's got me crying again. The world is cruel, and hope is fleeting. But throughout his miraculous life, Kobe Bryant was always able to provide hope to millions of people across the globe. And now he never will again.
Rest In Peace, Kobe Bryant (August 23rd, 1978- January 26th, 2020)
When I sit back and think about it, Kobe is perhaps the only true constant for my entire life. Just a year after I was born, he won his first ring of many to come, and as I began to take shape as a truly individual person, so did he, taking over the reins as Los Angeles' top star and face of the franchise. Kobe defined basketball in so many ways, and it seemed like he always would. No injuries, no rule changes and no other players could ever stop the man from continuing to be one of the best, all the way to his preposterous 60 point final game and retirement in 2016.
But hanging up the sneakers is only one step on the journey of an NBA star, and Kobe remained a constant presence, both as an ambassador for the league and the sport, and more importantly as a husband, a father and a pillar of the community. Kobe Bryant was the only true constant of my life, and it seemed like he always would be. But then, I got the news yesterday that a helicopter crash had ended Kobe's life, and my heart was broken.
Even with a day to compose my thoughts, it's tough to articulate just what Kobe meant to me. All I can say is that the world feels so much more empty now, and there's a weight on my chest that may never lift. I encourage anyone who grew up with him like I did and who loves the game of basketball to look through the thousands of tributes, from coaches, players, and so many others who knew him far better than I. I urge you to listen to their stories, to truly comprehend just what this man meant to them, as a competitor and as a person.
It is crushing to know that Kobe will never appear on my television screen again, but even more soul rending that his 13 year old daughter, Gianna, was also claimed in the same tragedy, along with seven others. My thoughts are with all of the families of those affected, I can't even begin to understand the agony and grief they must be going through. Yesterday was a dark day, but my hope is that my tribute, and the many others like it, can help to begin the healing process.
Kobe Bryant meant so much to so many, and basketball will never be the same without him. Although his lasting legacy may now be one of tragedy rather than triumph, nothing will ever take away from what he accomplished. Nothing will ever take away from his five rings, or the individual dominance he achieved on the court, night in and night out. Nothing will ever take away from what he meant to me, a young kid trying to find his place in the world. This is the most difficult piece of writing in my life, and it's got me crying again. The world is cruel, and hope is fleeting. But throughout his miraculous life, Kobe Bryant was always able to provide hope to millions of people across the globe. And now he never will again.
Rest In Peace, Kobe Bryant (August 23rd, 1978- January 26th, 2020)
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