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Sunday January 26, 2020 is going to one of those days that will stick with you if you’re a sports fan, basketball fan, Lakers fan or a fan of Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant along with his daughter Gianna, John and Keri Antonelli and their daughter Alyssa, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan lost their lives suddenly on that Sunday morning in an untimely crash.
The news absolutely shook the world for it was an absolute surprise. Bryant’s death caused an outpour of various emotions from all walks of life from in sports, music, entertainment and more. Now full honesty, I wasn’t the biggest Kobe fan at times but respected the hell out of him for his play and approach to basketball and life (Yes, I’m still a bit sour about the 81 points against the Raptors).
Bryant had a 20-year career with the Lakers which had some great times and not so great, but all the different stages of his career create a picture that defines him and his legacy. Bryant came straight out of high school in 1996 determined to be great. Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he would pair up with Shaquille O’Neal. This begin a new era with the Lakers which led to 3 titles and some of basketball’s greatest moments along the way before O’Neal was traded to Miami in 2004.
Kobe’s journey continued in a solo act from 2004 until 2008 when the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol in which he became Bryant’s sidekick. Along Phil Jackson’s return to coaching, Bryant and the Lakers went to three straight NBA finals winning 2 of the 3, making his ring total 5 and edging closer to Michael Jordan in many discussions.
Sadly, the end of his career was plagued with injuries that forced him to retire earlier than he probably wanted to but, he went out with a bang. On April 14,2016, Bryant’s last game was against the Utah Jazz where he scored 60 points, cementing his legacy.
Although he was retired, Bryant continued evolving. He became an author, Oscar award winner and opening his own academy to help improve young athletes. Bryant also coach his daughter’s traveling basketball team and loved being involved in Gianna’s interest in basketball, going to games and meeting her favorite players.
This tragedy has hit a lot of fans, players, former players and others hard because it came out of nowhere. The one thing we all can do is to carry on the legacy and message that is what Kobe Bryant would want. Whether you loved him or hated him, if he invoked happy or angry emotions, one thing is certain you respect what he did and how he did it! So, with that I say rest in peace Kobe Bean Bryant and thank for the memories.
