The Morning After….Kobe Bryant

The morning after it still doesn’t seem real that Kobe Bryant is gone. There is no way his life was supposed to end here in a helicopter crash.

Kobe is the guys whose determination and work always allowed him to beat the odds. He famously made two free-throws after tearing his Achilles and constantly played through injuries.

He was laughed at when he came into the NBA out of high school and said he was going to be the next Michael Jordan; he became the closest thing we ever saw to MJ.

In 2018 just two years after retiring from the NBA he won an Oscar for “Dear Basketball” his animated short film. Who does that?

There is no way that guy was supposed to leave the world in a helicopter crash.

There are several testaments of how important Kobe was to people. For example, according to Yahoo Sports over 14,000 children were named after Kobe Bryant during his 20-year career.

He had a clear impact on the younger generation of the NBA. Bryant has helped mentor the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Trae Young to name a few. He was clearly enjoying his second act of getting to be a dad and enjoy basketball with his daughter Gianna, who was also tragically killed in the crash.

Growing up during his career I’ll always remember the lunchroom debates and conversations about Bryant. Few athletes bring out the emotion in people like Kobe Bryant. Many people either loved or hated or him, which is a trait that all the great ones have. I never heard anyone say they didn’t respect him regardless of how they felt as a fan. If you liked basketball you had to respect him because of his dedication and passion.

Kobe’s mamba mentality took on a life of its own and became a cultural sensation. On and off basketball courts it became a mantra for how people should attack their lives and always strive for more. He was simply a lot more than just a basketball player.

One thing I can promise is that Kobe Bryant will not be forgotten his legacy is too great. He’ll always be remembered through his highlights, impact, family and of course when people yell “Kobe” shooting something in the trashcan.

My condolences to the Bryant family, the Altobelli family, the Mauser family, the Chester family and the Zobayan family. This was simply a tragedy.