Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter, Gianna, were two of nine individuals that lost their lives in a tragic helicopter accident in Calabasas, California.
As I write this with a heavy heart, I’m unashamed, as the tears fall down my face. I’m also in utter disbelief that I am writing the words “RIP Kobe and Gianna Bryant!”
Bryant, 41, retired from the NBA after providing the city of Los Angeles two decades of basketball nirvana, coupled with five championships. Bryant’s playing career endured through three United States Presidents: Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr., and Barack Obama.
Pausing for a moment and recalling how great Kobe’s run was with one team, thoughts will reveal two decades of memories, good and bad, as well as twenty years of magical moments. You’ll recall witnessing greatness. We were privy to watching an assassin on the court who was one of the most prolific scorers the game has ever seen. Bryant was a player who refused to lose and had an unmatched will to win.
An unstoppable force on the court, Bryant was an Oscar and Academy Award recipient for his short film ‘Dear Basketball.’ Those accomplishments were signifying that he was just getting started on an endeavor that would have been as meaningful as his previous.
The tragedy has shaken us all to the core and to lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking as a parent. Bryant was more than just an NBA star, he was a global icon who was letting us see his connection to his family.
There is no doubt that this loss is felt worldwide, however, it does cut a bit deeper in the city of Los Angeles. Several will remember Bryant as a magnificent athlete who inspired an entire generation of basketball players. Others will recall a player integral in bringing championships back to L.A. which is my hometown and where I still reside.
As the City of Angels mourns Kobe and Gianna, it is noteworthy to remember what Kobe meant exactly to Los Angeles. He provided L.A. hope that ‘Showtime Lakers’ basketball would return with a new era player who was capable of taking the franchise back to championship glory. He did so having his jersey raised to the rafters with all of the other Laker greats.
Lakers icon Jerry West saw Kobe Bryant in workouts destroying college and NBA players, literally crushing all opposition. In 1996 the then Charlotte Hornets selected Bryant with the 13th pick in the NBA draft. In a draft-day trade, West pulled off the business move that would change NBA history, trading Vlade Divac for Bryant.
The Lakers and the city of Los Angeles are used to winning championships. Notice that not one Pacific Division title or Western Conference Championship banner is hanging in the rafters at the Staples Center. Before the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, it had been eight years since the franchise competed for a title. Four years later, the duo led the Lakers back to championship glory.
After Shaq’s departure, Kobe Bryant struggled to win a championship until Jerry West robbed the Memphis Grizzlies of Pau Gasol. However, any team that Kobe Bryant played on gave you confidence that he would not allow his team to lose.
As we say goodbye to a legend, and his daughter Gianna, and start the 12-steps of the grieving process, my heart goes out to Vanessa and the entire Bryant Family.
Mamba, you will surely be missed but never forgotten. Rest easy in paradise.