This has been a tough start to the year for the NBA after losing David Stern earlier this month. Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has passed away at the age of only 41 in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. His 13 year old daughter was also with him and passed away along with 7 others. He was on his way to his daughter, Gianna’s basketball practice when the helicopter crashed largely due to fog. Prayers to his wife and family through a very tough time.

As fans, sometimes it feels strange to mourn a death of someone that you never really met. However, we as humans find a connection when we watch a person grow up in the spotlight, see them constantly, hear what they have to say, and experience their history before our eyes.  We use it to create inspiration from these people that have done great things. The NBA is a family in the sense that we all come together. We come together to watch this one sport, to talk about it, to go to games, to have discussions/arguments, to watch greatness. You make friends that way. It has brought people together.  This is bigger than sports.

These types of tragic losses change the landscape of not only the NBA but the entire world. We lost someone that was able to do something so special. Kobe was a global phenomenon and a central figure in American sports. He was able to break the barriers of the basketball world.  You didn’t even have to be a fan of basketball to not only know who he was, but for him to have even a small impact on your life.   Whether it be when you threw a piece of trash into a bin and yelled “Kobe” or when you saw him on TV or heard people talking about him. You knew who he was and what he meant for everyone. His basketball accolades aside, he embodied what it meant to believe in yourself and work hard for your dreams. He inspired many to never stop striving for excellence. His ambition became a trademark for success and inspired us to have that same “Mamba Mentality.” 

It wasn’t supposed to happen this young. The new chapter of his life was just getting started. He was an excellent father to his 4 young daughters. The time he spent in the community was not forgotten. He was apart of many charities and foundations and had been a huge advocate for women’s basketball as well. His daughter, Gigi who died in the crash, was an excellent basketball player and had the determination and skill level of her father with the intentions of making it to the WNBA. Unfortunately we will never get to see her carry on that legacy. 

He was a son, a father, a friend, an idol, a legend.  The amount of players that have lost their mentor and friend are great and everyone across the league has taken it hard, understandably.  When Kyrie Irving heard the news he was already at the stadium for that night’s game.  He left and did not return.  Chris Paul did not play in Monday night’s game. The Lakers Clippers match up for Tuesday night has already been cancelled. Many other players were seen visible distraught throughout the games and many breaking down and crying. There were tribute videos and 24 second violations at the start of some of the games to honor his #24.  There were purple and gold lights that shined from arenas around the league.  Even the empire state building glowed purple and gold.  From the streets of Los Angeles to across the country at Lower Marion High School where he first started his basketball journey, there have been crowds of fans mourning Kobe’s death.  There have been many other discussions of what the league will do to honor Kobe in the coming season but none of the fans or any part of the sports world has taken this lightly.

When Kobe came out of the draft in 1996 he mostly came off the bench in his first year.  From his game in which he shot 4 airballs against the Jazz and lost the game, to his famous 81 point game, the world watched him grow up into the fearless legend that he was. He had a ruthless nature and a competitiveness that drove him to 5 championships.  With his last 60 point farewell game he left us with, in true Kobe fashion, reminds you of the incredible drive and relentless passion that resonated out of him. 

If you listen closely you can hear a basketball bouncing in heaven, knowing that Kobe and Gigi are hooping against all the greats that passed away before him. Legends never die. Mamba out.