Remembering the Legend Kobe Bryant

Tragedies are never expected. Anyone can lose their life in a single minute or second. It’s that quick. The lives are taken and done. Unfortunately, one of these tragedies happened to take place this Sunday, January 26^th. Kobe Bean Bryant died in a helicopter crash with 7 other citizens. One of them was his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant. She was supposed to be his successor as she had the same mannerisms and playstyle as her father. She was going to go to UConn and get drafted into the WNBA. Whenever fans came up to both, they would say “You gotta have a boy. Gotta have someone to carry the tradition. Gianna said “Oy, I got this! You don’t need no boy for that, I got this.” Kobe Bryant, passed at the age of 41, leaving a legacy of memories behind. Bryant wanted to be one of the best basketball players ever. He decided to go on an unpopular route and be drafted right outside of high school. He showed others they can be successful and go their own route at a very young age. He was drafted at the age of 17. He was too young to sign an NBA contract, so his parents decided to co sign the contract with him. He became an 18x All Star, 5x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 2x Scoring Champion, and is currently 4^th all time on the All Time Scoring List (33,643 Points).  He played with Hall of Famers and other notable players like Shaquille O Neal, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Ron Artest, Robert Horry, Byron Scott, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and many many more. He was even coached by the famous Phil Jackson, coach of Kobe’s idol, Michael Jordan. Kobe had chased Michael Jordan his entire career. Whenever the Lakers had matchups against the Bulls and the Wizards, it was always a matchup to watch. They both had mutual respect. Michael Jordan has said in many interviews Kobe is the closest thing to him. His work ethic and attitude will be remembered as legendary. Children in school have been shooting trash in paper cans and yelling “KOBE!” for years and many other years to come. His mentality was what brought him so much success. Many players and celebrities have sent tributes and shared their heartbreak through social media and through the wave of television. Shaquille O Neal, Bryant’s former teammate on the Lakers from 1997-2004, said “I’M SICK RIGHT NOW.” He was starting retirement being a father and a coach to his children. Kobe Bryant married Vanessa Laine, who was a former model in her teenage years. They married on April 18^th, 2001 when Kobe was 22 and she was 18. Kobe Bryant had just been enjoying retirement. He won an Oscar in 2018 for his short-animated film “Dear Basketball” and was coaching his daughter’s basketball team. He recently has been on a few podcasts and spread gems of knowledge for everyone to know. He has recently spread his knowledge to the young athletes through a book about the mamba mentality along with his own book series. As we all mourn the death of a beloved icon, one thing is clear. Allen Iverson said it himself: “We are not okay. But we will find the strength to pull through this together because that’s what Kobe would want us to do.”