Kobe was the definition of a legend.
Kobe was one of my first childhood idols. I moved to Los Angeles in January 1999, right before he and Shaq -- and the Lakers organization -- absolutely took over the city, the country and the world.
It was Kobe that made me want to play basketball. It was Kobe that made me fall in love with the Lakers. It was Kobe that made this L.A. kid dream.
And my heart has been aching for 30 hours ever since I saw the news on Sunday afternoon the he and eight others tragically died in a helicopter accident.
I never met him. But I was quickly drawn to him, like most fans. He was a winner. He made everyone around him a better player. But most of all, he was a competitor.
You could see it in his eyes.
He took and made two free throws after tearing his Achilles. He scored 60 (!!!!) points in his final game.
But I think what hurts me the most is that he had a whole another life to live. He was already doing amazing things off the court - as an incredible entrepreneur.
I mean, he won a freaking Academy Award. And he was not stopping.
It hurts me just to know what else he had to give for the next few decades -- in all sorts of worlds -- basketball, business, family.
What he was doing with his daughters and basketball is precious. And something I appreciate so much more today as a father to a daughter myself.
And my heart is absolutely crushed for Vanessa and their three girls.
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Kobe inspired everyone.
Not just California. Not just America. But the world. The guy spoke multiple languages and had a dream to impact so many people.
Kobe sure had amazing stats on the court; that’s for sure. But people don’t talk about him because of how many championships he won, points he scored, or how many All-Star Game appearances he made.
We talk about Kobe because of the person he was.
It’s because of his ruthless drive. Because of his Mamba Mentality.
Kobe was bigger than basketball.
Kobe taught us all a lot through his 41 years -- more than most people can do in their lifetimes. And he left us with just one more lesson: cherish each moment because life is too short.
Cheers, Kobe -- and cheers to your beautiful daughter, Gianna.