Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

Something i haven't mentioned much on here. Figured I'd share today. I've suffered from a serious auto immune disease for about 14 years.
I've always been a lakers fan, but when i was sick, i watched even more games. Kobe's drive, spirit, competitiveness and never quit attitude
helped inspire me through some very difficult and dark times in relation to my health. Watching him fight through injuries the way he did
made me push harder too. Im much better these days in part because many of my doctors said i outworked any patient they have ever seen.
Thank you Kobe for your inspiration, it was more than basketball for me.

 

Nothing else to add to this tragedy besides stay safe and hug your loved ones y’all. This really hits hard.

 

Wow johnnyboy.

 

Feel bad for Dwight as well. I felt like this season, winning over Kobe was one of his biggest motivation. You could tell that Dwight really wanted Kobe's approval and it's sad that it never got to that point, fully.

 

absolutely stunned... this ******* hurts.

 

This is an amazing and raw interview with Jerry and Jim Hill. The whole interview of course and it's enlightening into who Kobe was from Jerry West himself. Kobe was different. "Sprinkled with (forget the term he used while talking about Flair and Charisma) But wait for it and pay attention especially to 9.30 minutes in until the end. The essence of who Kobe was and Jerry starts by saying this whole "Mamba Mentality" he (personally never bought into) was not what it was that was most special about him. And then the great affirmation of who he really was to Jerry and what made him someone for the ages in sports. Earlier Jerry's biggest or equally big joy was seeing him with his family and his girls and how he was with them.

Must listen.

 

Man I’m devastated, haven’t shed tears in a long time, like for many of you - we grew up with this man.

Kobe was like a mentor to me, and I learnt so many lessons from him. From his unwavering desire early in his NBA career, his growth in leadership to win his 4th and 5th and later to his graceful transition into a new career that looked to be even better than the basketball one.

He was becoming a titan in the creative field and the finance field. Two that I’m directly involved in. And what a shame we lose the impact on this fields he would of had.

You will be missed sir. And I grieve for your daughter who carried similar competitive traits to you and the remaining passengers on board.

 

two laker legends reunited in the skies

 

I had been watching randomly channel 5 coverage because my wife had it on that channel and the camera view had the smoke coming up in the distance quite aways away from the crash site. One of my best friends who had just lost the most amazing cat ever he had for 14 years and still hurting over that called me to see how I was doing with this awful news. He asked if I had seen the aerial above the crash looking down footage and I hadn't at that point. He said there was a hiking path or maybe a fire trail that it went down right next to it and wondered if the pilot hadn't been trying to crash land it there. I'd always read that they could sometimes "feather" or down gear the rotor to soften a crash landing if power was out. Maybe that is what happened with where it wound up. But also looked like somewhat of a slope so guess if that was the situation the blade could have caught the hillside and wrenched it. One onlooker said it came down hard so who knows yet. Hope the black box is intact and has information and / or audio. Drone or bird strike? F***!!! He and Gianna both. Plus the other teammates and parents and pilot.

 

This is the biggest loss in NBA history. Maybe I'm just younger than most here but I can't recall one that hit me this bad outside of my own family. With that being said, I feel like NBA has to celebrate Kobe's career way beyond just the Lakers. He should be the new logo... Staples Center should have Kobe and his daughter as statues ASAP.

 

The Kobe - LeBron look back on ESPN and all the things Kobe said in reflections and tributes of others, including about taking Gianna to games, just broke me again. I haven’t balled like this, as a grown man, since my pops died.

 

Pure tragedy! I followed Kobe during all his career. For me he was bigger then MJ, Magic or Shaq. A friend, C Bags fan texted me by Wechat this morning I thought it was another stupid joke...We have enough fear and tragic news here in China due to the coronavirus alone, and now this! Poor little Gianna, was only 13...Rest in peace, Black Mamba, though I still cannot believe it - you went too early! You will always be in our hearts and minds.

 

league needs to retire 24. change the logo to kobe. something to honor one of the all time greats

can't think of a death like this in recent sports history. ayrton senna and roberto clemente are probably the closest but the magnitude of kobe's death is on another level