Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

I'm going to forever root for the Lakers it's the team I attached myself to growing up. This is my favorite team of any sport. I'm gonna love the Lakers until the end. But as far as individual players go moving forward, there won't be one to catch my attention like Kobe did, as a franchise player.

I'm probably never gonna see Picasso on the court like Kobe again. The individual player void will probably never be filled. I'm just gonna root for my Lakers.

 

They should all wear those ugly box looking early Kobe adidas

 

I have posted about this - 2003 in context - a few times on FB and other forums.

In short, the man who died - the tremendous husband, girl dad, make-a-wish giver (85-plus times), mentor to girls, mentor to boys, mentor to men, mentor to women, women’s sports ambassador, business visionary, man of God, realist focused genuine work-hardest inspiration - was far far far from the flawed young man 17 years ago who was just a basketball player.

He was not a rapist. She asked for money, was paid money. Attaching criminality under all the facts known now - especially her having sex with her boyfriend that same night and bragging about her hook-up to others - is bias or hate. Attaching moral blame and shame, and huge disappointment, like many of us do with Tiger, is understandable. Kobe atoned for his mistakes, dedicated a large part of his life to empowering women, and became the most popular (most world wide fans) basketball player in history.

The man, husband, and father who died was a great, great man. The love he had from tens of millions from afar was genuine, earned, and deserved.

 

I have a lot of mixed feelings about tonight's game. Like many of you, it's hard to imagine enjoying basketball the same way again, since the very thought of the Lakers fills me with immense sadness. On the other hand, Lakers basketball has been an immense source of joy for me my entire life, and I can't imagine that feeling just vanishing into the ether. So where does that leave me? The truth is I don't know right now.

Incidentally, I already had tickets to tonight's game before the accident, so I'll be going with my pops (he felt we needed to go together, having had the dumb-luck of seeing Kobe's 81-point game in-person together). I'm really going for the communal experience of honoring Kobe and the other victims. I have no idea what it will be like to sit and watch a game right now. Will there even be a moment where it'll just feel like any old game? Will I get excited when we make the right play? Will I cheer when LeBron dunks or AD hits a thee or when Dwight improbably makes exactly the right play in exactly the right moment? Remains to be seen. I'll be sure to post here if I have any meaningful perspective to share on it.

 

Well maybe better stick to the Nikes because we would end up with a lot of sprained ankles ...



Start watching around 3:50 ... so beautiful and narrated by Michael B. Jordan.

 

I loved reading in Zack Lowe's long Kobe remembrance blog a couple days ago what I always felt watching him. (He moved with a "liquid flow" to his motion on the court). Always a graceful glide to whatever he did. Kobe coming up court with the ball in his hands was always compelling. Any number of aggressive moves he could use to make a play or score .... and 2 or 3 backup options on all of them if at first well defended.

 

I was almost tearing up after watching that C Bags' tribute video for Kobe.

And then I saw this and burst out laughing so hard for a minute and kept repeating "holy sh**" because of how funny that is. Thanks for that

 

I have a hunch the collective energy inside of Staples once the game starts is going to be goose bump inspiring if we are playing well and on the big plays. The fans are going to get behind these guys even more. LeBron bigger than life too trying to step into the void. Props to him for saying he was going to (put the team on his back) That's what Kobe did when necessary.

 

Changed my mind, I'm going to watch the game tonight. Watched a few videos and tributes and have some tears flowing. Hard to think of the game ever being the same. Maybe there will be some magic this season.

And Dwight, you need to do something else at the dunk contest.

mcpphhtttt:

 

Like you, I researched that a lot when it happened, read all the court reports and just about everything on the lady that was out there, there was a lot. I came to your same conclusion. The whole thing was sketchy from the beginning. But like everyone says, you have to still reconcile that Kobe was an adulterer at the very least. I do have a hard time with that and yet I refuse to throw stones while living in a glass house. It is NOT my nature to judge people on what appears to be a small moment, or even moments, of their life. Most of us have done things we are not proud of on some level. We learn, we move on and we try harder. If someone continues to be a douche bag jerk over and over, then sure, I will judge them but if they do something I don't like once or twice, I am not going to sit in judgement and act like I am so perfect that nobody else can make a mistake. Kobe appears to have taken it all to heart and made things right with his family.

I have a really hard time with people who have been judgmental on Kobe at this point in time, they are so pious and self absorbed that they can't let the people who care about him without rubbing their noses in it, especially when you know they know none of the details, only the sound bites.

 

I judged kobe during the trial but since then i never gave it a 2nd thought, people change over time and hes more than made up for his transgression with all the off the court endeavors like his homelessness activism, his mamba sports and empowering womans sports

 

#inspired

 

He was homeless?

 

Here’s the tattoo

 

my bad, didnt finish my thought on that post....