This shit feels surreal. It's going to dominate the headlines this week and maybe next week. But the fact that this happened, the disbelief is through the roof. Like many, the shock is still there for what happened to NBA legend Kobe Bryant. As the story has filtered in, he was on his way via helicopter to a travel basketball game with his teenage daughter Gianna. Something happened and the copter crashed, killing all nine people. Too early to determine until the NTSB investigates and puts out their report whenever that happens. Other casualties are reported to include Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli and his family, which the daughter played for Bryant's team.
Quickly on his career, Bryant was drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets. However, the LA Lakers got him via a trade, trading away Vlade Divac. At that point, they were playoff contenders, but a far cry from where they were at the start of the 90s. With young guys and additional talent like Shaquille O'Neal coming from Orlando, the franchise was back, winning three Finals in a row. Even through struggles, Bryant found redemption after rape allegations. With better understanding, he was back in form at the end of the 2000s, winning another two titles before injuries late in his career, which he played his final game in 2016.
Before I say my reaction to what happened, obviously there is the basketball side we have to talk about. For guys like me in their late 20s, early 30s, this was the Michael Jordan of our generation. I'm not the biggest basketball fan and not huge on the Lakers, but you can see why they are coveted and hated. Bryant always had that knack for being in the tightest situations and delivering most of the time. One example is the 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 81 points in the victory. It's hard to turn it into words, but there was a drive to him that made him put everything on the line just for the sake of championships and creating that legacy that inspire youth to be him.
When I heard about it, I was stunned. And at work, word spread. It's hit home to a lot of people throughout the world. You don't need to be a fan of sports to know how devastating this is. When you add in Bryant's daughter to the casualty, that makes it ultra sickening. Come mid April, and it will mark four years since his final game. This is the kind of shit that makes you reevaluate life. Not to mention that at 41 years old, there was more he was prepared to do. I think that's the most saddening thing about it. Someone that young to be killed without reaching his full potential in a post NBA life.
This is a huge blow for the NBA. Tons of current and former people involved the sport expressing condolences. Everybody and their mother being shocked at this tragic event. And the same can be said for the other victims involved with the locals of the towns that knew them. Hopefully, a thorough investigation finds results for the cause of the crash. Not a good way to almost end the month of the new decade
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