Remembering Kobe Bryant: The Myth, The Legend, The Los Angeles Super Hero
A Kobe Bryant fan with a Los Angeles Lakers jersey sets down flowers as fans of Kobe gather around for a vigil to commemorate the late basketball star, who died tragically in a helicopter accident with his 13-year old daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven other passengers on January 26, 2020.(Fernando Duran/The Corsair)
What if I told you that there was one single man that could uplift an entire city with his transcendent athletic ability? What if I told you that there was one man that could bring an entire city together no matter the race, gender, or age group? That was Kobe Bryant. As a basketball player he was a human highlight reel, and brought five NBA titles to Los Angeles, including a 3-peat(2000-02), and back-to-back titles(2009-10).
On January 26, 2020 Kobe, along with his 13-year old daughter Gianna Bryant and 7 others, were killed in a helicopter crash. With it being a few days since the tragic accident, and my emotions having simmered down a bit, I feel obliged to share my perspective, not only as a fan of a rivaled team, but as a resident from the heart of Los Angeles.
On a somber, gloomy Sunday morning, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby during his briefing of the accident, “At 9:47 a.m. the Los Angeles County Fire Department received a 9-1-1 call of a potential helicopter down, and a brush fire…upon arrival during the incident, and upon arrival of the Sheriff’s department, our two respective departments entered into unified command to handle this incident. Our firefighters on scene indicated that there was a debris filled in steep terrain, with a quarter-acre brush fire that was occurring at the time.”
Along with Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, there were seven other passengers onboard: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli; Sarah Chester, and her 13-year old daughter Payton Chester; Pilot Ara Zobayan; and Christina Mauser an assistant coach for the girls’ team that included the aforementioned girls. They were all traveling to a basketball tournament at the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, a training facility co-owned by Kobe.
Signs, flowers, ballons, jerseys, and many other things left by fans remebering Kobe Bryant who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons. Who passed away on Janurary 26, 2020 in a helicopter accident along with his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other passengers. Fans gathered in front of the Staples Center to remember the Laker legend. Located in Los Angeles, California.(Fernando Duran/The Corsair)
This tragic accident has hit Los Angeles hard; at a time where most of us are still mourning from the death of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, we’ve lost yet another legend so soon. Kobe Bryant meant so much to a lot of people, and he brought so much joy to the city of Los Angeles during his 20-year career with the Lakers. He created so many moments, like the memorable alley-oop to Shaquille O’Neal against the Portland Trailblazers, in the 2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7. You could go back to the time in 2003, when he dunked on Houston Rockets Center Yao Ming who’s 7’6” (it wasn’t the one and only time). Maybe even their sweeping of the then New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals could be your favorite memory.
My favorite memories as a kid were during the 3-peat run with Shaq. I could remember after each of those championships’ cars would drive by, honking their horns, yelling out of the window “Go Lakers, we won!” with their Lakers flags clinched onto the window waving into the wind. My neighbors would go ballistic yelling, and cheering the loudest for as long as they could, excited because their team was winning. They knew a parade through the streets of LA was coming, and they were on their way to something great. Being so young at the time, I could never fully understand those moments, so I stayed in those moments and took them for what they were.
Fast forward to 2007, Shaq has gone to the Miami Heat (won 2006 NBA Finals with team), the Los Angeles Lakers have gone through their rebuild process, and I’m now a Boston Celtics fan, the Lakers longtime rival.
The Celtics have just traded for Ray Allen —a marksman from the three-pointer — and Kevin Garnett —a savvy veteran who was hungry for a championship —to go along with their drafted star from 1998 Paul Pierce. But let’s get back to the 2007-08 season, particularly in the NBA Finals, Lakers versus Celtics. Kobe and the Lakers are coming off of only losing three games so far in the playoffs, and they’re confident and poised to beat the Celtics. The ‘Big Three’ (Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett) ended up being too overwhelming for Kobe, and the Lakers lost the 2008 NBA Finals 4-2.
Signs, flowers, ballons, jerseys, and many other things left by fans remebering Kobe Bryant who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons. Who passed away on Janurary 26, 2020 in a helicopter accident along with his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other passengers. Fans gathered in front of the Staples Center to remember the Laker legend. Located in Los Angeles, California.(Fernando Duran/The Corsair)
That only motivated Kobe to work even harder that offseason to come back, and win the 2009 NBA Finals the next year to beat the Orlando Magic 4-1; this would be the start of his back-to-back titles. That was Kobe Bryant, the basketball player we know and appreciate, someone who worked hard at perfecting their craft.
He got another chance at the Boston Celtics, and in a 7-game series he didn’t let this one slip, winning 4-3. Considering the longstanding rivalry between the two teams, the potential of going back-to-back to winning his fifth championship, and being on the cuff of needing one more title to pass up the player he looked up to, Kobe took this game seriously. It pains me as a Celtics fan knowing how close we were to winning that one, but it just seemed destined for Kobe, and his Lakers. The parade that year that ended at the Memorial Coliseum was filled with hundreds of fans.
I’m wrapping this letter up, and even though it has been a few days since the passing of Kobe Bryant it’s still one of the hardest things to process. It is still something unimaginable that Los Angeles has lost a legend, some would even say their superhero. His legacy will live on forever. The impact he has had throughout his career will forever be felt in the city of Los Angeles and around the world. Not just as a Celtics fan, but as a former athlete, thank you Kobe for showing how to do things to the best of your ability, by working harder than anybody else at perfecting your craft, no matter what you do in life. Rest In Peace Mamba.