Kobe Bryant’s Death

Disbelief

I’m still in shock…I was in disbelief when I opened my ESPN app and saw an article stating that Kobe Bryant had just passed away from a plane crash.

I just saw his post congratulating Lebron James for passing him on the all-time scoring list to go from 4th to 3rd the day before.

It felt surreal and gut-wrenching as more news surfaced about Kobe’s death. It instantly became the news on every channel, posts, and tweet around the world. It was real. Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi passed away in a plane crash in Calabasas.

Reality and Sadness

I didn’t think I’d be so affected by his sudden and unexpected passing.

I was never a huge basketball fanatic. I like basketball and I follow the league. I always respected Kobe but it’s not like I was a raging fan.

I’ve never been really affected by a celebrity passing. They seemed distant and almost unreachable. But Kobe was a bit different. I sort of grew up watching Kobe. I saw him evolve from a young high school student joining the League to becoming the most iconic Laker and NBA player of our time.

I watched him grow a family. I saw him retire. I watched him transition into a life post NBA. I saw him being a father to his daughters and doing a great job at it. I follow him on Twitter.

I guess I didn’t realize it until later but I’d grown a sense of closeness to a person I’ve never met. There was an invisible connection and I’m sure many around the world felt it. He was inspiring…and just like that…he’s gone along with his precious 13-year-old daughter.

I can’t imagine his last moments in the helicopter but in Kobe fashion I imagine that he wrapped his arms tightly around his baby girl trying to protect her telling her how much he loved her clutching onto the last moments he knew he was going to have with her. His mind must have shot towards his wife and three other daughters that he was going to be leaving behind. A normal day turning into his last when he had a whole new life post NBA ahead of him.

Tears of Sadness

Ever since I found out about his passing around 12 pm, I’ve been in a weird state. I knew I needed to write a blog because I needed to process my emotions. I seriously didn’t think I’d be so affected by his death.

I watched Doc Rivers reaction to finding out about Kobe’s passing and I broke down sobbing hearing him trying to express his own emotions.

It seems like the whole world is crying. Fittingly, even the weather seemed to accurately express the somberness of the moment. Its been gloomy the entire day.

Processing his Death

Kobe’s sudden death has me reflecting on life. I still haven’t processed everything but I know this moment is going to change me. It seemed like Kobe’s best days were ahead of him and yet it was taken so suddenly and abruptly.

Your next moment really isn’t guaranteed and things that used to seem glaringly important don’t seem so significant anymore. Life on Earth really is short.

Would Kobe have lived life differently if he knew that he would only have 41 short years to live? He did so much with his life and he really didn’t leave any stones unturned in the game of basketball but I’m curious if he would approach life differently had he known…

I don’t know. I don’t know how I would live differently if I knew I had only several more years to live. I’ve asked myself that question before but it’s never had as much weight as it does now. What would I focus on? Would I still be stressed, anxious, and worried? Would I put off joy in the pursuit of goals? Would I work as hard as I do? Would I say “I love you” to the people that matter to me more?

I don’t know…but that’s something that I’m going to be thinking about a lot more from this day forward.

Rest in peace Kobe and Gigi. You’ve impacted billions. We love you.