DISBELIEF! THE CHEATS MOVEMENT MOURNS THE LOSS OF KOBE (1978-2020)

The legendary Ric Flair was famous for saying, “whether you like it or you don’t like it, learn to live with it because it’s the best thing going today.” Flair was talking about himself, of course, but as I reflect on the life and athletic career of Kobe Bryant, the phrase applies.

I was never a Kobe Bryant fan. I’m a Knicks’ fan, and he is the ultimate Lakers’ hero. He was “confident” at best, but arrogant for those that didn’t bleed purple and gold. The ultimate competitor to some but his Mamba Mentality could come off as selfish or even hostile depending on what lens you were looking through. BUT as Flair said, we all learned to live with it because it was truly the best thing going in the world of basketball in a post-Air Jordan era. And beyond learning to live with it, we came to respect Kobe for what he ultimately became…one of the greatest basketball players to ever lace up a pair of his own custom Nike (and Adidas before that for true sneakerheads).

The culture is in shock and disbelief today. We’ve been since TMZ broke the story Sunday afternoon. I first got the word from my wife and then a text from my podcast partner who asked, “Do you believe what TMZ is reporting?” I told her, “TMZ is often first, and rarely gets these stories wrong.” However, we all held out hope that TMZ was hacked, or something was just wrong with the report. Once the famed ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski AKA Woj tweeted it, I knew it was real. I haven’t felt the same since. Lots of family hugs, lots of reflection, lots of numbness. As a father, our family grieves for their family. 41 is far too young, 13, the age of Kobe’s daughter Gianna, who also passed, is unimaginable. And while Kobe’s life and legacy will overshadow the others that untimely passed yesterday with him, their lives and legacies will be remembered by their loved ones and their families will hurt just the same.

There will be a time to divulge deeper into Kobe’s accomplishments, his mamba mentality, his triumphs, his challenges, his career and life, on and off the court. But for now, I’ll just pray for his family. And do my part to tell those around me how much I love and care for them while I can.

Kobe’s passing is very personal to me and my friends. For one, Kobe and I are the same age. He was drafted in the NBA the same year I graduated high school, 1996. He has been a true constant in our lives. He, like us, was forced to deal with the changing media climate of our time, things like AOL chat, Napster and ultimately to social media, just to name a few. He got married around the same time as most of my friends. He started his family around the same time as most of my friends. (I was later on both.) And while Kobe was never “normal” (he’s been a superstar since he was 16, playing for Lower Merion in Philly) there was a sense of his timeline milestones that were familiar to us. But, the truth is, we couldn’t imagine this tragedy. And, judging by the calls and text messages I’ve received over the last 24 hours, we collectively don’t know how to appropriately deal with it all.

As great as a basketball player as Kobe was, I think for a lot of people my age, we get a warm feeling for how he transitioned following his hoops career. He started a media company, he authored and produced a short film, Dear Basketball, that won an Academy Award, he started the Mamba Sports Academy and developed into a true family man. It seemed like most things he did, on and off the court, had grace and purpose.

While his everlasting legacy will ultimately comprise of all that he was, I will always remember his competitive spirit, his athletic talent, and the grace in which he transitioned from playing to media. This one is tough. #WESEEIT