I'm not taking to task anyone who's moved by this. You feel moved by the things that move you. But I think it's an interesting phenomenon. As an example, on the news here they recently mentioned three California firefighters who died in a small plane crash after having gone to Australia to help fight the wildfires there. That's three separate people with three families impacted by grief, and dying in the effort to help other people. I sincerely doubt anyone aside from those who knew them personally shed a tear or very many even really remembered the incident an hour after seeing or hearing about it. I think there's something a little sad about that, a little sad about so many people suffering or dying to tragedies every day, that pass beneath everyone's caring--unless they were famous. I understand why it happens, and of course no one can process and grieve every death/tragedy that happens, but that doesn't make it any less a sad phenomenon to me.
Dear Kobe, When I think of you I remember all of the hell that you put me through when I was young. The heartbreaking losses in the playoffs, the daggers, the alley oop we dont speak of in Portland. I cringe every time espn or tnt replays that iconic, horrific play. As I watched you grow older and because a more mature player and human, I began to respect what you stood for. By the time you retired i had grown enough as a person to understand what you stood for and what drove you. The past couple of years I have grown to enjoy off the court and everything you have done outside of basketball. Watching you and your daughters interact truly brought joy to my heart. Today I am heartbroken as a basketball fan. I’ve shed tears as a basketball fan and as someone who has watched you grow as a person and family man. The loss of your daughter makes this that much harder to comprehend. My hope is that all players that come through this league have an ounce of competitiveness and drive that you did because it was unmatched. You are an icon and a model father for us all. Today the world mourns your loss not just as a player but as a human being. This loss weighs heavy in my heart and I am forever grateful to have been alive to watch you perform and grow as a human. You will be sorely missed and the world will not be the same without you. I hope that you and Gigi look over us all. thank you Kobe. you were one of a kind
Well, do you cancel things every time someone dies? Nothing was cancelled when duck and kersey dused young.
Obviously, it's a loss, because Kobe was gifted and driven in many different ways and still young enough to impact so many lives. I feel what Minstrel is saying, though, too. Very much. There are a lot of people who touch lives in ways we never see. As sobering as Kobe's death might be to me, his daughter's passing might even hurt worse. Thirteen. Whole life ahead of her. And I think of how teens and particular girls have so much messing with their heads these days and what her friends and teammates are going to be going through. In my last months as a sports writer, I wrote a column about two 22-year-olds who I had covered in high school died a day apart, one from drugs, the other apparently from a heart issue that hadn't been found. The day the column hit the stands, a third young man their age had died from a drug overdose. A few months earlier, a guy a couple of years older, HS and college basketball star, died when he drank too much and passed out at a team reunion. On my birthday that year, one of my friends' sons, only 17, great kid and good athlete, went out drinking with his buddies in the woods, passed out in the river behind his parents' house, and drowned. I'm left with this: This is life. Cherish the people you share it with. Don't be ashamed to tell them you care or to laugh at yourself with them. Really, make the most of your moments, because you never know if you'll have others. Here's how I ended my column: "I want to attend their weddings, not their viewings. I’d want to read about them changing their world, not write about them departing it. I want to congratulate their parents instead of consoling them. I want to talk to them about what they are doing with their lives rather than talk to others about what they could have done had they lived. So hug your kids a little tighter today, your brothers, your sisters. Tell the people you love that you care, even if things are rough between you … especially if things are rough between you. Don’t miss a chance that might never come. Because, really, you never know." Anyway, sorry for hijacking the thread.
Fucked my whole day up. Still can’t believe it. As a new father to a daughter whose 5 month old this one hurt even more
I don't think it's about celebrity vs non celebrity. It's about feeling connected to the person by seeing them on the court, seeing their emotions, hearing them talk, and learning the quirks of their personality. I'm a Pats fan. Brady and to a small extent Edleman are the only players on the Pats I know anything about as people. If anyone else on the Pats died it would be to me as if a stranger died. But if either of those guys died, I'd be upset.
No matter how much you dislike Kobe, consider this: it's very likely that his last thought in life was that his child was going to die and he couldn't do anything about it. As a father, I find that heartbreaking!
Obviously that's very sad. The outpouring of grief is because people had a personal attachment to Kobe. I don't think it's sad, the outpouring of grief just reflects how many people had a personal attachment to him. He inspired thousands and thousands of people, even me as a player to a certain extent. and when that inspiration passes away tragically, it's hits a more personal note for people than if someone they never heard of passes. It's not sad to me, just human nature.
Absolutely! People who played the game anywhere feel this ^^^^^^. People who follow the game. People who watch the game. Posters on this board have talked "Kobe" for decades! You hit the nail on the head.
Well, Duck died in August and Jerome didn't have the impact on the league and fans to the degree Kobe did.
Here's a video from a Boeing 777 pilot that I'm subscribed to about the Kobe helicopter crash. Obviously we won't know until the NTSB does their complete investigation but this is a nice video while we wait.
So they do not shoot for 24 seconds for Kobe? He would have gotten atleast three shots up by then. Someone should pay tribute by going off for 60 points (on 61 shots). Who would have thought when Magic was diagnosed with HIV, he would outlive a Laker that had not joined the league yet and had a 20yr HOF career? Feel sorry for his family but have a hard time feeling emotional. Lots of people pass every day. It is something every one of us will do someday.
I haven't read the whole thread, so maybe this has been mentioned already. I'm reminded of Kobe talking about Phil Jackson's response to him getting engaged (what was it at, 21?): "Aren't you a bit young to get married?" Kobe told him he does everything young. That strikes a chord today.