By Ken Cross
It was Sunday afternoon and I had sat down at my computer to write when I heard the shocking news that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had passed away in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif.
After hearing the news, it was like the world stopped in utter disbelief.
My focus was totally distorted and it took me more than eight hours to finally finish a story that would have generally taken 45 minutes or so to write.
Bryant, four years removed from a 20-year NBA career where he finished averaging 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, had started a second life in business and entertainment and all signs pointed to him being as productive in that life as he was on the basketball court.
The loss of his 13-year old daughter, Gianna, two of her AAU teammates, as well as five others – including parents – just highlighted the idea of the preciousness of life and how we should value each other and lift each other up in an effort to love rather than hate.
Kobe’s life was about getting better with each day. His message was to never cheat the process to be successful. As talented and superb as he was, he never rested. I remember stories about him having keys ready for the arenas in Charlotte so that he could work out and practice once the Lakers got into town or even at 4 a.m. when the city was asleep.
We all know he was a five-time NBA champion. We remember his 81-point game against the Raptors; we revere the 61-point performance he had against the Utah Jazz in the last game of this career. However, I think we may most remember the personal touches we had with him on his path through the NBA.
Living in Charlotte for 22 years and covering the Hornets for as many, I remember how excited I was when the Hornets drafted Kobe out of Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia. Here was the player who was going to push the Charlotte Hornets to new heights and potentially put them in line to be an NBA champion.
Water was thrown on my fire as the organization traded him for the Lakers’ Vlade Divac almost immediately after the selection in 1996.
This was a trade that the organization never got over, though the Hornets made it to the second round of the playoffs on a couple of occasions before leaving town for New Orleans in 2002. At that, three years later when the Charlotte Bobcats were spoken into existence, we inherited a franchise that has never gotten off the ground although it reassumed the Hornets moniker and logo in 2013.
Every time Kobe, Shaq and company came into town with the Lakers, the matchups were a must see.
For me, other than a high-five in the tunnel one night, my Kobe moments spanned from seeing him win two games in the Queen City on buzzer beaters to his finale there on Dec. 28, 2015 when he scored 20 points in a 10-point loss to the Hornets.
On the Wednesday night after Kobe’s death, opposing college coaches at the college game in Orlando, Memphis’ Penny Hardaway and UCF’s Johnny Dawkins, both of whom had stellar NBA careers, weighed in on the tragedy.
Hardaway had opposed Bryant in his tenure with the Magic, as well as in Phoenix and New York before he played his final 16 games in Miami. Dawkins, who played in the league well before Bryant, knew of his touch in the city.
He wore a pair of Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro “Wizenard” shoes in Wednesday night’s 59-57 win over UCF as he said he wished to “pay homage” to Bryant and his 13-year old daughter Gianna.
“As a fraternity of brothers, it is still just looking at people who haven’t spoken on Kobe are now coming out and speaking about it,” said Hardaway. “It continues to stay emotional because his legacy will live on through us – the guys that competed against him, the guys that knew him, the fans all around the world.”
The devastation and shock was felt across the world in all portals and walks of society. Bryant was not only a basketball player, but also an entertainer/business entrepreneur who created a following with his drive to get better at everything he proceeded to do.
“It is still devastating with all nine passengers, but obviously we touched Kobe,” Hardaway explained. “He was a peer and every five minutes, I think about it. It was something that was unimaginable and unthinkable. Kobe had always been invincible and for that to happen, man, it’s devastating.”
Dawkins echoed Hardaway’s sentiments as he spoke of the tragedy and the lost lives of all nine people.
“I think for all of our players, the lesson that we take away from it is you have to cherish every moment, cherish every day because tomorrow is not promised to any of us,” Dawkins said.
Dawkins gave such heartfelt advice as he talked about invincibility and mortality as it applies to not only a superstar like Bryant, but all human beings.
“It can happen to anyone at any time,” he said. “Take advantage of your day. Love hard, live hard and maximize what you have – your relationships with your loved ones and your friends. It can go with a snap of a finger, as you can see. It’s sad.”
As I thought about all the things I could say here, none of them seemed to be enough.
When you look at your own situations, put aside petty feuds and disagreements that maybe have come between you and friends, family, spouses or anyone who is a contact. Don’t hate, but love!
