Sing about Kobe, I’m dying of Thirst

For me, basketball hasn’t been the same since Kobe left. For as long as I can remember, I grew up watching the Lake show, with Chick and Stu calling the games as a kid with my dad and his friends. My dad wearing a corduroy purple Lakers snapback, a Lakers tee and those beat up purple and yellow adidas high tops — memories can be so vivid. I began being aware of Basketball through the tail end of Showtime era and the ensuing quieter years they spent rebuilding. Around the end of the decade something happened, the Lakers landed Shaq who I was already a huge fan of even had an Orlando Magic hat and some pogs from his time at LSU and and then the addition of a young kid who was full of life (don’t believe me — watch the interview of Kobe and Chick and you’ll see what I mean) he was not much older than me. I was still in high school and Kobe was joining the NBA right out of high school. It was the resurgence of the show time era, no it was better, it was something even more special. The speed and precision of Kobe and the brute force of Shaq, they became an unstoppable force with a great supporting cast of players finally winning a championship a few years later. I lived through that excitement and it was an exciting time to be a Lakers fan for the next several years. To say that he was an inspiration to many people is an understatement — an impact on the sport and beyond: work hard, play hard — don’t celebrate too early, be passionate, be smarter, don’t give up.

I had to write something about this and I’m just sharing in the grieving because this is how I face the death of my heroes. Now’s not the time to turn away but appreciate everything that Kobe did in the sport and ever after.