Dear Kobe

It was him that penned "Dear Basketball" as a thank you for all that basketball has done for him. All that it's given him. I want to follow in his footsteps and write my own thank you right now.



Dear Kobe,


January 26, 2020 is a day that the world will never forget. We'll all be able to recount what we were doing the moment the news broke. Kobe Bryant, the cold hearted, vicious assassin that put the knife into the heart of every opponent and opposing fan over his legendary 20 year career had been killed in a helicopter crash earlier that morning. What makes it even worse that it was you was the fact that Gianna was with you and the other families on board and you all were headed to your academy for a practice session. That shit broke the hearts of billions around the world. Especially my heart, Kobe. I would have NEVER imagined that it would have been you to be the one to go. Someone could have traveled from the future to tell me that news and I still wouldn't have believed them. It just didn't seem real. It still doesn't feel real. It might be wrong of me to say, but I'm still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out of the woodwork and say you've all just been Punk'd because that's how much disbelief I'm still in about it. It hurts Kobe. This is gonna hurt for a while.

But this isn't a letter that's a reminder of that sad day. This is me honoring your memory. Your legacy. That which you've taught me. And also that which I've learned from you even in your death. Kobe, I've been watching you since you came out of Lower Merion High School in Philly and you were drafted by the Hornets who immediately traded you to the Lakers (I bet like a muthafucka, they STILL regretting the hell outta that one). I gotta be honest. I hated you at first. Don't get me wrong, I still loved watching the Lakers. Those battles y'all had with the Spurs and those loaded Sacramento teams. Those years were something of beauty to watch. I just didn't like you lol. But, it's like I learned, you absolutely cant hate greatness when you're looking at it. You can only appreciate it. Slowly, but surely, you won me over and now I roast the hell outta myself when I think about how I hated you all those years ago. You are only one of 2 men that have been able to win me over with your greatness, with the other being the Mad QB Titan known as Thanos Brady. The world knows him as Tom Brady. The same Tom Brady you were watching during Super Bowl 52 knowing what he was capable of and hoping that he didn't land that Hail Mary and rip the hearts out of all the Philly fans, including yourself, something which you've done multiple times also.

You taught me how to appreciate greatness. I was able to witness you put on the second greatest (THE greatest if we're asking me) scoring performance of all time. When you dropped 81 on the Toronto Raptors, that game was a thing of beauty. But I know for a fact that the game came so easy to you because of all the work that you put in prior. You were always the hardest worker in the room. No matter who was around, you were determined to outwork them. First one in the Gym and always the last to leave, that kind of work ethic is something that I've instilled in myself. It didn't matter if it was Michael Jordan or LeBron James, you were determined to outwork everyone no matter the cost. That's always been something that I've admired about you, Kobe. You've always been of the mindset that if you want it, go take it. Put in the time. Put in the effort. Put in the work. That easy.

I've admired you because you never let excuses get in the way of getting the work done. You never let an injury get in the way of winning a game unless you absolutely couldn't get back up. I couldn't help but cheer you when you tore your Achilles and came to the free throw line to shoot your 2 shots before walking off the court under your own power to the locker room. It's like you defied pain to try and take you down. You embodied my favorite proverb, "Fall down 7 times, stand up 8." Putting that philosophy with watching how you never let anything stop you because of your drive and your determination, it's something that I couldn't help but try to incorporate into my own life.

Thank you Kobe for what you did for my basketball game. You taught me so much about the intricacies of basketball. How everything is much deeper than just the Xs and Os. How you pulled different pieces from different parts of life and applied them to your own game. You never stopped trying to get better. You were always studying. Always reading. Always grinding. Always in the weight room. Always learning from different greats so you could become the ultimate competitor. Something that I also still strive to be. Something that I want to be remembered for in my own right. Every time I step on the court, all I try to do is embody that which you were. There are no friends on the court once the game starts. Everybody becomes an enemy. I'm trying to drive the stake through the hearts of every opponent I'm playing against. I'm trying to have the same Mamba Mentality that I've seen you use so many time on AND off the court. Every time I stepped on the court, I wanted to embody the very essence that was you, the Black Mamba.

Kobe, you've done wonders and made me watch in awe as you did amazing things. But, Kobe, it's who you were off the court that made me admire you the most. Sure, everybody likes to turn back to what happened in Colorado. Granted, yes, that was a low point for you and your family. You were in danger of losing them. Once you beat the case, you understood what was most important. That your family was standing by your side on the other side of it. You never lost sight of that once the dust settled and ever since then, you've been the most exemplary husband, but most importantly, you were one hell of an inspiration for being a dad, a girl dad. You loved your girls and said you would have 5 more if you could. We all saw how beautiful Natalia was becoming when she was born into the beautiful young lady she has become now. We all saw how beautiful Gianna was becoming, wanting to follow in your footsteps and carry on the legend and the legacy of what it meant to be the offspring of Kobe Bryant. Bianka and Capri are so adorable as they are growing up, and you loved every single second of it. There wasn't a time where you weren't ready to talk about how great it is to be a father and how amazing it is to be a girl dad. I want to be the kind of father that you were. I want to be all about my kids and support them no matter what it is they chose to do. I would embrace being a girl dad. As you so eloquently put it, "girls are the best!"

Kobe, I've been crying off and on this week. I've been trying to process all of this. I've tried to accept it. I cant. I don't know if I'll be able to right now. It just doesn't seem real. It's like I'm in a dream world and I'm just waiting to wake up because I just feel that this is a dream. Kobe, you've touched a lot of souls all over the world. But the way that you affected my life is something I don't think that I could find the appropriate ways to say thank you for. You've never met me or knew that I existed, but I can say that I grew up with you and that you've have had an extremely profound effect on my life. Thank you, my mentor, for everything that you instilled in me. You gave me the blueprint. I just hope that I can make you proud.

Dear Kobe Bryant, thank you. I love you. I'll miss you. Watch over your daughters and Vanessa. They're hurting without you and Gianna. It sucks that we'll never get to see Gigi terrorize the WNBA like you terrorized the NBA, but the comforting thing is, even in death, Gigi knew that her dad was protecting her no matter what. Your final act was holding your daughter in your arms to protect her at all costs, even though you knew you both would perish. That's what a dad should do. Protect until the very end.

Thank you Kobe. I hope to finally meet you on the other side...#MambaForever #MambacitaForever