Another Kobe Bryant post on this blog. It’s Kobe’s birthday today, so of course I just had to do this. I’ve already talked about how much Kobe means to me in previous posts. I don’t know what else is there to say. And yet here we are. It’s been about seven months since he, along with his daughter Gigi, and 9 other individuals, was taken from this world in a tragic helicopter crash. Seven months. Over half a year has passed and it still doesn’t feel real.
On the day of Kobe’s passing (early morning of January 27, 2020 Philippine time), I wanted to write a eulogy for him — as parallel to the thank you letter I wrote when he retired. I just couldn’t finish it. It hurt so bad that I knew what I was feeling then, I didn’t know how to put them in words.
Fast forward to the Coronapocalypse, I’d watch a ton of random basketball videos to tide me over during the quarantine since the NBA season was postponed. Every single one of those videos would lead me to a Kobe highlight or a Kobe memory. Add to the mix testimonials and anecdotes by Kobe’s peers, rivals, and mentors. Every single one of them made me tear up. Grown ass man crying over a dude he never knew personally. I’m not ashamed to admit this, and I never will.
Since I started idolizing him at age 8 or so, Kobe The Stranger has influenced my mindset more than some of the people in my daily life. Obviously, the biggest of these is #MambaMentality, which I still employ whenever things don’t go the way I’d like today (especially during the Coronapocalypse). This influence in my life is exactly why I will never stop getting affected whenever something reminds me of him. I’m sure this is how it is with every other Kobe/Lakers fan in the world. I just feels like you lost a friend.
Happy birthday, Kob! It still sucks really, really hard knowing you’re not here with us anymore. You would’ve been super stoked watching LeBron, A.D., Kuz, and the rest of the Lakers finally play another playoff game again after seven years of drought. They’re going to wear the Black Mamba jerseys in your honor if they advance past the First Round. I’m rooting for them to make you, proud.
I hope you and Gigi are always balling. #MambaAndMambacitaForever
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