Kobe and Gigi Bryant Memorial Thread (RIP)

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

Wonder how Z-Bo and his family are doing, he said on the Knuckleheads podcast that his daughter & Gigi were teammates on Kobe's team.

But on another note, as much as I try to occupy my mind on other things, I can't get this situation out of my mind. I think I took Kobe for granted, for the lack of a better phrase. And by that I mean I just assumed he'd be around for another 30-40 years sitting courtside at games, at All-Star Weekend, the HOF ceremonies, etc. just like Russell, Oscar, Kareem, etc.. With the exception of Pistol Pete, this isn't really something that's common in basketball. Even those like Wilt & Moses who passed they at least lived to their 60s. And hearing all these stories from so many players about how they kept in contact with him, this is such a major blow.

Drazen petrovic @Majestyx

 

[Whips-n-Chains]

Wonder how Z-Bo and his family are doing, he said on the Knuckleheads podcast that his daughter & Gigi were teammates on Kobe's team.

But on another note, as much as I try to occupy my mind on other things, I can't get this situation out of my mind. I think I took Kobe for granted, for the lack of a better phrase. And by that I mean I just assumed he'd be around for another 30-40 years sitting courtside at games, at All-Star Weekend, the HOF ceremonies, etc. just like Russell, Oscar, Kareem, etc.. With the exception of Pistol Pete, this isn't really something that's common in basketball. Even those like Wilt & Moses who passed they at least lived to their 60s. And hearing all these stories from so many players about how they kept in contact with him, this is such a major blow.

it be like that with death man...I just don’t have the words. We really do just take everything for granted until the person is just taken from us...then we get struck with the regret and guilt and sadness and grief.

all I’ve felt like doing is sleeping tbh...been trying to count my blessings and stay active.

 

[hashmander]

One thing starting to bug me is these people trying to compete with the other families.

it was an all around tragedy... we all have acknowledged that. Those 2 other girls were GiGi’s friends and teammates. We feel sad about them as well...


But it’s almost to the point that some “others” are upset because Kobe and his daughter are receiving more attention... especially Kobe.

im like well the reason why is because Kobe has been the center of attention for over 20 years... people have grown up emulating him, hating him, wanting to be him, etc. he has an emotional attachment to millions of people. His family has an emotional attachment to millions people.

nobody is trying to forget about the other families or compete. We know who Kobe and his kid were, we really don’t know the other people so all we can do is pay respects but don’t expect the same coverage

what those people need to realize is if kobe and his daughter weren't on that chopper, it wouldn't get 1/100th of the attention. it would be mentioned as at tragedy on local news and maybe national because 7 people dying in a chopper makes the news. but people who don't know them would move on quickly like they do with every other accident. there wouldn't be any lengthy threads on the coli or anywhere else. when planes go down with hundreds on board twitter isn't talking about the people individually, it's about who is at fault and then everyone moves on.

they need to get over themselves. yes some people get more attention than others. that's life.

 

[cartierhoe]

That entire Draymond interview was one of my favorites

you could tell he didn’t want to talk about it at first but the media being the clowns they are pressed him into talking about it and he said some good stuff

I loved how he said in him and Kobe's talk he said if Kobe say fukk everybody then it's fukk everybody. The part when Kobe said "99 percent of people are satisfied with mediocrity so they won't understand". That just epitomizes who Kobe was man

 

[LezJepzin]

Rachel Nichols trying to bring up what happened in Colorado on the Jump

 

[DjMe]

Wasn’t a big Kobe fan but this shyt hurts, not even 100% sure why. Think it’s mainly cause it feels like it was avoidable to a degree. It’s still so damn surreal, I’m trying to avoid thinking about it but it’s hard to escape with everyone talking about it.

But something I’ll never forget and what won me over with Kobe after years of being indifferent was during the 2011 Semis where the Lakers played the Mavs. A few Lakers were doing lame shyt towards the end of the last game cause they were upset about losing and Kobe was a true professional, he did none of that shyt and after losing congratulated the Mavs on winning, that display of sportsmanship was beautiful.

We all like to think our life has "meaning", but few stop to think what that word means. In my opinion, and what I've learned in my time here, is that the "meaning" we're searching for is akin to a story. We want a satisfying narrative: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Essentially, we want to believe that everything we do has purpose, that it fits in to a bigger plan, that there is a reason for the things that we do, and that happen to us.

So what's Kobe's story to us, before his passing? Well, the beginning was no doubt the high school stardom straight to the pros. #8 rocking a fro, taking Brandy to the prom, and taking the league by storm. He came in to the league a star, and he got traded to LA--it's like the world knew he was destined to be a star so let's put him on the biggest stage. And he didn't disappoint! The obstacle, or antagonist, that he overcame in that time was his own hype, and winning 3 championships so quick, back to back to back, solidified him as a megastar. Act 1 was an absolute pleasure to watch.

Then, the next act: Shaq was run out of town, the Lakers fell on hard time, Kobe was "selfish". But even in being selfish, he was the GOAT: 81 damn points on his own. It's probably my favorite Kobe memory. He was just something else that 05-06 season. I'm not gonna lie to you and say I saw that game, cause I didn't, but when I woke up in the morning I still remember reading the news, and my jaw was on the floor even though I was smiling ear to ear. He was just that fukkin good. But anyways, he overcame all that--and the notion that no one would want to play with him again. And he didn't need a damn super team to do it with, just a big goofy Euro in the paint and some (at best!) role players beside him, and he won 2 more damn titles. A second act that turned a lot of haters into begrudging believers. The antagonist he overcame then? Millions of doubters and his own inner demons. And he did it spectacularly. I like his second act more than his first.

Now, on to act 3: The end of his basketball career. Maybe no more titles, but he was a mentor to the NBA youth. And his farewell performance was legendary--the best of all time, just like everything else he did. And he embraced the elder statesman role, not just for alphas in the NBA, but for BALL. Women's hoops, the WNBA, his daughter's team, the Mamba mentality... all that. He was becoming an ambassador, and he wasn't even in the hall of fame yet. This was starting to feel not like the END of his story, but maybe the beefy middle of a very rich narrative that could span decades.

And it was taken from him, and from all of us. His story wasn't done being written. THAT'S what hurts. He was still moving, he was still growing. He was still doing the lord's work and what his mission was here. And I'm not arrogant enough to pretend to know the will of the creator, but look how many lives he touched with his passing. It's like, the ultimate ambassador work. Bro--no lie, I'm looking at women's hoops different. I'm not going to watch it, don't get me wrong, but maybe I don't clown it so much anymore because it's people like KOBE'S daughter out there balling, and they love the game just like we do.

You know, MiJo was the man for me growing up. But people only feel comfortable clowning him with those smileys and his apparel and all that because it's like he stopped growing. I don't mean that to slander him, but he seems content to treat "retirement" as the last chapter. He might have ownership stake and make GM decisions, but he's still surly, he still thinks of himself as baller MJ, not elder statesman MJ. He's not attacking post-NBA life with the same vigor that Kobe was. Kobe won a damn Oscar. Kobe was out there DOING WORK. We didn't know what was next, but he could have coached, maybe he could have coached his daughter in the WNBA and won 10 straight titles or some wild shyt like that, we'll just never know because God called him home and God gets to write the story. But it's hard as fukk knowing the ending of his story, because he had enough accomplishments and enough energy to do so much more for the next 50 years but God was like save some energy for paradise breh, I got lots of work for you to do here.

Kobe's in a better place, and our lives are all better for the place he had in ours, but fukk if this won't hurt for a long time. This material existence is HARD, and when you can watch someone transcend it for so long with such ease, you realize your place in it means nothing when we can all be taken out of it on a whim.

God bless you all, it's a quick ride, and the pain is temporary.

 

[Deep_Black_Conscious]

Rachel Nichols trying to bring up what happened in Colorado on the Jump

hasn't she done this multiple times now?

 

[Ashyneezz]

Dang that makes it even more real. On some "unfortunately that's kobe alright"

 

[Majestyx]

Drazen petrovic @Majestyx

Drazen (PBUH) a lot of dudes werent around for him and reggie lewis and bobby phills. damn bobby phills was almost 20yrs ago

 

[O.T.I.S.]

Rachel Nichols trying to bring up what happened in Colorado on the Jump

This bytch lowkey been getting on my nerves past 2 days

its like she’s enjoying this shyt because she’s getting attention for talking about Kobe non-stop..

interviewing T-Mac and Jerry West with a half laugh/smile on her face. While these dudes are in tears...

 

[MikelArteta]

Kobe Bryant's grieving wife, Vanessa, is trying her very best to be strong for her three daughters after the deaths of her husband and their 13-year-old, Gianna.

The NBA legend and Vanessa married in April 2001 when he was 22 and she was 18.

Together they have four children: Gianna, 13, who was killed alongside her father, Natalia, 17, three-year-old Bianka, and seven-month-old Capri.

'It's an extremely difficult and devastating time for Vanessa and the whole family,' a source told People.

Another insider said Vanessa is completely 'devastated' and can 'hardly keep it together'.

'She can't finish a sentence without crying. But she is working very hard to pull it together for the other girls. She now has to be the strong one.'

According to People, the insider said that 'despite their ups and downs, [Vanessa and Kobe] were soulmates'.

'She thought of him as her partner for life.'

The source said Vanessa is surrounded 'by people who love her and love Kobe'.


'She has a good support system. She is relying on her faith. She is not alone. But she will be grieving this for a very long time.'

 

[Deep_Black_Conscious]

This bytch lowkey been getting on my nerves past 2 days

its like she’s enjoying this shyt because she’s getting attention for talking about Kobe non-stop..

interviewing T-Mac and Jerry West with a half laugh/smile on her face. While these dudes are in tears...

the bytch is a demon

 

[Urbanmiracle]

what those people need to realize is if kobe and his daughter weren't on that chopper, it wouldn't get 1/100th of the attention. it would be mentioned as at tragedy on local news and maybe national because 7 people dying in a chopper makes the news. but people who don't know them would move on quickly like they do with every other accident. there wouldn't be any lengthy threads on the coli or anywhere else. when planes go down with hundreds on board twitter isn't talking about the people individually, it's about who is at fault and then everyone moves on.

they need to get over themselves. yes some people get more attention than others. that's life.

my friend on Facebook is trying to be one of these militant people about it. I told him relax, this isn’t a soapbox to cry to the heavens. Before Sunday you didn’t even know those people existed. So stop acting like you there for them to be clever or different. Everyone wanna be intelligent without actually being intelligent

 

[reserved_one]

I just been thinking about how great Gigi could've been if she would've lived on. In terms of her skills, was a young prodigy and with more time, she could've been WNBA's first transcendent superstar. No disrespect to the stars in the league but Gigi was the one that was gonna raise the bar and bring more eyes onto the product like never seen before.

She would've lived up to the hype and pressure for sure. Would've won titles, had that Nike consign, signature shoe, etc smh.

I just hate that we'll never get to see it.

 

[Deep_Black_Conscious]

I just been thinking about how great Gigi could've been if she would've lived on. In terms of her skills, was a young prodigy and with more time, she could've been WNBA's first transcendent superstar. No disrespect to the stars in the league but Gigi was the one that was gonna raise the bar and bring more eyes onto the product like never seen before.

She would've lived up to the hype and pressure.

I just hate that we'll never get to see it.

if I'm being honest, I don't care for the WNBA and find it boring to watch
But I would have watched Gigi play no doubt