Yeah man...shyt seemed like all hell started to break loose after he passed. Almost like it was a soft warning to get ready mentally/emotionally/spiritually for what's to come. No other death of a person I didn't know has hit me a fraction of as hard as his hit me. I know so many other dudes my age (late 20s, early 30s-ish) that were legit going through it. Needing time to reflect and process...especially because of the timing w/ Lebron passing him in points and him passing with his daughter. Just felt trivial.
I often wonder, if you took his daughter & family out of the picture and asked Kobe: Kob', you'll be one of the greatest ever at your craft...one of the greatest anyone's ever been at any craft actually...and universally recognized as such. You will be an icon, hall of famer, and the closest a metro area of 19 million people will have to a beating heart because of the way you approach the game and multiple championships you bring to the city.
The catch is...you will have less than 5 years on earth after you hang your jersey up. To this day, I'm not sure he would decline being a legend.