To: Kobe Bean Bryant
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Kobe,
I write this with an extremely heavy heart and a #24 purple and gold jersey on my back, which I’ve donned every day this week since your passing. All I’ve felt is pure aching throughout my entire being. It's common to feel sharp emotional pains through tumultuous times like these, but I'm experiencing something more akin to constant nausea along with a dull feeling of emptiness. I’m currently going through the stages of grief. Many might find that silly, considering I never knew you personally. I was, however, fortunate enough to meet you a few times while being coached at your basketball camp when I was a teenager. But my admiration for you started during my childhood, where I was able to watch you perform at the highest level of your craft while playing for the Lakers.
On a nightly basis, you kept me on my toes where I acquired an obsession with the game. Waking up on the morning of a Laker game day felt special knowing that you were going to suit up later that night. You introduced me to the excitement of basketball and kept me there, where I eventually hope to mold my own career in the fight against mental health stigmas in sports with the NBPA. Your contributions have allowed us all to grow in one way or another. I’m grateful for the experiences my family and I received through watching and appreciating you all these years. We will all collectively cherish those memories forever.
Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated
I’m so extremely thankful to have lived a life that overlapped with yours. It can’t be stated enough: you are a person who I viewed as nothing short of a superhero for as long as I can remember. You managed to counter all odds and accomplish the unthinkable when you were on the court, both through your maniacal athletic performance and your unparalleled intellect. I screamed at the top of my lungs when you scored three straight game-tying buckets against the Raptors in 2013. I bolted outside to celebrate in my front yard after seeing you hoist up those shiny Larry O'Briens in 2009 and 2010. I cried tears of pain when you tore your achilles. I cried tears of joy when you dropped 60 points in your final game.
But your extraordinary disposition and “mamba mentality” transcended the game of basketball. Your mindset became a mantra for not only myself, but friends, family, and anybody who wanted to perfect their personal craft with a sense of intense dedication. You continue to inspire my drive in competition, academics, and personal growth. But what’s hit me especially hard is how I grew to view you as a warmhearted human being beyond anything else. Following your retirement, we were fortunate enough to see a humanization of the one we devotedly call the “Black Mamba.”
As you began your new life, you shifted your obsessive drive from basketball to a newfound career of philanthropy, business investment, and storytelling. It will forever be a stain on this world that we won’t be able to see many of those projects come to fruition. But above all else, I’ll remember you as a visionary, a loving husband, and a warm and inspirational father.
Because of this, the tragic passing of yourself and your amazing 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, has been the toughest stretch of time I’ve yet to experience in my life. I’m still in a stage of shock and disbelief, but I cannot fathom the pain that the Bryant family, as well as the families of the seven remaining passengers aboard the helicopter, have been forced to endure this week. I send them all the prayers, love, and positivity as they manage the realities from this tragedy.
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Gianna Maria-Onore is a perfect reflection of your remarkable character. When I watch her play and hear of the stories surrounding her life and blossoming young athletic career, I see nearly every unprecedented quality that made you unique. But despite those similarities, Gianna seeks to make a name for herself. She is a leader and a true freedom fighter. Both on and off the court, Gianna Bryant is destined for success. I know that her amazing three sisters will carry on her grace.
This didn't have to happen, but it did. It's going to take lifetimes to accept that reality. A world without you and your daughter is a significantly worse one. It's been hard to push through. Attempting to focus on anything else is virtually impossible. Between the moments of frustration and vacantness in my heart, the tears are hard to stop. It's truly hard to go on, but it must happen. A reflection of your legacy must be applied to our lives during this horrific time. Above all else, we must remember the joy, laughter, and positivity that radiated from both of your lives.
Thank you, Kobe. Rest in paradise.
Mamba forever . . .
Love always,
Adam