Member-only story
Dear Kobe,
You are the greatest of all time in my eyes.
I was in 5th grade when I first learned how to play ball. During that time I also lost my dad. Being that young, I didn’t know how to deal with what just happened to our family. I needed an outlet for the pain and basketball was the answer. I was 11 years old in 1996 when I first saw and heard of you.
The 1997 Slam dunk contest was really what put me on to you. Oh My God, The in-between the legs dunk that you did. Shit, I’ve never seen anything like it before and it blew my mind! From that day on I was a fan.
After school, I would rush home and watch all the rerun laker games just to see you, whether you played or not I just wanted to see you.
Every inside stuff interview of you, every sports center highlight of you, anything and everything, as long as It had you, I watched.
I don’t know what it is, but I just gravitated to you. My affection for you was different, you’re more than a basketball player to me, you are a hero, a father, a brother, mentor, friend, and inspiration.
When I heard the news about your tragic accident, I thought it was a sick joke made…
