A bright spot amidst these tough times: Kobe Bryant in the HOF

[MoodyBlues]

It's been a hard time for this planet recently, made worse by the untimely deaths just weeks ago of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

It was no secret that he would be inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame, at his first eligibility, but today it became official.

His widow...that still sounds so odd...Vanessa, and their oldest child, Natalia, spoke online about this final, crowning achievement of his phenomenal basketball career.

As a lifelong, real Lakers fan, who watched in awe as a 17-year-old kid turned into, as my favorite Laker, Magic Johnson said, the greatest Laker of all time, this little glimmer of light makes me very happy. But it doesn't erase reality...

 

[ocnbrze]

i was just going to post this in my kobe tribute thread. i am so glad that the nba is doing this. i just wish they wait out this pandemic so that we can have a real ceremony to honor him.

 

[no one]

I was never into the sport, but there was no doubt he would make it.

 

[MoodyBlues]

i was just going to post this in my kobe tribute thread. i am so glad that the nba is doing this. i just wish they wait out this pandemic so that we can have a real ceremony to honor him.

Don't worry, they're going to have a real ceremony.

It's slated now for August--but subject to change, I'm sure. We don't know yet who will speak on Kobe's behalf, but I'm sure Vanessa will be involved.

I've been thinking about her and their [remaining] three kids a lot lately. I'm really not sure why. I keep thinking of how sad it is that the baby, only 7 months old when they died, will have no memories whatsoever of her dad and big sister. I'm sure she'll be shown lots of videos of her in Kobe's arms, him feeding her, changing her diaper, playing with her...but that's just not the same.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Today, the WNBA made Gianna Bryant, and the two friends who died with her,
honorary draftees during their draft:

"These athletes represented the future of the WNBA," Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner said in a video posted to social media. "Players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game and exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years. They represented the next generation of stars in our league, maybe what would have become the ‘Mambacita Generation.'"

Engelbert also honored the late Kobe Bryant, who she said was a devoted youth coach who had a tremendous impact on countless young players.

“I met Kobe last fall, and after he left our office I remember thinking that his passion for the WNBA and girls basketball was unparalleled from anyone else I had ever met,” she said.

...just so sad...

 

[ocnbrze]

...just so sad...

yeah 2020 is turning to be such a bad year all around. it is funny (well not really) how when that copter crashed, the city of LA came together as one. now we all have to live apart.....just tragic