As the Sports World mourns an NBA legend, many speak of Kobe's greatness beyond the court; some of which I was unaware of. Back when I watched the NBA as a Detroit Pistons fan, I recall the young and up coming mega basketball star Kobe Bryant. As a Detroit fan, he quickly made me sick, and just the mere mention of his name would generate a groan and an eye roll from me, but that was because he was an AWESOME player! There was no disrespect on my part toward him as a basketball player, or a human being.
It was nothing more than a strong spirited competitiveness, and any real sports fan will understand that. I knew that it was all just a competitive spirit, because when I saw the devastating news of Kobe's tragic death come across on my phone, I felt this horrible lump in my throat; that of which I still haven't been able to swallow.
I agree with what the many Sports Announcers said, that Kobe's death is more than just about basketball and the accolades; he was a father and husband first. Too many people are quick to judge people on things they have done, or haven't done when someone passes away, and I'm no one to take that away from people; because I've done the same.
I will also respect that people have opinions about the not so good times in one's life. Again, I won't try to take someone's right to free speech away; however, I would like for people to THINK before they speak ill of the dead. I began seeing some appalling remarks literally minutes after his death was confirmed! Because this man had the life of a celebrity, it wasn't all good; celebrities are human and have real pain as the rest of us. People seem to forget that just because people; celebrities in general, are publicly accused of something negative, and just because it's in social media or on the news, that it must be true! NOT ALWAYS!! A person's sudden death is not the time to bring up bad memories and hurtful accusations about them, because they are gone, but worse yet, it matters to those who loved them; please think about that! Words stay with people, sometimes forever; words are that powerful, so again, I implore all of you to please think about his kids and choose your words carefully; they don't deserve to read about anyone's hate towards their daddy. To do so is cruel and heartbreaking.
My first instinct was to attack those who used a horrible and tragic loss to bring up old accusations that were never really proven, but then I decided that I would be no better than those who thought it was ok to throw stones during someone else's pain; a pain that is unimaginable. So again, I beg people, PLEASE be careful, and think about how you would want to be treated during such an unimaginable time. We're all free to feel how we want, but many times it should be kept to ourselves, or at least kept amongst those that won't be devastated by your words of hate.
Kobe Bryant touched many lives in many different ways; I have heard the word "special" when describing him over and over, since the news of his tragic death hit, and those words were said with such love and admiration. I've stepped away from watching the NBA years ago, for reasons I don't even know; I think I simply grew from it, but I knew enough to know what players and teams were being followed. But I also knew that Kobe was certainly a legend, and definitely one of the best, if not the best to have ever played the game.
Most importantly, he was openly excited about his life after retirement and his role of being a father, and how he would help his children realize their dreams; that's what I admire the most about him. Kobe achieved what he set out to do as a basketball star, and he did a lot of "giving back", but he was working on the next chapter of his life, and he did it with much grace and happiness; with his wife and children.
Jeff and I send much love and prayers to Kobe Bryant's family and friends, and to all the families and friends of the 7 other people who lost their lives in the crash. Though we may not be aware of their names, we pray for and grieve for them just as much.
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