A Sports Icon Has Died: Longtime Laker Fan Bids Goodbye to Kobe Bryant

Readers of this blog are use to my political chatter and know that I seldom stray from the topic...

but today is different.

A basketball sports legend's life was abruptly cut short.

Kobe Bryant is dead.

Killed in a helicopter crash.

I'm having a hard time putting words to my grief over this young man's life. 

I remember when Kobe entered the league as a brash teenager. 

My wife and I were impressed by his absolute confidence despite the fact he was making history by playing in the pros right out of high school.

Full disclosure: I've been a Laker fan since the team came to Los Angeles (the first West Coast team) and played their first season in 1961.

As an old school fan of the Lakers, I have my pantheon of the greats consisting of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, and too many more to mention here.

Shaquille O'Neil and Kobe Bryant entered my personal Hall of Basketball Fame recently.

I'll be straightforward here...

I'm shocked, and deeply saddened, by Kobe's abrupt death. For some reason, which I can't fully explain (I didn't even know him) his sudden demise touched me at several levels.

He was too young. Only 41. That's a man's prime. 

He was a husband and a father to four girls. One, Gianni (shown with Kobe on right), died with him in the crash.

It shakes me up to realize how fast Kobe's iconic 20-year career flew by. 

Where was I? Was it really that long ago?

I'm feeling my mortality right now.

Basketball has always made me feel young at heart. I loved playing it when I was younger, and wish my body would allow me to now... but that's another story by an old man who already misses...

Kobe 'Bean' Bryant

Rest in peace with the rest of the basketball legends in American sports lore Black Mamba!

Time for me to walk on down the road...