Kobe Bryant and The Importance of Togetherness

Rest in peace Kobe Bryant. That still doesn’t feel like a sentence we should have to say, right? He felt like he was going to be an elder statesman for the NBA for years to come, a Bill Russell level figure handing out rings to champions of future generations. Kobe was a strong symbol of hope. As long as you had the determination to remain headstrong about your dreams, you could never truly fail. No dream is unachievable and nothing is ever truly impossible. Those are some of many strong messages Kobe’s persona gave off. The “never stop grinding” type of attitude that had all of us hoopers throwing up thousands of shots in our driveways, in the gym, or at the park for countless hours. It was the same sentiment that Nipsey Hussle preached in his music before he tragically passed last year. Nip was another death that felt like a fever dream. The thing about death is that it’s so sudden and cruel, never ceasing to take our friends, family, and idols that we love and cherish so deeply. To add insult to injury, death took away Kobe’s daughter, Gianna Bryant, in the fatal helicopter crash. It was the gut punch to the world akin to Michael Jackson’s and Prince’s. The aftermath of their deaths have brought nothing but grief and sadness to Vanessa Bryant and her family and the rest of the world. What Kobe Bryant meant to my generation, to the youth, and to the city of Los Angeles can’t be truly put…