JAYFORCE

I found out at work, working overtime, when my boss announced to the room: “This is going to be sad news for basketball fans. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash just a few hours ago…”

She said some other stuff after that. I wasn’t really pay attention. I really wasn’t even trying to ‘confirm’ the story (my brother BoneBreaker Jones did moments later, with a “No-noooo-nooooo, man! RIP Kobe“). I was just numb for a bit, and I was not going to try to ‘snap out of it.’ This loss is WAY more than a ‘hit to the basketball world’…

Think about a multi-lingual Black kid that goes to prom with Brandy, a teen R&B idol of his and millions of fans…who goes to the NBA as a teen and becomes a multi-million dollar superstar, all-star, champion, Olympic gold medal winner…embroiled in extra-marital scandal, beefing with one of the greatest impact players in NBA history (Shaq)…who knuckled down and got back to winning on- and off-court, saving a marriage and staying with his wife, having four daughters, finding ‘new careers’ after NBA retirement – coaching his girl’s ball team and giving motivational speeches (to Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide among others, because champions NEED to FEED on the energy of champions) AND winning an Academy Award (yeah, an Oscar!)…

Look. Kobe Bryant was just 41, and he managed to squeeze in more life in half a lifetime than many of us will if we get to live twice as long. And I could go on, but nah. I’m done. I’m not even a basketball fan like that, but I am done AND undone at the same DAMN time. Give me a long minute. Past a moment of silence. Because, among other reasons, his daughter Gigi was on that helicopter.

Dammit.

May Kobe, his baby Gigi, and the other three passengers on that fateful flight, Rest In Peace.

NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter were among five people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Bryant was 41.
– ESPN

MORE: KOBE BRYANT, DAUGHTER GIANNA DIE IN HELICOPTER CRASH (ESPN)

– @ojones1

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