Mamba Forever

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do.”

It’s impossible to put into words what we’re feeling with the knowledge of Kobe Bryant’s passing. We never met Kobe. Lcid saw him once when he visited the Philippines. We only ever watched him on TV.

Yet he affected our lives in more ways than we can say.

He was the beginning of our friendship and closeness. He was the common ground between us. His dedication and determination were things we tried to emulate in our lives. He was our inspiration.

It was more than the 5 NBA Championships, 1 MVP Award, 18 All-Star appearances, 1 Oscar Award. It was how he approached the game, and his life after the game. He put a premium on hard work, on doing everything you can to achieve a goal. He taught us to love the process of getting better.

Every time he stepped on the basketball court, he was must-watch TV. He understood that whoever was out there could be inspired by the things he was doing. In whatever he did, he gave his all because it was more than just the game to him. He knew we were all watching him, waiting to see something spectacular. Everything he sacrificed for the game of basketball was his love letter to us, to inspire us to dedicate all of ourselves to our craft.

To know that you died at 41 with your 13-year-old daughter in your arms is heart-wrenching. It’s devastating. There is nothing we can say to even begin to describe how the world feels as you fell from the sky. We lost our hero.

Thank you, Kobe.

Thank you for the 33,643 points.

Thank you for the 5 rings.

Thank you for the life you lived.

Thank you for inspiring the millions of us who are proud Kobe fans.

We never met you, Kobe. But we loved you like an older brother. And we weep as if we lost family.

You were the greatest, Kobe.

Rest in Paradise.