SPOKANE, Wash. — Kobe Bryant died on Jan. 26, 2020.
Those are words I didn't think I'd say or write for many years. He, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning near Los Angeles.
Bryant was an icon and I'm not talking only about the game of basketball.
But of course, he had all the accolades and plenty of notoriety in his playing career. As Michael Jordan's playing days dwindled, it was Kobe who rose up to be the new face of the NBA.
Over 20 years, all of which Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers, he won five NBA titles. Three of those came consecutively between 2000 and 2002. I was a kid when that happened.
I didn't truly recognize back then what a three-peat meant. I do remember yelling at the television like crazy though. I wanted Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal to win. I can vividly remember jumping up and down in my uncle's house as the Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings in the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals.
I remember all the points he scored. He was the youngest player at the time seven years ago to reach 30,000 points. There were games in which he'd just light up the scoreboard for 50 or 60 with relative ease.
The one I think everyone remembers most is when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Was he automatic that night or what? It is the second highest point total scored by an NBA player in the history of the league.
Man, was he good at basketball.
As I said though, I don't remember him for just dribbling a ball. It's how he elevated that into another platform.
His brand was global. In countries like China, he became a national icon too. Kobe was one of the great ambassadors of the game and helped grow the NBA brand to a worldwide status.
There haven't been many who promoted women's basketball like he did either. The way he touched the lives of players like Hailey Van Lith just a couple of weeks ago in Cashmere, Washington, is just one of many examples.
His determination to succeed, his work ethic and overall mentality are why people fell in love with him.
Many wanted to emulate that "Mamba Mentality." That didn't just go for sports, it was also in people's every day lives.
He inspired so many with his legacy.
I'll never forget the impact he had on my life and I'm sure you won't forget either.
We lost Kobe Bryant far too soon.