One Last Cry - Kobe Bryant
Written by Alexis Watson
This one truly hit all of us differently.
Most of us never knew you past our television or our phone screens, but still, this loss feels personal because you were always there. Night after night. Game after game. Interview after interview. You were always with us. Every time you came on TV, families around the world tuned in to see the Black Mamba at work. We all would watch you make professional basketball look effortless. We would watch you as you were relentless on defense and sit in awe when you were on offense. We watched you as hope flushed through our veins, as pride lived on our faces and our minds filled with the hope of being like “Kobe.” The world sat entranced in your magic until a commercial gave us that chance to be you.
People around the world imitated you, your jumper and your explosive excitement. In households across the world, someone somewhere was shooting your fade away shot with three seconds left on their imaginary clock using only a paper ball and a trash bin; someone else was playing offense against three imaginary defenders as they shot their semi-damp sponge into their kitchen sink effortlessly while someone else, in their bedroom, used their balled-up socks to shoot an impossible three-point shot into their laundry basket while falling onto their bed and then eagerly take their fouls shots. Someone, somewhere in the world, during those commercials, would yell “KOBE” after every single shot. Once the game came back on, people across the world would rush to their seats and watch you dominate your playground.
Yelling “KOBE” after every shot, mentally gave us your powers as we adapted your Mamba mentality. So yeah, your loss has affected us all differently as everyone, everywhere in the world, is mourning and grieving in their own way. Just like always being on someone's television or phone screen, you were always at cafeteria tables when statistics were being thrown around about who is the best player, you were in locker rooms when coaches were discussing plays during halftime, you were in classroom assignments when students were asked to write about someone who inspires them and you were always in our mind when we jumped, arched our arm, released the ball and yelled “KOBE” with the hopes that just the presence of your name would make the ball fall effortlessly through the hoop. You were always with us and will continue to be with us.
For twenty years, everyone in the world sat and watched you rejoice in one of your many loves. We watched you while our aspirations to be like you grew. We watched you injury after injury become more invincible. We watched you practice after practice become more relentless. We watched you pour your life onto the court game after game becoming unstoppable. We watched you when there was nothing more you could give. Millions of people from around the world idolized you - Kobe Bryant. Millions of people around the world are at a loss - denying the reality we all suffered when we lost you and are still suffering through. Millions of people are hurt. Millions of people are devastated that not only you are gone, but a piece of your legacy as well. It hurts to re-watch your interviews where you beam with pride as you boast about your daughter, Gianna, wanting to carry on the legacy you built. This reality hurts.
This loss is personal for millions around the world even though most of us idolized you through screens. It's been a couple of weeks and we’re still in mourning; we’re still grieving. It saddens and hurts us to know that you’ve finally been laid to rest. Kobe, one of the most invincible men that we knew, one of the best NBA players to grace the world with your talents, one of the best souls to experience, thank you. Thank you for twenty years of memories, countless continued years of stories and thank you for giving us the tools to create the mamba mentality within ourselves. In the words of you, Kobe Bryant - MAMBA OUT.
Author bio:
Alexis Watson is currently working towards her Masters in Fine Arts at The New School. She specializes in creative writing for fiction. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.