If you had seen Kobe Bryant, you would not have recognized the scowl was gone.

Frowns were gone.

So was the cerebral, guarded responses normally reserved for those who may have felt he needed to talk.

Thio still wanted to keep it bay.

Yeah, he'd become a bit personable over the years.

Without question.

Had you seen Kobe on this night, you would not have recognized.

I'm so happy, bro.

I say I'm so happy.

It wasn't difficult to imagine why, at age 37 get retired following 20 illustrious years in the NBA.

Wait, Captain.

Five.

NBA championships Repeat.

18 All Star appearances.

12.

All MBA Honest two Olympic gold medals.

One scoring title.

Well beyond his wildest dreams on the kind of global notoriety normally reserved for individuals with the letters M J.

Before he turned 40 he won an Oscar, was best animated short film their basketball, and as a further situation was needed, the world would come to know him as the ultimate girl Dad breaking down the game.

I love this all those times, seeing him with his lovely wife, Vanessa, and his beautiful daughters were captivated people.

Most was seeing him courtside with his daughter, Gianna.

She was the one he considered most like in She was a ball.

She wanted to be a booth one who descend in years to come or willing and anxious contributor extender to the legacy of Kobe Bryant.

Oh, she could ball Stephen A.

She's going to UConn.

Stephen A.

She's gonna be in all American Stephen A.

She's going to the w N B a.

You'll see way all waited way.

Fantasized we marveled in in mind at the man who accomplished so much, but even more at the man so committed to giving the world so much more blessed with a beautiful daughter hell bent on doing the same.

It is because of those realities.

And even today, nearly one year after a helicopter crash last January 26 took the lives of both these wonderful human beings and seven others, way still weak, we shake our heads incredulously, despondently, still struggling with the reality that the year 2021 is here now, filled with chaos and turmoil, no doubt but rife with even mawr new beginnings on beautiful possibilities.

Yet there is no Kobe Bryant.

In the end, all we can remember are the tears shed by Michael Jordan and Shaquille O Neal speaking volumes for us all because it speaks to all of us.

It speaks for all of us.

We still miss you, Kobe Bryant gone, but never forgot it.

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