KOBE BRYANT

If only we could live our lives in sports. In the safety of sports. The safety of a game that can elicit the same kind of visceral emotions we experience in the “outside world.” But unlike the outside world it is free of the challenges that come living with capitalism, materialism and narcissism. Of the poisonous trifecta created by these three variables only capitalism is neutral in its affect on society. The metaphoric “tool” for good or bad. The many talents of Oprah Winfrey enabled her to flourish in a capitalistic society like butterflies in Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest. But there is an underbelly to capitalism. Sometimes it seeps into sports. There is nothing worse than seeing your sports hero undone by their own undoing because of the seduction of money.

But the Siren Song of capitalism, notwithstanding, sports is insulated from the harshness of life. I mean sports on the field. Or on the court -- all courts: either Laker Hot or L.A. Kings Cold. When athletes are competing against each other there is no outside world. When fans are screaming with excitement and frenzy in the Staples Center or arenas and stadiums around the globe there is no outside world. That is the insulation from our “reality” that sports provides.

The greatest social accomplishment Kobe Bryant gave the world is maintaining his childlike fascination and love for the game of basketball and for sports in general. That exuberance. That passion. It never left him. I remember seeing a clip of Kobe Bryant in attendance at the Olympics to witness Michael Phelps collect gold like an Egyptian Pharaoh. Kobe said he wanted to be there in person to witness this “cool moment.” Kobe was very aware of the impact a “cool moment” in sports can have around the world. The impact those “moments” have on fans. Kobe Bryant was a student of sports. All sports. He loved the drama of the game -- the drama of fierce, athletic competition. That’s the kind of drama that captivates children and turns them into sports fans -- creating them like Stars forming in Nebulas. The safety of that Nebulous sports womb. That is where Kobe Bryant excelled. When the outside world tried to pull him away, as it does with all great athletes -- in one direction or another -- Kobe’s focus saved him. It was all about the game. His passion for the game. His sense of fun for the game.

Kobe Bryant may well be the Patron Saint of “Children everywhere who dream of becoming Sports Heroes.” Beard or no beard Kobe Bryant had a baby face and most people will always remember the excitement and buzz when he was “that new kid who could be the next Magic or Jordan!” And Kobe really was the Chosen One who fulfilled that promise. He was living our fantasy and we lived it vicariously through him. You could tell with Kobe, more than any other player, that he was living his childhood dream. The child in Kobe never left his heart. Always smiling. He even won his Academy Award for an animated film. It was impossible not to love Kobe Bryant. He represented the joy and fun of sports like no one else has done before or ever will. There will always only be One Kobe Bryant.

Los Angeles is “the place in the West the Sun sets,” and we’re known for our beautiful sunsets. Kobe Bryant has now attached himself and immortalized himself with both. Every California sunset, from this day forward, will be a time to remember the love and happiness Kobe Bryant brought this world.