From a Scrub's Standpoint

I write you today not as some sort of sports journalist but as a dad.

The news of former NBA great Kobe Bryant dying in a helicopter crash was shocking enough and impacted people, mostly basketball fans, around the globe. As a dad, as a human being really, the news the crash also cost the life of his daughter was just as crushing. Maybe more so if you’ve ever been in a car taking your daughter to one of her youth basketball games.

Kobe and his lovely daughter, Gigi Bryant, were doing just that, they were on their way to a one of her basketball games. And like many of you, certainly like me, they were also transporting a teammate and her parents, along with a couple of other people. All told nine people lost their live in that awful helicopter crash, and my prayers go out to the families of all involved.

Like you I have watched and read much about Kobe and Gigi, their death and Kobe’s career over the past hours. It’s hard not to, given the massive television coverage of the event - it was even on the Weather Channel this morning, as some sort of weather expert explained the meteorological circumstances under which the crash occurred. Regardless of the platform a lot of that coverage, the large majority of that coverage, centered around Kobe’s remarkable basketball career and his standing as one of the game’s all-time greats.

I was taking that all in when the conversation shifted, to that of Kobe as a father and his darling relationship with his daughter Gigi. They were, from what I could tell, the same person. Gigi was basically Little Mamba, on her way to being a killer basketball player. She had daddy’s looks, daddy’s shot - that impossibly perfect fadeaway jumper - and daddy’s attitude, which was basically I am here to beat you, not to be your friend. There will be time for being friends later on.

And there was, for Kobe and, what, thousands of people who could be counted as his personal friends at one level or another. And that doesn’t even count the millions around the world who were impacted by is basketball play, his approach to the game, his confidence and smooth style. At the age of 41 Kobe Bryant was certainly at the peak of his game, both as a man and as a father, not just to Gigi but to all four of his daughters, including seven-month-old Capri.

You talk about confidence and style, how about Kobe announcing on Twitter he and his wife Vanessa were going to be giving birth to another #mambacita. Mambacita, now that’s pretty great.

So with all that greatness sounding him on Sunday afternoon he was enjoying one of the great experiences in his life as a father. Something we can easily lose track of is the fact that the everyday is what makes for the greatest memories in this life, and another father-daughter trip to one of her basketball games is something that certainly falls into the category. And something that resonates with many of us dads, and daughters.

Penni and I are lucky enough to have our own lovely daughter, Jessie, and while she was growing up she fell in love with basketball, especially the NBA. Her initial interest in the game dates back to us, me and her, watching a Disney Channel series about a youth basketball team from Ohio (I remember it being Ohio, anyway) called The Hoops Stars. Jessie loved that show and what it stood for - playing basketball with her middle school-aged friends - and later that year we established her first youth team.

You know, The Hoops Stars.

Members of the Central City Hoop Stars roster included several of her classmates and they played ball together from fourth through eighth grade. Over that span the Hoop Stars played over 120 games and took dozens of road trips to make that happen. Great lifetime memories for Jess and I, and her mother, came from all that basketball and all those trips. Being the “coach” of the team meant I got to be with her in all of her practices, those road trips and games. Stuff we still talk about today, especially today, the day after Kobe and Gigi were killed while on their way to a game.

Accidental deaths happen every day to people everywhere. When it involves a celebrity it’s much bigger news, that’s how this world works, and when it involves a child the news is magnified all that much more. But at its core the loss of those two people is about a dad and a daughter on their way to the game, dying together in a terrible accident. It happens, it has happened, but this time it makes worldwide headlines because of dad’s well-earned celebrity status.

But celebrity status can’t shield you from the gut-wrenching pain that comes with a loss like that. My heart goes out to the Bryants, all while knowing some of the pain I feel is from our shared basketball experience in this life.