Mamba

I write this from the ground. A place I have always been. A place I may always be. And what a place it is.

Kobe Bryant was always among the stars. He was not a perfect man, but even through his faults--an alleged sexual assault, questionable relationships with previous teammates, etc.--he flew higher than most. The Spiderman to Shaq's Super Man. The Yin to LA's Yang.

Off the court, Kobe was JAG (just a guy), but a guy who cared dearly about his family, his friends, and all those close to him. He was philanthropic. He was caring. He was mortal.

On the court, Kobe was a super hero and a monster at the same time. He was a teammate. He was resilient. He was immortal.

His death has made all of us that watched his life over the years feel like we're falling. A dream we can't wake up from. A disaster we can't undo. We're stuck. Somewhere between the mortal beings we are in reality and immortal beings we thought we were when Kobe was still alive. He made us feel the way he carried himself on the court. Unstoppable and indestructible.

And for those of us with kids: He taught us how to be better parents. The photos and videos with Gigi, his other daughters, and his wife tell a story of a man whom knew only of love and respect.

His interviews on late night television depict a man of grace, of humor, and one with an undying personal motivation to be better. With that, I must acknowledge his faults more clearly: If Kobe did, in fact, hurt someone when he was younger--sexually or otherwise--I have seen no evidence to suggest he did not grow to become a better, more wholesome individual. I have seen no evidence to suggest that the moment or moments defined him as a person. He should neither be exonerated nor indicted, but rather recognized as a person with flaws who rose above all of it. He not only changed the game of basketball, but he changed the game of humanity.

Too often we chastise one poor decision. Kobe is evidence that super heroes can be flawed. Kobe is evidence that great people make better of their mistakes. And all evidence suggests that Kobe was exactly that: Great.

While those that knew him less than us might disagree, I will continue to look up to Kobe. I will continue to learn from his life through his triumphs, through his mistakes, through his philanthropy, and through the vendetta he always had against the man he was yesterday.

In his honor, I'll be fighting to get off the ground.

- PitH