Without a doubt, the shocking death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the most tragic events in all of sports history.
In addition to his loving family, who obviously had to deal with it on a completely different level, there were so many people who Bryant was close to that it affected greatly as well and Jeanie Buss was among those people.
The Lakers are a family-run business and the relationship between players and ownership is unlike any other. For Buss, Kobe wasn’t just a player who wore the Purple and Gold for a long time, he was family and she has been very open about how difficult it has been to deal with his loss.
Bryant was recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and that brought about those same emotions again which Buss discussed in an interview with Jon Gold of the New York Times:
“It’s almost like having to put him away again,” she said, her voice cracking. “He’s going into the Hall, and it’s like we’re leaving him there. It’s hard. It’s hard to go through this again.”
“I guess,” she added, “you just don’t get over it.”
There is no right way to deal with the tragic loss of a loved one and no timeframe for how long it takes to get over it. No one ever truly gets over a death in that way, most just learn how to deal with it and keep going about their daily life which is what Jeanie and many others have done.
The Hall of Fame was surely tough to deal with, not just for Buss but especially for Bryant’s family as it brings back so many of the great memories that everyone has of his legendary career. The images of Kobe’s oldest daughter Natalia in his Hall of Fame jacket were enough to make anyone crack.
The legend that is Kobe Bryant will forever live on and though it may be tough at times, Jeanie Buss will make sure he is never forgotten.
Booker on what Bryant would tell him after making NBA Finals
Another way Bryant’s legacy will continue on in the league is through the players that embody what he does on the court and one player who has gotten plenty of comparisons recently is Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.
Booker has stepped his game up in the playoffs and is now in the midst of his first trip to the NBA Finals. When asked what Kobe would tell him at this stage, Booker’s answer of ‘Finish the job’ was an undoubtedly Kobe answer. There is no doubt that Booker knows what he’s talking about when it comes to talking with Kobe Bryant.
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