Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Trigger Warning: This is a tribute piece for Kobe Bryant and the lives lost in the helicopter accident in Calabasas on Jan. 26. Though Kobe touched multiple lives and influenced countless people globally, his death has stirred mixed emotions from those who have been sexually assaulted or affected by the allegation/case against Kobe Bryant. This piece is to share the positives of his life and the ripple effect his efforts towards basketball and sports in general have made.

At some point in our lives we’ve all thrown a piece of trash away and shouted, “KOBE!” Today, this holds an entirely new meaning. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the world lost nine souls too early — from a hero, to a daughter who was on her way to shaping the future of women’s basketball and two of her teammates, their parents, a baseball coach and “the Mother of Defense,” — a coach for the Mamba Academy. 

Though many of us never knew him, he touched the lives and hearts of people across the globe. Kobe is an inspiration to athletes in any sport, students at any school, the young and the old. He shared his success with his family, his team and his fans, never holding back. Kobe made a name for himself and a repertoire that will go down in history. He uplifted the youth, created an after-school program that encouraged boys and girls to set goals for themselves and have the trust to achieve them. His support for women’s athletics, not only in basketball, reached beyond the stars and pushed many to follow their desires and dreams. 

Turning 24 just won’t be the same anymore.

Here’s to the impact those young future WNBA players could have created, to the inspiring words from the coaches, to the pilot and his efforts in trying to keep the passengers safe, to the parents and what they had planned to teach and build, to a mother and daughter, to Gigi who had her life ahead of her, and to Kobe — a basketball star that made other stars shine brighter.

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu