24 hours later it still isn’t possible to put Kobe’s legacy into words. The news of Kobe & Gianna Bryant’s passing, along with seven others, is still shocking. I’ve been watching basketball since I can remember. It started with the end of Michael Jordan’s career as a Chicago Bull. After he retired, I didn’t have anyone to root for because the Bulls were awful. I tried the Knicks for a year because that was my dad’s team. After they loss to the Spurs, I denounced my fandom. At this time, I’d barely heard of Kobe. The only thing I knew was that he was supposed to be the next MJ. 8-year old me didn’t like that. From that day on, I decided that I had an arch-nemesis.

As a teenager I maintained my dislike for Kobe but my respect for him grew. On the court, Kobe was a maniac. He shot over double teams, dunked in traffic, and mugged at the crowd after hitting dagger shots. I hate watched him every opportunity I had. But as he got older, I began to realize that I’ll miss him. The Bulls started to be good again and I’d adopted LeBron as my favorite player so I had someone to root for. I also kept up with Kobe. He was an aging gunslinger still wanting to prove he had the quickest draw in the west.

When I heard he ruptured his achilles, I was angry because he wasn’t supposed to get hurt. He was supposed to play LeBron in the Finals just one time. I watched his press conference after the game. A reporter asked,”If anyone could get through this, it’s probably you right?” Kobe let out a huge sigh. “Shit. I was really tired, just really tired in the locker room, upset and dejected thinking about this mountain to overcome. This is a long process ya know. I wasn’t sure I could do it. Then the kids walk in and you’re like ‘I gotta set an example’. Dad’s gonna be fine.” I immediately became a fan. Not because the player I disliked the most was hurt, but because in that moment he inspired me. Kobe was the ultimate competitor and for a moment, he didn’t want the game anymore. But he knew he had to fight to get back because quitting wasn’t an option.

I thought he would struggle to find happiness after retirement. He was so consumed by basketball that I didn’t think he would find anything that would fulfill him as much. I’m so happy I was wrong. He poured into his family. He had four daughters and a lovely wife. You could see him court side with Gianna coaching her. Every interview he talked about how happy he was to spend time with his family. He talked about being proud of Gigi’s dedication to basketball and her curiosity. Being a father was more fulfilling than being a star basketball player. The game shouldn’t fully consume you because it is just a game.

In the wake of his passing, people will have a lot to say and not all of it will be good. Kobe was an imperfect basketball player and an imperfect man. It is the honorable pursuit of greatness that inspires us. The unrelenting quest to be the person that you always dreamed of being. That is what I’ll always remember. So with that, I say goodbye to the man that made me watch basketball on a deeper level than wanting my favorite team to win. As we mourn Kobe and Gigi’s death, basketball is unimportant. Growing up I used to hate this man, now I just wish he was still here.

Rest in Peace to Kobe & Gigi.