On a gusty December evening in 2008, seventh-grader Christian Newborn entered the safe hands of Capitol One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C. Beaming with excitement, he arrived hours before the 7 p.m. tipoff between the Lakers and Wizards. Not only was Christian about to experience his first NBA game: he was about to see an icon in Kobe Bryant.
Kobe, who earned MVP the previous season, came out of the locker room to warm up an hour before any other player. Christian was fascinated watching him work on the little things. He had watched Kobe play since the 2001 NBA Finals. It felt like a dream to see the basketball legend in person.
Kobe would go on to score 23 points, including a 12-foot shot and two game-winning free throws, making the Lakers 16-2. Inside Capitol One Arena, more than 2,500 miles from Los Angeles, “MVP” chants rained down from the stands. The same season, Kobe went on to lead the Lakers to an NBA Finals victory, also winning Finals MVP. He would go on to accrue both of those achievements again the following season.
“What hurts the most is I never got to meet him,” EMU senior Christian Newborn said on Monday. “If I could’ve just have a 30-minute conversation with him…”
For Christian and many others, it felt like the world stopped turning on Sunday afternoon.
At 2:32 p.m, TMZ, an entertainment tabloid, was the first to tell the world—in a tweet—that NBA legend Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash. The pure weight and shock behind the news threw the social media platform into a state of chaos.
The 19 minutes it took for ESPN to confirm the news felt like an eternity as fans clung to hope that TMZ made a huge mistake.
But it was true. Kobe Bryant, one of the most talented and influential stars in NBA history, was dead at 41. Media reports began conflicting on the number of casualties as first responders dug through the horrifying scene in the fogged hills of Calabasas, CA. The world would soon learn Gianna Bryant, Kobe’s 13-year old daughter, and seven others were also killed in the crash.
It’s hard to understate the impact Kobe Bryant had in his 41 years of life. Athletes and fans everywhere are crushed. Tributes started pouring in from every corner of the world. From the United States to China, from Paris to Moscow, millions of people—men, women, kids, parents, grandparents, athletes, non-athletes, students, teachers, doctors, plumbers, accountants, politicians, and taxi drivers—lost a life-long inspiration in Kobe Bryant.
EMU students were personally impacted by the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant. The Weather Vane spoke with students this week who agreed to share their reactions to Kobe’s tragic death, their memories of his career, and ways that Kobe impacted them.
Sammy Thomas was at home on Sunday afternoon. Things were normal. His mom was cooking, and his sister was playing with her cat. When he saw the news from TMZ, the first thing he felt was confusion. Confusion soon turned into disbelief, and disbelief turned into shock. Somewhere between eight and ten years old, Sammy met Kobe while on vacation with his family in California. He and his dad were in their parked car outside a grocery store when they spotted him. Of course, they followed him inside, where Kobe would give Sammy an autograph and pose for a picture.
A former basketball player himself, Sammy watched YouTube videos of Kobe’s fadeaway to learn from his techniques. “Everyone grew up wanting to be like Kobe,” he said. “He inspired people to pick up a basketball.” He has four or five pairs of Kobe shoes.
Dion Harwood and Cere Sawyer are both new members of the EMU men’s basketball team. Dion was in Yoder Arena playing basketball when he found out. “All I could do was sit there,” he said. He said Kobe felt like family and that it hurts to lose him. Cere’s old jersey number was 24 because of Kobe. Cere was always mesmerized by Kobe and would study his defense. Cere “just wanted to go to the gym” when he found out.
Casey Hertzler was picking up his brother at a rec center in Harrisonburg when he found out through a group chat message. He thought it was “some sort of joke.” Casey remembers Kobe’s already-legendary status in the mid-2000s and vividly remembers the 81-point game. He noted the outpouring reactions from the sports world and from friends on social media. “[Kobe] inspired just about everybody,” Casey said. One of Casey’s old high school teachers posted on Facebook that she would cancel her classes on Monday, dedicating class time to studying Kobe’s poem, “Dear Basketball.”
Kei Grey didn’t believe the TMZ tweet. Kobe was someone Kei looked up to; a mentor. He learned from the relentlessness and the fearless mentality Kobe brought to the court every game. Also a big fan of Allen Iverson, Kei remembers the Kobe-AI matchup in the 2001 NBA Finals, specifically Kobe’s 31-point performance in Game 2. Kobe taught Kei that every day you’re alive is a happy day.
Jared Bergman was in Hartzler Library on Sunday afternoon. When he saw TMZ’s tweet, he didn’t believe it. After reports confirmed, he still didn’t want to believe it. Jared drew from Kobe’s intensity and competitiveness, and he said he’ll never forget Kobe’s 60-point final game.
“Insane” and “surreal” are words Coleman Briguglio used to describe the moment he found out. Recognizing Kobe as the obvious focus right now, Coleman hopes people can also grieve, remember and hold space for the other eight members on the helicopter. He remembers how everyone growing up used to yell “Kobe” when throwing things away.
Justin Odom also reflected on the “Kobe” shots he and his friends would take growing up. Only if you were fully confident, though, would you yell “Kobe,” Justin said. He remembers friends would bite their shirts in celebration like Kobe did. Justin’s best memory of Kobe was watching him in the Olympics, where he was “just better than everyone skill-wise.”
Alex Mondestin didn’t watch Kobe growing up, but he was inspired by how much he gave back to his community, including with the foundation of the Mamba Sports Academy for young kids.
Kendra Oguamena said Kobe’s death helped her recognize and appreciate the impact that Kobe had on women in basketball.
Rest in peace Kobe, Gianni, John, Kerri, Alyssa, Christina, Ara, Sarah, and Payton.
