I don’t know if other areas got to see the memorial Kobe’s wife put in for her husband and daughter but it was very well done and eye opening. If you can get your hands on it, his wife’s talk was fantastic. So was Michael Jordan ‘s.
Yes, I heard about it. This will sound cold-hearted, but I’m ready to move on from the Kobe talk. People have been calling sports radio saying they can’t stop crying. Really? I liked his game and was glad the Lakers won those titles, but I shed no tears. When a rich person dies doing rich people things like flying helicopters or a private plane (Roy Halladay), you have to admit that they are taking a risk by doing the activity.
I do feel bad for his wife and remaining kids and loved ones. But as far as everyone pretty much deifying Kobe (media, athletes, rappers, Hollywood liberals, etc), I’m just not on board.
Yeh I feel bad for everyone involved including Kobe-but it’s the same as the 4 adults in my ward killed in a small plane crash leaving 6 orphaned kids-it’s all tragic
Oh, that’s so sad. Our society is so star-driven. That might be part of our society moving farther away from Christ. People want someone to admire and aspire to be like, but they get confused on who that should be.
I do feel bad about Kobe Bryant thing but why all these still going on?
We live in a fragile world imagine an astroid crashing into your home? When I heard about Kobe and some details what happened to him and while all those medius there is no need for that
Ya, that’s pretty cold. I think people should step back and reason out what the world would be like without successful people that give back to their communities as he has and was getting started with.
Thy helicopter pilot had a job flying people around because enough people had enough money to need his expertise. And all the people in the helicopter that weren’t rich that he was giving them a lift. You don’t feel for them either. This is a form of coveting when we look down on people who have money. They are people too. A dad with millions who was coaching his daughter’s team. A dad who just texted the GM of the Lakers to see if he could help a young girl in the helicopter connections to play softball for a college team minutes before the crash happened. (The girl died in the crash along with mom and dad).
You should listen to his wife’s talk. Maybe you would get a different perspective. Listen to Jordan’s talk and you might get a different prospective. It was a very Memorial for someone who gave a lot to please others (fans). You might look at all the other basketball players from other teams that were there. Bill Russell who wore Kobe’s number the game before (lakers vs Celtic). Reality is that these rich people are just children of God too. They cry real tears as well. Forgiveness is something some people learn and some people it comes natural. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Your reply is such a crock and you should be ashamed. Nobody is denying the tragedy. Terrible things happen to people all of the time. Famous people, and just common ordinary people and it is all the same-tragic. I wonder if it happened to Allen Iverson, if you would approach it differently. In reality it is tragic for anyone
Allen Iverson didn’t have the same impact on a community. However, I’m sure there would be lots of people including stars at his funeral. It would be just as sad especially under the same circumstances where he’s coaching his daughter and others on board. It’s the idea where we preach forgiveness but don’t let people be forgiven. That’s the crock.
I said I felt bad for Kobe’s family and loved ones. My comment wasn’t meant to be rude or dismissive of the good Kobe has done. It was more of an observation about how the sky is apparently falling for all these people because of the tragic death of a gifted athlete who was born into wealth and opportunity and made the most of some great athletic genes.
That’s much better. We’ve mostly agreed with topics. What was very interesting was no mention of politics or racial stuff was mentioned. Even with Jimmy Kimhall was the master of ceremonies.
Jordan mentioned how in their first game that they played together Kobe kept asking Jordan how he could improve his jump shot. Jordan then called Kobe his little brother. Competitors doesn’t mean there can be no helping each other.
Actually that is incorrect, he has had a large impact with a lot of youth on the streets in New York, Philadelphia areas with his programs and donations from his charity “Choose Life Foundation”.
You are unaware of it because it is not in California.
Then they can have their tribute if the same thing befalls him. It hasn’t so why are we talking about Iverson?
During the memorial, the coach of the women’s team at UCONN said that while he and his daughter were visiting UCONN (that’s where she wanted to go to school) said a picture was being taken with Gigi and the women’s team. Koby stepped back an out of the picture. People think Kobe as a narcissist but he wasn’t. He was simply the most intense player of all time. That’s just one example of a non-narcissist. He loves his family and they knew it. As his wife put it and others, his family was his first team. Something he learned and developed as he got older as is wife said. She did say that before his last game that he told her he didn’t know if he could physically play that last game knowing he was going to play most of the 48 minutes. She was the one that got him to believe he could. And what did he do? 60 points and come from behind to beat the Utah Jazz! 
Jordan, Iverson, Jabbar and many other greats weren’t able to do at the end. They went out with a whimper.
Anyways, people close to him saw how he bettered himself as a person over time. That’s what we are all supposed to do and never give up. Endure to the end. It’s just really sad that his daughter didn’t have a chance at her dreams. But, as his wife said, God wanted to bring them both home together.
It was tragic that Kobey died young, but no more tragic than the deaths of the others on the helicopter. People die everyday. Good humble people starve to death in 3rd world countries, are murdered, and die of disease due to the inability to get medical care. It is no more tragic when a celebrity dies than a pauper. All are God’s children and he doesn’t love one more than the other.
When we get to the other side our wealth, celebrity, and so forth won’t be worth anything. The only thing that will count is what we did with our lives considering the circumstances we dealt with in mortality. Paupers and billionaires will be on equal footing at the judgment because you can’t buy eternal life. I can’t judge Kobey Bryant or anybody else regarding the what they did with their lives.
The speakers didn’t forget the others who have died. They were consistently mentioned. A very appropriate memorial put together by Koby’s wife.
Of course every life is important. But not every life impacts the same number of people. It’s what a person with great influence and wealth does to help others. Or if they don’t do anything like many. Koby had established foundations and was working on more too. What I know is we can’t cover what the rich have and judge them.
My only point is that everybody will receive justice based on what they did with what they were given.and God doesn’t value Kobey Bryant any more than he values some humble devout poor person whose sacrifice is great in terms of what they can afford to give in comparison to what Kobey Bryant could afford to give. It is the principle taught in the story of the “Widows Mite”.
“It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Sort of equals things out in the end…
I feel that way too much attention was paid to Koby. Sure he could dribble and shoot but he was human with frailties. Entertainers are overvalued in our shallow world.
Not in LA. Hollywood went to the games to see him perform for 20 years on the NBA stage. How many NBA players stay with the same team for their careers anymore? Like, none. At least the stars. He was the face of LA athletics for 20 years.
As far as his sins, “he who is without sin cast the first stone?” He did what was asked of him in court, the victim and in the public. You weren’t the victim. Besides the woman who he paid the restitution she was speaking for, his wife and kids were also the victims. They received what ever restitution he gave them and they forgave him. I think the way he paid attention to his children and wife, especially after retirement, he still felt he had to continue with restitution the rest of his life. He was giving back to his community as well. Doing good things and good to others. If we can forgive the former dirtbag, the Apostle Paul, why not any man or woman who faulters? Why do we hold grudges? Let it go. His family has and God will be the final judge.
Just think what remarkable contributions are made by scientists and doctors without much acclaim or compensation. Playing with a ball and earning tens of millions hardly compares.
Does it really matter what one does as long as they give back and help others. He didn’t become a scientist or whatever. His skills were in athletics. Are you going to now belittle all athletes who chose athletics as their profession? All coaches and players who used their fortune and fame to bless others?