We Begin Life Without Kobe
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Kobe Bryant
?For the first time since 1995, there will be an NBA with no Kobe Bryant. We watched a kid from Lower Merion High School become a 5 time World Champion, 18 time all-star, the all-time leading scorer in Los Angeles Lakers history, and a list as long as baseline to baseline of other accomplishments that leave any NBA fan in awe.
The league doesn't lack in star power. Guys like Lebron, Curry, Durant, Paul, Leonard, Westbrook and others have it's popularity at an all-time high. The story lines for the 2016-2017 season are among the best we've seen in years. The future looks bright with outstanding rookies and sophomores sprinkled throughout the league. Some are carrying small market teams that make the playoffs even more exciting every season. And in so many words, Kobe wasn't Kobe for quite some time before he dropped the mic this past April.
But there's something about starting a season without Kobe that just doesn't seem right. I was lucky enough to have grown up in the Jordan, Magic and Bird era. But while I was a kid then, I was just simply that. A kid that looked at these guys like superheroes. Kobe came at a time where I thought I was a man, but realistically I was still a kid. I understood the game by then. I became a man while watching Kobe. I grew up with Kobe. Starting a season without him has made me come to the realization we sports fans take so much for granted. We get caught up in the debate of which current player is better than this current player, or which historic player is better than a current legend. We do this year in and year out. The debate never stops. The names are just interchangeable. We're cheating ourselves. Enjoy the greatness of each of these individual phenoms. Some of you are kids watching. Just enjoy your superheroes right now. Some of you are young adults growing up with these current stars. Just enjoy the ride. Some of you are getting up there in age and may be witnessing your last crop of legends. Soak it all in. And some of you are where I am. Caught between a young adult and an old man. Just enjoy the ride. Appreciate the greatness you're witnessing from these guys. There doesn't need to be a rush to compare. Just enjoy right now while remembering the ones before them. It goes by fast. Because before you know it, some of you will be sitting outside enjoying Autumn weather as I am right now, realizing that all the debate over these players was pointless and that all the memories they leave behind are priceless.
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