Kobe Bryant’s tragic death on Sunday may have happened thousands of miles away, but the loss of the NBA legend has had a huge impact to many of us in the Delta, especially to young basketball players who grew up revering the basketball icon.
Some people may scoff at the idea of giving such a tribute to someone who was just an athlete. After all, there is no way to know exactly who someone is without knowing them on a personal level. Why should we make so much of someone who was just able to put a ball through a hoop at an exceptional level?
But, I tend to think that Stan Lee, the creator of the Marvel Comics, had it right when he said the “world needs heroes”. Life, for all of us, is a continuing struggle to be the best that we can be.
For many people, watching an incredible athlete like Kobe overcome his obstacles, both on and off the court, shows us that we can overcome adversity in our lives as well.
So, it is only natural that when someone, like Kobe, who has been such an inspiration to so many of us, passes away in such a tragic way that the outpouring of love for him flows throughout every corner of our country, and indeed the world.
This admiration and sorrow for Kobe’s loss is felt throughout the Delta as well.
Delmar Sprouse, the coach of the Greenville High School boys basketball team, said he could sense a certain sadness during his team’s practice Monday as his players tried to process the loss of one of their biggest role models.
“Kobe’s loss made them realize that life is short, and that nobody is promised tomorrow,” Coach Sprouse said.
Even though Coach Sprouse’s players were too young to witness the bulk of Kobe’s career, he was still one of their favorites.
“You would think that they would try to emulate a younger player, but most of the time whenever they were practicing a shot they would call out Kobe’s name. It just shows what a huge impact he made not just to the game of basketball but to the whole world,” the Greenville coach said.
At O’Bannon High School, head coach Torrione Carter said there was also a somber feeling at his team’s practice Monday. Coach Carter said he plans on doing a tribute to Kobe during his team’s next home game on Friday.
“It is a big loss to everybody. I am a year older than him. I was pretty much in shock all day Sunday. The impact Kobe made was big. Even after retiring from basketball, he was impacting the world.”
At St. Joseph Catholic School, basketball players have also been moved by the passing of Kobe.
“It was really difficult for a lot of them, and we said a prayer for Kobe and his family before practice,” Coach James Hunter said.
Coach Hunter also related to the players a story he saw about how Kobe went to mass and received Communion with his daughter Sunday before the accident.
“Since we are a Catholic school, it was important for the players to know that Kobe was a Catholic and was devoted to his faith,” Coach Hunter said.
Coach Hunter’s story is just another example of the incredible impact that Kobe made to so many people. His was a life, indeed, worth celebrating.
David W. Healy is the sports editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com.
