Many would think he had nothing to do with India, or Goa. It was
a death far away in America But as we woke up on Monday morning to the news of
the death of Kobe Bryant, possibly the biggest basketball player ever and one
of the legends of all sport in the world, we realised that neither geography
nor geo politics came in the way of the world mourning for this tragic death.
From sportsmen to statesmen, to those who simply loved sports and its heroes,
his death was truly, truly heart breaking
Kobe Bryant,
with mush argument the greatest basketball player ever and retired star of LA Lakers died in a tragic
helicopter crash on Sunday
He was 42-years-old
and regarded as one of the greatest hoopsters in the game’’s history.
Bryant, 41, and his
daughter Gianna, 13, were among the nine killed when the aircraft came down in
Calabasas.
Bryant, a five-time
NBA champion and played only for the LA Lakers through his career . The world
is mourning, like they have seldom mourned at the loss of any political leader
or celebrity. Kobe did touch many lives including those who never played
basketball and including those seldom watched it.
Goa’s basketball
loving and playing fraternity too reacted with shock and deep sorrow at his
death. And many called Herald Café, requesting us to pay a tribute because they
wanted to speak their hearts out.
This is one example
of how our readers lead our coverage and we are pleased to respond to their
call
Kobe was a
magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. His
life after basketball was just beginning and it’s been cut short. He will
always be remembered as the greatest Laker and one of the finest and most hard
working players to have stepped onto the court.
– FILIPE ALVARES, Businessman in the hospitality sector
I’ve always loved
basketball, and it’s prompted me to study coaching. One of the main reasons,
was watching Kobe Bryant play, even though I’ve never been a Lakers fan. And
one of the things that he always endorsed, was another love of mine: reading.
This is something I read that he said a while ago.
“I made a point of
reading the referee’s handbook. One of the rules I gleaned from it was that
each referee has a designated slot where he is supposed to be on the floor. If
the ball, for instance, is in place W, referees X, Y, and Z each have an area
on the court assigned to them. …When they do that, it creates dead zones,
areas on the floor where they can’t see certain things. I learned where those
zones were, and I took advantage of them. I would get away with holds, travels,
and all sorts of minor violations simply because I took the time to understand
the officials’ limitations.”
I remember when we
were in college and we were part of an in house protest, because our then
principal told us, “You can either Tendulkar or Kalam. Not both. You choose.”
This kind of approach really changed the way we thought about playing sports
and still fulfilling what our lives held in store for us. In many ways he
managed to exemplify what we need to be telling children today: there’s room to
excel at everything. You can be great on and off the court. And nothing will
help you in that endeavour more than advice like the kind that Kobe offered
– FERNANDO MONTE DA
SILVA, Licensed NBA coach
To me and any
basketball player Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of all time and
although I retired it’s a big loss to the sport and The black mamba will always
be loved and remembered
– VASQUITO ALVARES Former state basketball player and celebrity
Chef
The world has lost a
legend. Kobe was one of the greatest personalities of all time. Drafted in
1996, he strived to be the best, having broken numerous records and raking
stats in the NBA. He inspired many to work hard and proven himself off and on
the court, be it his 81 points in a single game, coming back after injury in
2013, 60 points in his final game or winning an Oscar. It’s unbelievable that
he is gone so soon but the Mamba mentality and his legacy will live on. RIP
Legend
– MYRON FERNANDES, basketball player
Kobe was an amazing
player inspite of having legends like Michael Jordan around him, he was a stand
out. He was not overshadowed by the great players. It is very unfortunate that
his life was cut short. It is even more saddening to know that his daughter
also lost her life. She was a basketball and handball player too. It is a
tragedy to lose these lives. The world has lost a legend
–
SANDEEP WARLIKAR, Sr basketball coach with Sports Authority of Goa
