#GirlDad & The Mamba Mentality
Kobe Bryant. Mamba Mentality. Inspirational stuff. Take a look back at the impact the legendary icon, Kobe Bryant had on CJ Johnson. The #girldad legacy continues to live on…
“Its Day 4543233 of 2020. Shit. What a year. It’s only April and I’m already over 2020. For a lot of us, this year became questionable that tragic day Kobe Bryant died. Firstly, let me explain to you why so many of us Angelenos were touched by the death of Kobe Bryant to put it into full context for you. If you live outside of L.A. you may know Kobe Bryant as an iconic basketball player and the next coming of Jordan. Or maybe you knew him as a selfish ball hog whose career and life has an asterisk next to it for a rape allegation in Colorado. In L.A. he was a hero. He gave back to our community in so many ways, respecting all cultures, and walks of life. He helped so many people in different ways I don’t even know where to begin.
If you’re my age then you grew up watching him doing things that absolutely blew your mind. That Mamba Mentality alone is enough to inspire you to clench your teeth and achieve whatever goal you want by any means necessary. He was the ultimate finisher. I’ve been lucky enough to witness some of his most iconic games in person at the Staples Center. He was awe-inspiring to me. Kobe was also a successful family man. A loving husband and father to a clan of girls. Only those closest to me would know but, he was on my short list of heroes. When I think about what I always wanted in life and discussed my dreams of the future with my ex-wife. We talked a lot about moving to Malibu, living in a big house in a private neighborhood (why not go to the one where Kobe lives?), taking private helicopter rides, etc. In my eyes, Kobe was the pinnacle of success. I was with some of my closest friends, a die-hard Laker fan and someone I was watching the most game with when we heard the news.
It went like this… We were instantly heartbroken. He was in tears. I was in tears. The timing of everything just felt wrong. Just the night before, Kobe “passed the torch to Lebron James”. Now, gone. How? Why? A helicopter crash. Shit. I hope it wasn’t some drug-related binger or he was cheating on his wife. Holy shit. He wasn’t flying. Other people were on board. Rick Fox too? Wait. No Rick Fox. What’s the deal? Wait… one of Kobe’s daughters? Oh God please no that’s horrible. What a shitty viral rumor. Impossible. Oh, God… it’s one of his daughters. Family friends too. They were on their way to basketball practice… I was stunned. Gutted, to be honest.
With everything happening in the world… my aunt passed away the next day, a long term client cut ties the week after followed soon by a break up soon to follow, then COVID-19. But it’s the death of Kobe that still hurts a lot. I wonder at times if it’s because when he died a piece of my story or fantasy died too. We wouldn’t be neighbors. I wouldn’t get a chance to shake his hand or introduce his family to my own. Maybe it was deeper than that? Maybe I needed to let go of something and when he died that thing I was holding onto died with him. I’m not sure. Maybe it was a bit of everything.
There was a silver lining in it all. I held my daughter closer the day he died. I slowed things down with her more. My daughter always had my attention and love but, since that day I would be lying if I said she didn’t get more of me since then. The night Kobe died I remember watching my daughter sleep. Her six-year-old body is bigger than the precious little baby I remember. I would never be able to cradle her in my arms. Nope. But, I would be able to laugh with her for a little longer. Hug her tighter. Tell her how proud I am to be her dad. Kiss her little cheeks. I’m a proud #girldad I thought to myself and I’ll be sure to tell her that every moment I get with her from that day forth.
See my tweet here and other touching #GirlDad tweets on various news outlets:
