One of the most honest stories I’ve read about Kobe in the past day… And you were able to write it respectfully. We don’t have to pretend he was a saint or the most likeable player to mourn his tragic death, revere his greatness, and acknowledge his growth as a man. I was never a “Kobe with the Lakers” fan either. But you had to respect him. His talent commanded it. I had become a “Kobe after retirement” fan, however, like you. This, his daughter and the whole thing is unfathomably sad.