WEBVTT - Kobe Bryant, Remembered

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<v Speaker 1>This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,

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<v Speaker 1>the show where America is the star and the American people.

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<v Speaker 1>Up next, you're going to be hearing stories about the

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<v Speaker 1>late great Kobe Bryant. He died in a tragic helicopter

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<v Speaker 1>crash along with his daughter, and we're sharing with you

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<v Speaker 1>eulogies from his memorial service in February of twenty twenty.

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<v Speaker 1>He broke all kinds of records, third in the history

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<v Speaker 1>of the NBA in scoring until Lebron James passed him.

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<v Speaker 1>Also five NBA championships. Very few players have managed that. Also,

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<v Speaker 1>there's his fall from grace, real life problems with his

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<v Speaker 1>marriage on top of that, very public problems, and his

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<v Speaker 1>eventual redemption. We're going to share with you some of

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<v Speaker 1>the eulogies from that day of his memorial service back

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty twenty. First up is Sabrina and Unescu and

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<v Speaker 1>she was at the time a star player at the

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<v Speaker 1>University of Oregon. She ended up becoming a mentor to

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<v Speaker 1>Kobe's daughter Gianna otherwise known as Jiji. And Bryant, well,

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<v Speaker 1>he was Sabrina's mentor. Let's take a listen to Sabrina

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<v Speaker 1>and Unescu.

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<v Speaker 2>Growing up, I only knew one way to play the

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<v Speaker 2>game of basketball, fierce, with obsessive focus. I was unapologetically competitive.

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<v Speaker 2>I wanted to be the best. I love the work

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<v Speaker 2>even when it was hard, especially if it was hard.

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<v Speaker 2>I knew I was different, that my drive was different.

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<v Speaker 2>I grew up watching Kobe Bryant game after game, ring

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<v Speaker 2>after ring, living his greatness without apology. I wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>be just like him, to love every part of the competition,

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<v Speaker 2>to be the first to show up, in the last

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<v Speaker 2>to leave, to love the grind, to be your best

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<v Speaker 2>when you don't feel your best, and make other people

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<v Speaker 2>around you the best version of themselves. And to wake

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<v Speaker 2>up and do it again the next day. That's what

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<v Speaker 2>I did, wake up, grind and get better. A year ago,

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<v Speaker 2>my team Oregon was playing at usc The morning of

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<v Speaker 2>the game, our coaches told us that there was a

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<v Speaker 2>surprise for the day. I was thinking Nike sent us

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<v Speaker 2>some new shoes or swag or something. Kobe walks in

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<v Speaker 2>with his daughter, Gianna and two of her teammates. They

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<v Speaker 2>sat courtside while my jaw sat dropped, and that was

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<v Speaker 2>the first.

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<v Speaker 3>Time I met Kobe.

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<v Speaker 2>Kobe, Gigi and her teammates came into the locker room

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<v Speaker 2>after the game. He congratulated us on the wind, but said,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'll never forget. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot.

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<v Speaker 2>He met, don't settle. The national championship wasn't far and

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<v Speaker 2>our goal was to win it all. I remember Gigi

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<v Speaker 2>excited and smiling in the locker room. I'd always watch

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<v Speaker 2>a ton of film of her playing basketball. She had

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<v Speaker 2>a fade away better than mine. I asked her where

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<v Speaker 2>she wanted to play ball in college, and she said Yukon.

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<v Speaker 2>She had the will and determination to be able to

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<v Speaker 2>play wherever she wanted. She and her teammates hung out

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<v Speaker 2>with us for a while, starstrucked in a little shy,

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<v Speaker 2>but always observing whichever school she would come to choose.

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<v Speaker 2>It didn't matter if I represented the present of the

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<v Speaker 2>women's game. Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it.

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<v Speaker 2>So we decided to build the future together. I worked

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<v Speaker 2>out twice with Gigi over the summer. I'd gone down

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<v Speaker 2>to help Kobe coach his team. Gigi had so much

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<v Speaker 2>of her dad's skill set. You could tell the amount

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<v Speaker 2>of hours they spent in the gym practicing her moves.

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<v Speaker 2>She smiled all the time, but when it was game time,

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<v Speaker 2>she was ready to kill. I remember one time someone

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<v Speaker 2>grabbed her jersey and she sort of just knocked him

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<v Speaker 2>down and then stepped right over him. Me and Kobe

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<v Speaker 2>looked at each other, smiling, and he goes, I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know where she learned that from. I laughed and said,

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<v Speaker 2>I do. You can't teach that, and definitely not at

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<v Speaker 2>her age. Kobe was right, she had it. She always

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to learn to go to every game she could college, NBA, WNBA.

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<v Speaker 2>Kobe was helping worth that because he saw it in her,

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<v Speaker 2>just like he saw in me. His vision for others

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<v Speaker 2>is always bigger than what they imagine for themselves. His

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<v Speaker 2>vision for me was way bigger than my own. More importantly,

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<v Speaker 2>he didn't just show up in my life and leave.

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<v Speaker 3>He stayed.

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<v Speaker 2>We kept in touch, always texting, calls, game visits. I'd

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<v Speaker 2>drop a triple double and have a text from him,

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<v Speaker 2>A noble triple double I see with a fleximoji. Another game,

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<v Speaker 2>another text, YO, beast mode or easy money. He taught

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<v Speaker 2>me his step back. He told me that if I

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<v Speaker 2>could bring that to my game, it'd be over Fanny

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<v Speaker 2>Defender trying to guard me. He was giving me the

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<v Speaker 2>blueprint he was given Gigi the same blueprint. He made

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<v Speaker 2>it so that the outsiders who at worked everyone else,

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<v Speaker 2>who were driven to be just a little bit different

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<v Speaker 2>every single day, to make those around them, behind them

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<v Speaker 2>and above them a little bit better every single day.

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<v Speaker 2>I wanted to be a part of the generation that

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<v Speaker 2>changed basketball for Gigi and her teammates were being born

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<v Speaker 2>female didn't mean being born behind where greatness wasn't divided

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<v Speaker 2>by j You have too much to give to say silent.

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<v Speaker 3>That's what he.

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<v Speaker 2>Lived through Gigi, through me, through his investment in women's basketball.

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<v Speaker 2>That was his next great act. A girl dad. Basketball

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<v Speaker 2>in many ways was just a metaphor. I still text

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<v Speaker 2>them even though he's not here. The last one I

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<v Speaker 2>sent him said, I miss you. May you rest in peace,

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<v Speaker 2>my dear friend. The texts go through, but no response.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes I find myself still waiting. It's so strange to

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<v Speaker 2>describe him or Gigi in the past tense. You don't

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<v Speaker 2>get used to that. The week after the accident, I

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<v Speaker 2>was in Colorado. I had a game, and like I

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<v Speaker 2>do before every game, I prayed. This time I was

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<v Speaker 2>thinking about Kobe and Gigi. His voice is still in

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<v Speaker 2>my head, even if his body is not on this earth,

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<v Speaker 2>And all I wanted was a sign that in some

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<v Speaker 2>way he still heard me too. I looked off into

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<v Speaker 2>the sky and there it was a beautiful golden sunset,

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<v Speaker 2>the boldest yellow lakers yellow, and further in the distance,

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<v Speaker 2>a helico. There was my sign that he will forever

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<v Speaker 2>be with me. The last line from one of his books,

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<v Speaker 2>walk until the darkness is a memory, and you become

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<v Speaker 2>the sun on the next traveler's horizon. I ask each

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<v Speaker 2>of you, every girl, dad, every human here with a voice,

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<v Speaker 2>a platform and a heart, to not let his son

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<v Speaker 2>set shine for us, for our sport, where he once

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<v Speaker 2>did invest in us with the same passion and drive

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<v Speaker 2>and respect and love as he did his own daughter.

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<v Speaker 2>In the end, she was a sun just starting to rise,

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<v Speaker 2>and God did she glow. May their light forever shine.

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<v Speaker 2>Kobe and Gigi. I love you forever, Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>And you've been listening to Sabrina ian Escu, And what

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<v Speaker 1>a story she tells. She says, I wake up, I grind,

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<v Speaker 1>I get better. That might as well have been Kobe

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<v Speaker 1>Bryant's life motto too. And my goodness. His last and

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<v Speaker 1>ultimate role was sabrine and nailed. He was a girl.

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<v Speaker 1>Dad is next great act basketball a mere metaphor when

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<v Speaker 1>we come back more of the remarkable eulogies delivered on

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<v Speaker 1>Kobe Bryant's behalf Here on Our American Stories, liehbib here,

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<v Speaker 1>the host of our American Stories. Every day on this show,

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<v Speaker 1>we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country, stories

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<v Speaker 1>from our big cities and small towns. But we truly

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<v Speaker 1>can't do the show without you. Our stories are free

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<v Speaker 1>to listen to, but they're not free to make. If

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<v Speaker 1>you love what you hear, go to Ouramerican Stories dot

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<v Speaker 1>com and click the donate button. Give a little, give

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<v Speaker 1>a lot. Go to Ouramerican Stories dot com and give.

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<v Speaker 1>And we returned to our American Stories and our look

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<v Speaker 1>back at basketball legend Kobe Bryant's memorial service. And often

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<v Speaker 1>there's no better way to get to know who a

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<v Speaker 1>person was by the nature and quality of the eulogies

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<v Speaker 1>delivered on their behalf. Earlier, we heard from a great

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<v Speaker 1>college ballplayer, Sabrina Yunescu, and this next speaker is another

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<v Speaker 1>powerful one who was a remarkable player as well. Dianna Trazi,

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<v Speaker 1>by the way, a three time NCAA and w NBA champion.

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<v Speaker 4>In nineteen ninety six, I was a lanky, awkward freshman

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<v Speaker 4>in high school, obsessively shooting night after night in my driveway.

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<v Speaker 4>On the nights the Lakers played, I would miss a

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<v Speaker 4>second of the game. Every time out, every commercial, I

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<v Speaker 4>run to the front yard to imitate my favorite Laker, Kobe.

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<v Speaker 4>On a few lucky occasions, my dad would come home

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<v Speaker 4>from work. He was a metal sheet worker in Los Angeles,

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<v Speaker 4>and he'd come home.

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<v Speaker 3>With Laker tickets.

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<v Speaker 4>Watching Kobe play at the Great Western Form as a

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<v Speaker 4>rookie made this little girl believe she could be a

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<v Speaker 4>Laker one day. It was like getting to know myself

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<v Speaker 4>every single day. He made it okay to play with

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<v Speaker 4>an edge that borderlined crazy early on St.

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<v Speaker 3>Mama.

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<v Speaker 4>Mentality was in full effect. Years later, when I spent

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<v Speaker 4>time with Kobe at the two thousand and eight Olympics,

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<v Speaker 4>I learned firsthand that it just wasn't limited to the

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<v Speaker 4>basketball court. His competitive fire ran through his veins, just

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<v Speaker 4>like many of us today. Every single workout I end

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<v Speaker 4>the same way with the Kobe game winner. Three hard

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<v Speaker 4>dribbles going right, left foot plant, pivot, swing right, leg through, elevate, square.

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<v Speaker 3>Up, follow through, five in a row, and I got

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<v Speaker 3>to go home.

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<v Speaker 4>It's that exact same shot that won us a championship

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<v Speaker 4>in Phoenix in twenty fourteen. Kobe's willingness to do the

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<v Speaker 4>hard work and make the sacrifice every single day inspired

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<v Speaker 4>me and resonated with the city of Los Angeles. We

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<v Speaker 4>struggled together, we grew together, we celebrated victories together. The

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<v Speaker 4>same passion we all recognized in Kobe obviously inherited. Her

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<v Speaker 4>skill was undeniable at an early age. I mean, who

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<v Speaker 4>has a turnaray fadeaway jumper at eleven? Lebron barely got

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<v Speaker 4>it today, But it was her curiosity about the game

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<v Speaker 4>that was pushing her to pick up the basketball every

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<v Speaker 4>single day. Gigi was in the midst of the best

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<v Speaker 4>times as a basketball player's career. No responsibilities, no expectations,

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<v Speaker 4>just basketball with your best friends. Every weekend was a

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<v Speaker 4>new adventure, an opportunity to learn how to work and

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<v Speaker 4>grow together as a unit. As a young kid, there's

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<v Speaker 4>nothing you looked forward to more than long hut summer

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<v Speaker 4>days in the gym with your homies. The same way

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<v Speaker 4>Kobe inspired a generation of basketball players. Gigian turned Kobe's

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<v Speaker 4>interest in coaching and teaching the game. I'm sure I'm

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<v Speaker 4>at the only one who received the text from Kobe

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<v Speaker 4>asking what drills they were doing when they were thirteen. GG,

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<v Speaker 4>in many ways represents the future of women's basketball, a

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<v Speaker 4>future where a young woman aspires to play in the

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<v Speaker 4>WNBA the same way I wanted to be a Laker.

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<v Speaker 4>GG already had goals to play for Yukon that inhself

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<v Speaker 4>showed her fearless mentality. She represents a time where a

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<v Speaker 4>young girl doesn't need permission to play. Her skill would

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<v Speaker 4>command respect. The last time I saw Gigi, the mamas

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<v Speaker 4>were in Phoenix for a big AU tournament. Kobe brought

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<v Speaker 4>them to the locker room to watch practice. I always

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<v Speaker 4>remember the look on Gig's face. It was a look

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<v Speaker 4>of excitement, a look of belonging, a look of fierce determination.

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<v Speaker 4>As a daughter, a sister, wife and mother. There we

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<v Speaker 4>embrace Vanessa, Natalia Bianca and Capri. We promised to carry

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<v Speaker 4>Gigi's legacy. Kobe Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Nukam.

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<v Speaker 3>When Mucho.

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<v Speaker 1>And you were listening to Diana Tarasi and that Yukon

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<v Speaker 1>Star and Yukon well the dominant NCAA power in women's

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<v Speaker 1>college basketball. And that's where Kobe's daughter wanted to go.

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<v Speaker 1>And Kobe well, he told her the sky is the limit,

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<v Speaker 1>and he got her to know that program, and got

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<v Speaker 1>her to know the coach of that program, the great

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<v Speaker 1>Geno Ariama. And what what interested Gino is that Kobe

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<v Speaker 1>Bryant had talked to him often, not about how to

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<v Speaker 1>become a great player. That Kobe was now in a

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<v Speaker 1>new role as a dad and as a husband and father,

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<v Speaker 1>and that was the role of coach. And is anyone

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<v Speaker 1>who's ever watched Kobe knows or knows about him, knows

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<v Speaker 1>he wasn't always the most coachable athlete. Let's hear Gino.

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<v Speaker 5>How ironic that he would talk to me about coaching.

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<v Speaker 5>The uncoachable one wants to talk about coaching. Probably the

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<v Speaker 5>most uncoachable player in the NBA during his career wants

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<v Speaker 5>to know about coaching. And I wanted to know why

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<v Speaker 5>he said, I'm coaching my daughter's team. I said, oh

0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:38.640
<v Speaker 5>my god, that poor kid. So when I watched highlights

0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:43.320
<v Speaker 5>of her playing and on about the third or fourth

0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:47.240
<v Speaker 5>time she touched the ball, Jianna passed it when she

0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:52.000
<v Speaker 5>was open. I thought, she's not listening to her father.

0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:02.960
<v Speaker 5>So he would call and say, what kind of defensive

0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:06.280
<v Speaker 5>drills should I do? We have practice tonight, We're going

0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:08.040
<v Speaker 5>to work on defense. What do you think is the

0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:09.920
<v Speaker 5>most important thing in teaching?

0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:10.120
<v Speaker 6>Man?

0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:14.560
<v Speaker 5>The man further proof he never listened to one word

0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:18.360
<v Speaker 5>any of his coaches told him. So I try to

0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.000
<v Speaker 5>explain them, I said, Kobe, they're thirteen years old. I

0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.440
<v Speaker 5>think you ought to just say, hey, you know, see

0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:25.440
<v Speaker 5>the kid with the ball, try not to let her

0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.600
<v Speaker 5>go by you, and see if you're guarding the other

0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:29.680
<v Speaker 5>guys hate see the kid with the ball over there,

0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:31.600
<v Speaker 5>don't let her throw the ball to your guy. Keep

0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:35.880
<v Speaker 5>it kind of simple, you know. He said, No, I

0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.040
<v Speaker 5>want to know, like, what are the rotations when they drive?

0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.360
<v Speaker 5>I said, come on, come on, come on. So these

0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:46.720
<v Speaker 5>are the conversations that we have, both as basketball people

0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:50.640
<v Speaker 5>and as dads who have ever coached their kids. If

0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.080
<v Speaker 5>you've ever been in that situation, like a lot of

0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:57.440
<v Speaker 5>people here in this room probably have been. And I

0:15:57.480 --> 0:16:00.840
<v Speaker 5>remember when Gigi came, as you saw on that video,

0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.400
<v Speaker 5>she came to the very first game that she came to,

0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:09.800
<v Speaker 5>and she came into the locker room and here she is,

0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:16.360
<v Speaker 5>and the look on her face, the smile, the way

0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:21.480
<v Speaker 5>her eyes just took everything in, how excited she was

0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:23.160
<v Speaker 5>to be around in.

0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:24.840
<v Speaker 3>Her mind, royalty.

0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:31.760
<v Speaker 5>It's ironic her father's royalty, and she's excited to be

0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.720
<v Speaker 5>around royalty that looks just like what she wants to be.

0:16:37.640 --> 0:16:40.080
<v Speaker 5>And the most impressive thing about that point in time

0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.720
<v Speaker 5>was how Kobe stepped as far back as he could

0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:48.480
<v Speaker 5>so anyone taking pictures, anyone there would not know that

0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:52.720
<v Speaker 5>this was Kobe Bryan's daughter. This was her moment, This

0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.880
<v Speaker 5>is where her time to shine. This was her time

0:16:55.960 --> 0:17:00.160
<v Speaker 5>to experience all the things that he's experienced his whole life.

0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:06.080
<v Speaker 5>He was being dad, he wasn't being Kobe Bryant, and

0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:10.800
<v Speaker 5>he was allowing gg to be gg, not Kobe Bryant's daughter.

0:17:11.800 --> 0:17:13.399
<v Speaker 5>In today's day and age, that's a hell of a

0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:14.760
<v Speaker 5>thing for parents to be able to do.

0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:21.439
<v Speaker 1>More Kobe Bryant's stories. We're hearing some of the eulogies.

0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:25.560
<v Speaker 1>It was a remarkable memorial service in twenty twenty. More

0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:29.840
<v Speaker 1>Kobe Bryant's stories when we return here on our American stories,

0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.560
<v Speaker 1>and we returned to our American stories and our look

0:18:16.600 --> 0:18:20.440
<v Speaker 1>back at Kobe Bryant's memorial service. And these stories, boy,

0:18:20.480 --> 0:18:24.679
<v Speaker 1>they're worth replaying, repeating, and retelling. As most people know

0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:28.520
<v Speaker 1>the basketball accolades, they don't know the life he lived

0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:33.720
<v Speaker 1>and how he redeemed himself after some terrible, terrible missteps

0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:36.800
<v Speaker 1>with his wife and his family. You've heard a lot

0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:39.560
<v Speaker 1>about fatherhood over this broadcast. You're about to hear a

0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:44.280
<v Speaker 1>little bit about Kobe the husband. Up next is Kobe's widow,

0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:46.000
<v Speaker 1>Vanessa Bryant.

0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:48.600
<v Speaker 7>He isn't going to be here to drop Bianca Capri

0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:53.040
<v Speaker 7>off at pre k or kindergarten. He isn't going to

0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:54.600
<v Speaker 7>be here to tell me to get a grip V

0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:59.200
<v Speaker 7>when we have to leave the kindergarten classroom, or show

0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:03.959
<v Speaker 7>up to our daughter's doctor's visits for my own moral support.

0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.240
<v Speaker 7>He isn't going to be able to walk our girls

0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:08.400
<v Speaker 7>down the aisle or spin me around on the dance

0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:12.280
<v Speaker 7>floor while singing p YT to me. But I want

0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:15.720
<v Speaker 7>my daughters to know and remember the amazing person husband

0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:19.399
<v Speaker 7>and father. He was the kind of man that wanted

0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:22.400
<v Speaker 7>to teach the future generations to be better and keep

0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:26.840
<v Speaker 7>them from making his own mistakes. He always liked working

0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:30.919
<v Speaker 7>and doing projects to improve kids' lives. He taught us

0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:34.359
<v Speaker 7>all valuable lessons about life and sports through his NBA career,

0:19:35.000 --> 0:19:39.359
<v Speaker 7>his books, his show Detail, and his Punies podcast series,

0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:42.720
<v Speaker 7>and were so thankful he let those lessons and stories

0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.400
<v Speaker 7>behind for us. He was thoughtful and wrote the best

0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:49.920
<v Speaker 7>love letters and cards. And Gigi had his wonderful ability

0:19:49.960 --> 0:19:53.080
<v Speaker 7>to express her feelings into paper and make you feel

0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:56.760
<v Speaker 7>her love through her words. She was thoughtful like him.

0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:02.600
<v Speaker 7>They were so easy to love. Everyone naturally gravitated towards them.

0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:09.080
<v Speaker 7>They were funny, happy, silly, and they loved life. They

0:20:09.080 --> 0:20:15.639
<v Speaker 7>were so full of joy and adventure. God knew they

0:20:15.680 --> 0:20:22.879
<v Speaker 7>couldn't be on this earth without each other. He had

0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:29.880
<v Speaker 7>to bring them home to Heaven together. Babe, you take

0:20:29.920 --> 0:20:34.119
<v Speaker 7>care of our Chi Chi and I got Nanny Baby

0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:39.760
<v Speaker 7>and Coco. We're still the best team. We love and

0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:44.480
<v Speaker 7>miss you Boo Boo and Chee Chee. May you both

0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:47.800
<v Speaker 7>rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we

0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:51.480
<v Speaker 7>meet again one day. We love you both and miss

0:20:51.560 --> 0:20:53.880
<v Speaker 7>you forever and always.

0:20:55.400 --> 0:21:01.160
<v Speaker 1>Mommy, And there was almost nothing to say, and what

0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:04.920
<v Speaker 1>class and what beauty. And we have to remember there

0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:07.480
<v Speaker 1>was a time in Kobe's life where he hit bottom.

0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:11.200
<v Speaker 1>There were sexual assault charges, a lot of people, probably

0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:13.840
<v Speaker 1>in her years, saying dump him, what did he do?

0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:18.120
<v Speaker 1>The charges were dropped and Kobe had to rehabilitate himself,

0:21:18.160 --> 0:21:20.760
<v Speaker 1>not just in front of a few people, but the

0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:24.399
<v Speaker 1>whole world. And his wife hung in there and they

0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:27.600
<v Speaker 1>had a life together. There was forgiveness, and there was

0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:31.080
<v Speaker 1>clearly redemption. He came to the NBA when he was

0:21:31.119 --> 0:21:34.520
<v Speaker 1>seventeen years old. His parents had to sign his contract.

0:21:34.880 --> 0:21:38.000
<v Speaker 1>He wasn't old enough, came right out of high school.

0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:41.880
<v Speaker 1>And by the way, part of that redemption was playing

0:21:42.160 --> 0:21:45.880
<v Speaker 1>with the Redeemed Team under Mike Shryzhewsky, which I wrote

0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:48.560
<v Speaker 1>about in a piece in Newsweek. He had been a

0:21:48.600 --> 0:21:52.520
<v Speaker 1>young guy, got a lot of attention, but ultimately became

0:21:52.640 --> 0:21:56.120
<v Speaker 1>the villain in his own story. He'd run Shaquille O'Neill

0:21:56.200 --> 0:21:58.359
<v Speaker 1>off the team, He'd run Phil Jackson off the team,

0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:00.880
<v Speaker 1>and then he'd almost run his own own family into

0:22:00.880 --> 0:22:04.080
<v Speaker 1>the ground. But to watch a man come back and

0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:07.800
<v Speaker 1>fix it and heal it and grow and get better,

0:22:08.520 --> 0:22:12.240
<v Speaker 1>we all watch this. And he once wrote about this,

0:22:12.359 --> 0:22:14.679
<v Speaker 1>actually because he was a remarkable writer, and here's what

0:22:14.760 --> 0:22:17.920
<v Speaker 1>he wrote about it as he was retiring. No hero

0:22:18.080 --> 0:22:22.520
<v Speaker 1>is perfect and no villain is completely void of heroic intentions.

0:22:22.960 --> 0:22:24.080
<v Speaker 3>We all live.

0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:27.080
<v Speaker 1>As both, he wrote on his website on the day

0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:30.400
<v Speaker 1>he retired. What sets the good ones apart is how

0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:34.400
<v Speaker 1>they use their inner villain to create something epic and beautiful.

0:22:35.160 --> 0:22:38.840
<v Speaker 1>It's living as a hero villain. The hero villain channels

0:22:38.880 --> 0:22:42.720
<v Speaker 1>fear of rejection, anger, self doubt and turns it all

0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:47.960
<v Speaker 1>into strength and courage and power and determination and love.

0:22:49.560 --> 0:22:52.240
<v Speaker 1>And those are words of a guy who also, in

0:22:52.359 --> 0:22:55.679
<v Speaker 1>his last act here on this earth, took communion with

0:22:55.760 --> 0:22:59.480
<v Speaker 1>his daughter at his local Catholic church and prayed with

0:22:59.560 --> 0:23:03.240
<v Speaker 1>her before stepping on that helicopter. Up next to the

0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:07.000
<v Speaker 1>memorial service was Rob Polenka, not only Kobe's agent for

0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:10.800
<v Speaker 1>his entire career, but a close personal friend, vacation together

0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:15.240
<v Speaker 1>mentor pal, and in the end, a guy, well, two

0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:18.119
<v Speaker 1>guys who loved each other. He's now the general manager

0:23:18.119 --> 0:23:20.840
<v Speaker 1>of the Los Angeles Lakers. And here is Rob Polenka

0:23:21.200 --> 0:23:23.320
<v Speaker 1>on Kobe the husband.

0:23:25.280 --> 0:23:27.760
<v Speaker 8>When God made Kobe, the next great act of his

0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:31.400
<v Speaker 8>was to fashion Vanessa. I know this because they are

0:23:31.440 --> 0:23:33.920
<v Speaker 8>matched perfectly together, and I've had a front row seat

0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:37.280
<v Speaker 8>to being witness to their love for twenty years. I

0:23:37.359 --> 0:23:39.320
<v Speaker 8>remember all the way back to their wedding day in

0:23:39.359 --> 0:23:40.200
<v Speaker 8>two thousand and one.

0:23:40.880 --> 0:23:42.120
<v Speaker 3>In typical Kobe.

0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:44.680
<v Speaker 8>Fashion, he wanted to master every detail of that day

0:23:45.200 --> 0:23:48.600
<v Speaker 8>to reflect his love for Vanessa. One of the things

0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:51.280
<v Speaker 8>he was most excited about was carrying Vanessa in his

0:23:51.440 --> 0:23:54.520
<v Speaker 8>arms over the threshold of their home as a husband

0:23:54.520 --> 0:23:58.240
<v Speaker 8>and wife for the first time. Vanessa brought out Kobe's

0:23:58.320 --> 0:24:01.720
<v Speaker 8>romantic side like nobody else in the world could. He

0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:04.960
<v Speaker 8>loved to celebrate holidays with her, her Birthday, anniversary, and

0:24:05.080 --> 0:24:08.680
<v Speaker 8>especially Valentine's Day. Often he would call me to brainstorm

0:24:08.720 --> 0:24:12.480
<v Speaker 8>his incredible ideas for special gifts and romantic occasions with her.

0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:15.760
<v Speaker 8>He even loved to write poems and letters to her

0:24:15.920 --> 0:24:19.680
<v Speaker 8>and make them into beautiful keepsake books. Simply put, Kobe's

0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:24.080
<v Speaker 8>love for Vanessa was the energy for his life. One

0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:27.360
<v Speaker 8>particular story captures the depth of Kobe's love for Vanessa.

0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:30.359
<v Speaker 8>There was a stretch of days when work travel was

0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:32.959
<v Speaker 8>causing Kobe to be away from Vanessa for longer than

0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:35.800
<v Speaker 8>he wanted. He called me to explain how hard this

0:24:35.880 --> 0:24:39.200
<v Speaker 8>stretch was for him. One night on the phone, Kobe

0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:41.600
<v Speaker 8>noticed there was a grand piano in the hotel suite

0:24:41.640 --> 0:24:44.800
<v Speaker 8>he was staying in. He set it sat by a

0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:48.080
<v Speaker 8>tall window under the moonlit sky.

0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:49.400
<v Speaker 3>During one of.

0:24:49.359 --> 0:24:52.680
<v Speaker 8>Our calls, he shared an idea with me. He said

0:24:52.720 --> 0:24:54.639
<v Speaker 8>he hadn't been sleeping much at night because he was

0:24:55.280 --> 0:24:56.120
<v Speaker 8>missing me and the.

0:24:56.040 --> 0:24:59.320
<v Speaker 3>Girl so much while he was away.

0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:01.639
<v Speaker 8>He wanted to live in his love for Vanessa, so

0:25:01.720 --> 0:25:05.280
<v Speaker 8>at night, under the moonlit sky, he vowed to teach

0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:11.560
<v Speaker 8>himself by ear to play the first movement of Beethoven's

0:25:12.119 --> 0:25:16.640
<v Speaker 8>Moonlit Sonata. When he told me this, I thought there's

0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:20.560
<v Speaker 8>no way. I knew he wasn't a trained musician and

0:25:20.600 --> 0:25:22.960
<v Speaker 8>that was a really difficult piece of music to play.

0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:27.399
<v Speaker 8>But Kobe's passion and love for Vanessa, combined with the

0:25:27.440 --> 0:25:31.120
<v Speaker 8>patience and focus that only the Black Mamba has, made

0:25:31.160 --> 0:25:36.560
<v Speaker 8>this seemingly impossible goal a reality. That next morning, Kobe

0:25:36.600 --> 0:25:39.800
<v Speaker 8>called and played me the first few measures the next

0:25:39.840 --> 0:25:42.520
<v Speaker 8>morning more by the end of the week, he had

0:25:42.520 --> 0:25:45.240
<v Speaker 8>the entire piece mastered, and he played it for me

0:25:45.280 --> 0:25:48.639
<v Speaker 8>over the phone without a mistake. In my heart, I

0:25:48.720 --> 0:25:51.960
<v Speaker 8>knew that moment was one of Kobe's grandest feats for

0:25:52.040 --> 0:25:55.639
<v Speaker 8>his deepest love. Kobe had mastered one of the greatest

0:25:55.640 --> 0:25:57.920
<v Speaker 8>piano movements ever written as a symbol of one of

0:25:58.000 --> 0:25:59.480
<v Speaker 8>the most beautiful loves.

0:25:59.560 --> 0:26:00.960
<v Speaker 3>The world has ever seen.

0:26:02.480 --> 0:26:06.600
<v Speaker 8>To close, I will say this, just as the sun

0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:09.119
<v Speaker 8>lights the moon to guide us through the night, Kobe

0:26:09.160 --> 0:26:12.399
<v Speaker 8>and GG will continue to shine light in all of us.

0:26:13.040 --> 0:26:16.760
<v Speaker 8>But unlike the sun, Kobe and Gg's fuel will never

0:26:16.880 --> 0:26:21.800
<v Speaker 8>ever burn out because their light is eternal. Yes, the

0:26:21.840 --> 0:26:24.960
<v Speaker 8>axis of our world shifted that frightful morning a few

0:26:24.960 --> 0:26:29.600
<v Speaker 8>weeks back, but with Kobe and Gigi's moonlight, we will

0:26:29.640 --> 0:26:32.040
<v Speaker 8>never have to live in the darkness of night again.

0:26:33.440 --> 0:26:37.160
<v Speaker 8>We will all journey on until one day we will

0:26:37.160 --> 0:26:40.560
<v Speaker 8>be in heaven together again, and this time it will

0:26:40.600 --> 0:26:46.359
<v Speaker 8>be forever. I love you, dear Kobe and precious Gig.

0:26:47.760 --> 0:26:51.120
<v Speaker 1>And you listen to both Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, and

0:26:51.480 --> 0:26:55.760
<v Speaker 1>Rob Polenka, his agent and ultimately the general manager of

0:26:55.840 --> 0:26:59.600
<v Speaker 1>the Los Angeles Lakers, and imagine getting the call not

0:26:59.680 --> 0:27:05.639
<v Speaker 1>about salary, not about trades. Imagine calling your agent talking

0:27:05.640 --> 0:27:08.560
<v Speaker 1>to him about writing or learning a piece of music

0:27:09.200 --> 0:27:11.960
<v Speaker 1>you want to play for the wife you miss, not

0:27:12.040 --> 0:27:16.280
<v Speaker 1>a typical conversation with an agent. I would submit, I'm

0:27:16.280 --> 0:27:19.840
<v Speaker 1>sure Rob would agree. More stories to come up next,

0:27:19.920 --> 0:27:23.960
<v Speaker 1>Michael Jordan to talk about his friend Kobe Bryant here

0:27:24.560 --> 0:27:39.639
<v Speaker 1>on our American Stories. And we returned to our American

0:27:39.760 --> 0:27:42.000
<v Speaker 1>stories and the final portion of our look back at

0:27:42.080 --> 0:27:45.560
<v Speaker 1>Kobe Bryant's memorial service, and we have saved the best

0:27:45.560 --> 0:27:49.000
<v Speaker 1>for a last. In nineteen ninety six, Michael Jordan faced

0:27:49.040 --> 0:27:51.920
<v Speaker 1>an eighteen year old Kobe Bryant on the court for

0:27:52.040 --> 0:27:55.200
<v Speaker 1>the very first time. Midway through the game, while playing,

0:27:55.240 --> 0:27:58.119
<v Speaker 1>Kobe asked him for some tips on his jump shot.

0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:01.080
<v Speaker 1>Kobe scored thirty three against his wayt idle. That night,

0:28:01.640 --> 0:28:05.119
<v Speaker 1>Jordan scored thirty six and won the game. That they

0:28:05.160 --> 0:28:08.760
<v Speaker 1>developed a sort of father son relationship over time, which

0:28:08.800 --> 0:28:12.800
<v Speaker 1>then developed into a brotherly one. Here's Michael Jordan.

0:28:13.440 --> 0:28:16.320
<v Speaker 6>You know all of us have brothers and sisters. For

0:28:16.400 --> 0:28:19.840
<v Speaker 6>whatever reason, I always tend to get in your stuff,

0:28:22.359 --> 0:28:28.919
<v Speaker 6>your closet, your shoes, everything. It was a nuisance, if

0:28:28.960 --> 0:28:32.760
<v Speaker 6>I can say that word. But that nuisance turned into

0:28:32.800 --> 0:28:38.400
<v Speaker 6>love over a period of time, just because the admiration

0:28:39.440 --> 0:28:43.200
<v Speaker 6>that they had for you as big brothers of big sisters.

0:28:44.440 --> 0:28:45.800
<v Speaker 3>The questions.

0:28:46.920 --> 0:28:50.479
<v Speaker 6>They're wanting to know every little detail about life that

0:28:50.480 --> 0:28:55.200
<v Speaker 6>they were about them. Barker, he used to call me,

0:28:56.160 --> 0:29:00.920
<v Speaker 6>text me eleven thirty two thirty three o'clock in the

0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:11.040
<v Speaker 6>morning talking about post up moves, footwork, and sometimes the triangle.

0:29:14.000 --> 0:29:23.040
<v Speaker 6>At first it was an aggravation, but then it turned

0:29:23.080 --> 0:29:25.080
<v Speaker 6>into a certain passion.

0:29:27.080 --> 0:29:32.840
<v Speaker 3>This kid had passion like you would never know. It's

0:29:32.840 --> 0:29:34.240
<v Speaker 3>an amazing thing about passion.

0:29:35.280 --> 0:29:38.600
<v Speaker 6>If you love something, if you have a strong passion

0:29:38.640 --> 0:29:43.840
<v Speaker 6>for something, you would go to the extreme to try

0:29:43.880 --> 0:29:51.840
<v Speaker 6>to understand or try to get it. Either ice cream, cokes, hamburgers,

0:29:51.960 --> 0:29:55.160
<v Speaker 6>whatever you have a love for you have to walk,

0:29:55.360 --> 0:29:56.160
<v Speaker 6>you would go get it.

0:29:56.680 --> 0:29:58.320
<v Speaker 3>If you have to beg some on it, you would

0:29:58.320 --> 0:29:58.800
<v Speaker 3>go get it.

0:30:00.240 --> 0:30:04.200
<v Speaker 6>What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that

0:30:04.280 --> 0:30:08.240
<v Speaker 6>someone truly cared about the way I either I played

0:30:08.280 --> 0:30:10.760
<v Speaker 6>the game or the way that he wanted to play

0:30:10.800 --> 0:30:11.120
<v Speaker 6>the game.

0:30:12.640 --> 0:30:13.640
<v Speaker 3>He wanted to be.

0:30:13.520 --> 0:30:19.640
<v Speaker 6>The best basketball player that he could be, and as

0:30:19.680 --> 0:30:22.800
<v Speaker 6>I got to know him, I wanted to be.

0:30:22.840 --> 0:30:26.560
<v Speaker 3>The best big brother that I could be.

0:30:33.960 --> 0:30:39.040
<v Speaker 6>To do that, you had to put up with the aggravation,

0:30:40.680 --> 0:30:47.320
<v Speaker 6>the late night calls, or the dumb questions I took

0:30:47.360 --> 0:30:52.320
<v Speaker 6>great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant that

0:30:52.400 --> 0:30:55.480
<v Speaker 6>he was just trying to be a better person, a

0:30:55.480 --> 0:31:02.360
<v Speaker 6>better basketball player. We talked about business, we talked about family,

0:31:05.760 --> 0:31:09.520
<v Speaker 6>we talked about everything, and he was just trying to

0:31:09.520 --> 0:31:20.080
<v Speaker 6>be a better person. Now he's got me, I don't

0:31:20.120 --> 0:31:22.560
<v Speaker 6>have to look at another crime meme for the next

0:31:28.080 --> 0:31:29.680
<v Speaker 6>I told my wife I wasn't going to do this

0:31:29.720 --> 0:31:31.320
<v Speaker 6>because I didn't want to see that for the next

0:31:31.360 --> 0:31:36.440
<v Speaker 6>three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does

0:31:36.440 --> 0:31:41.040
<v Speaker 6>to me. I'm pretty sure if Vanessa and his friends

0:31:41.080 --> 0:31:43.280
<v Speaker 6>all can say the same thing. He knows how to

0:31:43.320 --> 0:31:47.480
<v Speaker 6>get to you in a way that affects you personally,

0:31:47.720 --> 0:31:53.360
<v Speaker 6>even though if he's being a painting but he always

0:31:53.640 --> 0:31:56.160
<v Speaker 6>ever has sense of love for him and the way

0:31:56.200 --> 0:31:59.440
<v Speaker 6>that he can bring out the best in you, And

0:31:59.480 --> 0:32:03.680
<v Speaker 6>he did that for me. I remember, maybe a couple

0:32:03.720 --> 0:32:08.200
<v Speaker 6>of months ago, he sends me a text and he said,

0:32:09.680 --> 0:32:11.280
<v Speaker 6>I'm trying to teach my daughter.

0:32:12.520 --> 0:32:13.080
<v Speaker 3>Some moods.

0:32:15.120 --> 0:32:17.040
<v Speaker 6>And I don't know what I was thinking or what

0:32:17.120 --> 0:32:22.280
<v Speaker 6>I was working on, But what were you thinking about

0:32:23.840 --> 0:32:25.720
<v Speaker 6>when you were trying to as you were growing up,

0:32:25.800 --> 0:32:29.880
<v Speaker 6>trying to work on your moods. I said what age?

0:32:31.680 --> 0:32:38.560
<v Speaker 6>He says twelve. I said twelve. I was trying to

0:32:38.560 --> 0:32:45.320
<v Speaker 6>play baseball. He sends me a text back saying, laughing

0:32:45.400 --> 0:32:50.440
<v Speaker 6>my ass off, And this is at two o'clock in

0:32:50.480 --> 0:32:55.920
<v Speaker 6>the morning. But the thing about him was we could

0:32:56.000 --> 0:33:01.320
<v Speaker 6>talk about anything that relate to basketball, but we can

0:33:01.320 --> 0:33:05.360
<v Speaker 6>talk about anything that related to life. And we, as

0:33:05.360 --> 0:33:09.280
<v Speaker 6>we grew up in life, rarely have friends that we

0:33:09.320 --> 0:33:14.480
<v Speaker 6>can have conversations like that. Well, it's even rare when

0:33:14.520 --> 0:33:20.520
<v Speaker 6>you can grow up against adversaries and have conversations like that.

0:33:20.960 --> 0:33:24.040
<v Speaker 6>I went and saw Phil Jackson in nineteen ninety nine

0:33:24.040 --> 0:33:26.080
<v Speaker 6>and maybe two thousand, I don't know when Phil was

0:33:26.080 --> 0:33:29.880
<v Speaker 6>here in LA And I walk in and Kobe's sitting

0:33:29.920 --> 0:33:34.120
<v Speaker 6>there and the first thing, I'm in a suit. First

0:33:34.120 --> 0:33:41.400
<v Speaker 6>thing Kobe said, did you bring your shoes? No, I

0:33:41.520 --> 0:33:48.480
<v Speaker 6>wasn't thinking about playing. But his attitude to compete and

0:33:48.520 --> 0:33:51.160
<v Speaker 6>play against someone he felt like he could enhance and

0:33:51.200 --> 0:33:54.280
<v Speaker 6>improve his gamer to me, and that's why I loved

0:33:54.280 --> 0:33:54.880
<v Speaker 6>about the kid.

0:33:56.360 --> 0:33:58.280
<v Speaker 3>Absolutely loved about the kid.

0:33:59.240 --> 0:34:01.480
<v Speaker 6>No matter where he saw me, it was a challenge

0:34:02.600 --> 0:34:04.880
<v Speaker 6>and I admired him because his passion.

0:34:06.000 --> 0:34:07.080
<v Speaker 3>You rarely see.

0:34:08.600 --> 0:34:13.080
<v Speaker 6>Someone who's looking and trying to improve each and every day,

0:34:13.320 --> 0:34:14.719
<v Speaker 6>and not just in sports, but.

0:34:14.640 --> 0:34:17.000
<v Speaker 3>As a parent, as a husband.

0:34:18.280 --> 0:34:21.840
<v Speaker 6>I am inspired by what he's done and what he

0:34:21.960 --> 0:34:25.120
<v Speaker 6>shared with Vanessa, and what he's shared with his kids.

0:34:25.800 --> 0:34:29.120
<v Speaker 6>I have a daughter who is thirty who just became

0:34:29.160 --> 0:34:31.960
<v Speaker 6>a grandparent, and I have two twins.

0:34:32.080 --> 0:34:33.160
<v Speaker 3>I have twins at six.

0:34:39.560 --> 0:34:42.760
<v Speaker 6>I can't wait to get home, to become a girl

0:34:42.840 --> 0:34:47.399
<v Speaker 6>dad and to hug them and to see the love

0:34:47.440 --> 0:34:50.040
<v Speaker 6>that then the smiles that they bring to us as parents.

0:34:51.000 --> 0:34:53.280
<v Speaker 6>He taught me that just by looking at this tonight,

0:34:53.960 --> 0:34:57.360
<v Speaker 6>looking at how he responded and reacted with the people

0:34:57.400 --> 0:35:00.799
<v Speaker 6>they actually loved. These are the things that we will

0:35:00.840 --> 0:35:09.680
<v Speaker 6>continue to learn from. Kobe Bryant to Vanessa Natalia Bianca Capri,

0:35:10.560 --> 0:35:13.239
<v Speaker 6>my wife and our will keep you close in our

0:35:13.239 --> 0:35:14.760
<v Speaker 6>hearts and our prayers.

0:35:15.200 --> 0:35:18.279
<v Speaker 3>We will always be here for you always.

0:35:18.680 --> 0:35:22.160
<v Speaker 6>I also want to offer our condolences and support to

0:35:22.280 --> 0:35:27.439
<v Speaker 6>all the families affected by this enormous tragedy. Kobe gave

0:35:27.920 --> 0:35:32.960
<v Speaker 6>every last ounce of himself to whatever he was doing.

0:35:34.480 --> 0:35:35.400
<v Speaker 3>After basketball.

0:35:35.440 --> 0:35:39.440
<v Speaker 6>He showed a creative side to himself that I didn't

0:35:39.440 --> 0:35:45.400
<v Speaker 6>think any of us knew he had. In retirement, he

0:35:45.480 --> 0:35:50.920
<v Speaker 6>seemed so happy, he found new passions, and he continued

0:35:50.960 --> 0:35:57.920
<v Speaker 6>to get back as a coach in his community. More importantly,

0:35:59.280 --> 0:36:04.440
<v Speaker 6>he was amazing, amazing husband who dedicated himself to his

0:36:04.480 --> 0:36:08.120
<v Speaker 6>family and who loved.

0:36:07.960 --> 0:36:10.000
<v Speaker 3>His daughters with all his heart.

0:36:11.520 --> 0:36:16.640
<v Speaker 6>Kobe never left anything on the court, and I think

0:36:17.840 --> 0:36:22.640
<v Speaker 6>that's what he would want for us to do. No

0:36:22.680 --> 0:36:28.319
<v Speaker 6>one knows how much time we have. That's why we

0:36:28.400 --> 0:36:31.240
<v Speaker 6>must live in the moment. We must enjoy the moment.

0:36:32.080 --> 0:36:35.680
<v Speaker 6>We must reach and see and spend as much time

0:36:35.719 --> 0:36:37.960
<v Speaker 6>as we can with our families and friends and the

0:36:38.000 --> 0:36:42.200
<v Speaker 6>people that we absolutely love. To live in the moment

0:36:42.719 --> 0:36:46.719
<v Speaker 6>means to enjoy each and everyone that we come in

0:36:46.800 --> 0:36:47.480
<v Speaker 6>contact with.

0:36:50.440 --> 0:36:52.839
<v Speaker 3>When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me.

0:36:52.880 --> 0:36:58.160
<v Speaker 6>Died, And as I look at this arena and across

0:36:58.480 --> 0:37:01.520
<v Speaker 6>the globe, a piece of you die. Well, else you

0:37:01.520 --> 0:37:05.480
<v Speaker 6>wouldn't be here. Those are the memories that we have

0:37:05.560 --> 0:37:09.439
<v Speaker 6>to live with and we learn from. I promise you,

0:37:09.640 --> 0:37:13.120
<v Speaker 6>from this day forward, I will live with the memories

0:37:13.120 --> 0:37:16.880
<v Speaker 6>of knowing that I had a little brother that I

0:37:16.960 --> 0:37:18.839
<v Speaker 6>tried to help in everywhere I could.

0:37:20.200 --> 0:37:22.359
<v Speaker 3>Please, Rest in peace, a little Bah.

0:37:25.600 --> 0:37:28.040
<v Speaker 1>And you are listening to Michael Jordan tearing up and

0:37:28.080 --> 0:37:31.040
<v Speaker 1>he is not the kind of guy who cries in public, folks.

0:37:31.800 --> 0:37:34.879
<v Speaker 1>And it happened several times as he went from sort

0:37:34.880 --> 0:37:37.839
<v Speaker 1>of a beanvel speech to just getting right back into

0:37:37.880 --> 0:37:40.920
<v Speaker 1>it about that special relationship be shared and just not

0:37:40.960 --> 0:37:42.640
<v Speaker 1>wanting to cry in front of a bunch of people.

0:37:42.680 --> 0:37:45.480
<v Speaker 1>I can't wait to come home to be a girl dad,

0:37:46.320 --> 0:37:50.560
<v Speaker 1>And that inspired Kobe's life, inspired Jordan to do that.

0:37:51.440 --> 0:37:56.920
<v Speaker 1>Kobe Bryant's life memorialized, eulogized on our American stories,