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Florida athletics: The struggle of losing Kobe Bryant

ByMatthew Clark|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 26: Madison Square Garden is lit up in Los Angeles Lakers colors in honor of former Laker great Kobe Bryant prior to the game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets tonight at Madison Square Garden on January 26, 2020 in New York City. Five people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash this morning in Calabasas, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 26: Madison Square Garden is lit up in Los Angeles Lakers colors in honor of former Laker great Kobe Bryant prior to the game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets tonight at Madison Square Garden on January 26, 2020 in New York City. Five people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash this morning in Calabasas, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Sunday wasn’t about Florida athletics, but it was about the passing of a legend and someone I won’t soon forget.

Spending part of the day writing about the recruiting news surrounding Florida football and Florida athletics was hard.

Trying to relax on a day off was equally hard.

Sunday, notably a day of rest — especially when we aren’t in the throes of Florida football or Florida athletics — was more a day of thoughts and less of relaxation.

As the news surrounding the tragic death of NBA great Kobe Bryant and eight others — including his daughter, Gianna — it was a struggle to put things into words. That’s especially hard for someone who uses words to make a living.

Despite not having a tie to Florida or the Gators, even those in Gator Nation struggled Sunday.

One of his greatest friends, LeBron James, struggled Sunday:

NBA teams around the country playing, struggled Sunday:

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1221573420951003136

Football great Lionel Messi struggled Sunday:

https://twitter.com/goal/status/1221578533194981376

Golf great Tiger Woods struggled Sunday:

We all struggled Sunday.

We all cope with loss in different ways. My rock, my inspiration — my grandmother — passed away last year and I still haven’t coped with that. But, in many ways, watching the coverage of Bryant’s passing forced me to come to grips with my personal loss.

Anyone who is a fan of sports, even if the NBA isn’t your cup of tea, likely flashed back to memories they had of either watching Bryant or reliving his highlights on ESPN.

One thing we were all able to do on Sunday in the midst of mourning a legend, is to remember what made him one in the first place.

But his legend went beyond the basketball court. He was an Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short entitled “Dear Basketball.” It was a film created from a poem he wrote when he retired from the game in 2015

He was a mentor to young players and an inspiration to many more, even outside the basketball world.

His genius on the court is rarely seen today and isn’t likely to be duplicated.

Bryant touched so many people in the sporting world with the magnitude of his personality. That was just as great after he retired.

Sunday is a hard day for many. But remembering the legacy of someone like Kobe Bryant will make the remaining days a little easier for us all.

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