Despite the tragedy, Black Mamba lit up worlds of many people

In primary school, there was a boy whose name I cannot now remember, but was known by all pupils as just “Kobe”. When I joined that school, I kept wondering why everyone called him Kobe — a tortoise — instead of his real name.

One night a few months later, I saw the real Kobe on television while watching sports news at home, and instantly knew why my classmate bore that nickname.

For he shared Kobe Bryant’s tall, gangly frame, his stooped walking style and his clean shaven head, which was quite unusual because most boys his age pushed off trips to the barbershop for as long as they could.

The news story was no more than one minute long, but one minute was enough to drink almost to a fill from Kobe’s cup of superstardom. It showed him in his gold and purple in-court attire, dunking and ducking as the crowd responded with maddening cheers at his every move, especially when he scored his famous three-pointers.

Kobe lit up the worlds of so many people all over the world including Kenya, as witnessed by the way his name trended on social media for the better part of Monday.

That his daughter, Gianna, whom he had earmarked as heir to his legacy, also died in the helicopter crash, made things all the more tragic.

Not many Kenyans were privileged to meet Kobe. Few got to watch him live in action on the courts of the Staples Centre arena where he spent all his professional life.

However, so many Kenyans, even those who are not sports enthusiasts, knew and adored Kobe. I don’t know who taught us to do it, but in high school, it was norm to yell “Kobe!” every time someone shot a paper onto the trash-can or threw a plate into the sink from a distance.

It was in honour of a great man who none of us would ever meet.

In our neighbourhood, all children who had Lakers jerseys had the name “Kobe” and the number eight inscribed at the back.

That was the only way to prove that one was informed in matters basketball. As it happens for many superstars who transcend genres, Kobe was known by only one name.

And yesterday, it was extremely heartbreaking to watch as teary NBA players made in-court tributes to the fallen legend during various games.

The referees allowed shot eight-second back court violations and 24-second shot blocks, while some spectators just took eight shots of vodka to numb the pain of grief.

And reading the tributes on Twitter from fellow Kenyans, it is unimaginable that one can feel such deep loss for someone he/ she has never met.

While reflecting on Kobe and how tragically he met his death, LeBron James comes to mind. LeBron, who is often regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time is enduring his share of hate and criticism from fans and the media alike. One hopes that in future, we will learn to appreciate the great athletes while they’re still here.