Kobe Bryant, Remembered [B. TDIH 1978]

Hi everybody, it's Savannah Guthrie from The Today Show. As we head back to work, back to school, back to everything, we want to help you turn your to-do list into your today list. Your morning routine, healthy meals, and workout plans. We've got you covered so you can take it all on with simple solutions to help you through the day.

Everything you need to know before heading out the door. So join us every morning on NBC because every day needs today. Nissan's electric vehicles run on a special electricity. Not the electricity that turns on light bulbs or runs through your outlets. I'm talking that spine tingling goose bump feeling that electrifies your body and soul.

It could be the simple win of leaving on time for your morning commute or scoring the largest deal of your career. Nissan is continuously evolving and changing the game through electric vehicle engineering because the electricity of their cars not only moves engines, it also moves the emotions of those who drive them. To learn more about Nissan's electric vehicle lineup, visit www.NissanUSA.com This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories.

The show where America is the star and the American people. Up next, you're going to be hearing stories about the late great Kobe Bryant. He died in a tragic helicopter crash along with his daughter.

And we're sharing with you eulogies from his memorial service in February of 2020. And we're telling these stories because on this day in history in 1978, Kobe Bryant was born. He broke all kinds of records. Third in the history of the NBA in scoring until LeBron James passed him. Also five NBA championships, very few players have managed that. Also, there's his fall from grace, real life problems with his marriage, on top of that very public problems and his eventual redemption.

We're going to share with you some of the eulogies from that day of his memorial service back in 2020. First up is Sabrina Ionescu and she was at the time a star player at the University of Oregon. She ended up becoming a mentor to Kobe's daughter, Gianna, otherwise known as Gigi. And Bryant, well, he was Sabrina's mentor.

Let's take a listen to Sabrina Ionescu. Growing up, I only knew one way to play the game of basketball, fierce. With obsessive focus, I was unapologetically competitive. I wanted to be the best. I loved the work even when it was hard, especially if it was hard. I knew I was different, that my drive was different. I grew up watching Kobe Bryant, game after game, ring after ring, living his greatness without apology. I wanted to be just like him, to love every part of the competition, to be the first to show up and the last to leave, to love the grind, to be your best when you don't feel your best and make other people around you the best version of themselves, and to wake up and do it again the next day.

So that's what I did, wake up, grind, and get better. A year ago, my team, Oregon, was playing at USC. The morning of the game, our coaches told us that there was a surprise for the day.

I was thinking Nike sent us some new shoes or swag or something. Kobe walks in with his daughter, Gianna, and two of her teammates. They sat courtside while my jaw sat dropped, and that was the first time I met Kobe. Kobe, Gigi, and her teammates came into the locker room after the game. He congratulated us on the win, but said, and I'll never forget, don't shoot yourselves in the foot.

He meant don't settle. The national championship wasn't far, and our goal was to win it all. I remember Gigi, excited and smiling in the locker room. I'd always watch a ton of film of her playing basketball.

She had to fade away better than mine. I asked her where she wanted to play ball in college, and she said UConn. She had the will and determination to be able to play wherever she wanted. She and her teammates hung out with us for a while, starstruck and a little shy, but always observing.

Whichever school she would come to choose, it didn't matter. If I represented the present of the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it. So we decided to build a future together. I worked out twice with Gigi over the summer. I'd gone down to help Kobe coach his team. Gigi had so much of her dad's skill set. You could tell the amount of hours they spent in the gym, practicing her moves. She smiled all the time, but when it was game time, she was ready to kill. I remember one time someone grabbed a jersey and she sort of just knocked him down and then stepped right over him. Me and Kobe looked at each other, smiling, and he goes, I don't know where she learned that from.

I laughed and said, I do. You can't teach that, and definitely not at her age. Kobe was right. She had it. She always wanted to learn, to go to every game she could.

College, NBA, WNBA, Kobe was helping worth that because he saw it in her, just like he saw it in me. His vision for others is always bigger than what they imagined for themselves. His vision for me was way bigger than my own. More importantly, he didn't just show up in my life and leave. He stayed. We kept in touch, always texting, calls, game visits. I'd drop a triple-double and have a text from him, a nubble-triple-double, I see, with a flex emoji. Another game, another text.

Yo, beast mode, or easy money. He taught me his step back. He told me that if I could bring that to my game, it'd be over for any defender trying to guard me. He was giving me the blueprint. He was giving Gigi the same blueprint.

He made it so that the outsiders who at worked everyone else, who were driven to be just a little bit different every single day, to make those around them, behind them, and above them a little bit better every single day. I wanted to be a part of the generation that changed basketball for Gigi and her teammates. Where being born female didn't mean being born behind. Where greatness wasn't divided by gender.

You have too much to give to stay silent. That's what he lived. Through Gigi, through me, through his investment in women's basketball. That was his next great act. A girl dad.

Basketball in many ways was just a metaphor. I still text him even though he's not here. The last one I sent him said, I miss you.

May you rest in peace, my dear friend. The texts go through, but no response. Sometimes I find myself still waiting. It's so strange to describe him or Gigi in the past tense.

You don't get used to that. The week after the accident, I was in Colorado. I had a game, and like I do before every game, I prayed. This time I was thinking about Kobe and Gigi. His voice is still in my head, even if his body is not on this earth. And all I wanted was a sign that in some way he still heard me too. I looked off into the sky, and there it was, a beautiful golden sunset.

The boldest yellow, Lakers yellow. And further in the distance, a helicopter. There was my sign that he will forever be with me. The last line from one of his books. Walk until the darkness is a memory, and you become the sun on the next traveler's horizon. I ask each of you, every girl dad, every human here with a voice, a platform and a heart, to not let his sun set. Shine for us, for our sport where he once did. Invest in us with the same passion and drive and respect and love as he did his own daughter. In the end, she was a sun just starting to rise, and God did she glow. May their light forever shine. Kobe and Gigi, I'll love you forever. Thank you. And you've been listening to Sabrina Ionescu, and what a story she tells.

She says, I wake up, I grind, I get better. That might as well have been Kobe Bryant's life motto too. And my goodness, his last and ultimate role, Sabrina nailed.

He was a girl dad. His next great act, basketball, a mere metaphor. When we come back, more of the remarkable eulogies delivered on Kobe Bryant's behalf.

This day in history in 1978, Kobe Bryant was born celebrating his life here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, the host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show, we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country.

Stories from our big cities and small towns. But we truly can't do this show without you. Our stories are free to listen to, but they're not free to make. If you love what you hear, go to OurAmericanStories.com and click the donate button. Give a little, give a lot.

Go to OurAmericanStories.com and give. Put a man on Roblox. Loves it. Xfinity Flex is pulling out all the stops to give you free premium entertainment every week, no strings attached. Catch up on all the hits from AMC+, like Mayfair Witches.

Introduce your kiddos to a world of science and technology on Hopster. Channel your inner hunter-gatherer with Maneater from My Outdoor TV. While having a ball this National Dog Day with Dog TV's The Dog Moms. And dance to iHeartRadio's Songs of the Summer playlist.

Try a little bit of everything every week. Say free this week into your Xfinity voice remote. Experience the power and design of the all-new, all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya.

This is the total package. Premium finishes, a lush interior, unrivaled tech, and unbelievable torque. All powered by an electric heart. Nissan has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible for 90 years. Loaded with new electric and semi-autonomous technologies, the Ariya is Nissan's most powerful EV ever. When you're ready to unlock the thrill of driving, do it in luxury. Do it in the all-new, all-electric Nissan Ariya. And see for yourself why the Ariya is the EV for people who love to drive. Visit NissanUSA.com to learn more about the all-new 2023 Nissan Ariya. Available features, limited availability.

Contact your dealer for local inventory information. And we return to our American stories and our look back at basketball legend Kobe Bryant's memorial service. We're telling this story because on this day in 1978, Kobe Bryant was born.

And often there's no better way to get to know who a person was by the nature and quality of the eulogies delivered on their behalf. Earlier we heard from a great college ball player, Sabrina Ionescu. And this next speaker is another powerful one who was a remarkable player as well. Deanna Terrazi, by the way, a three-time NCAA and WNBA champion. In 1996, I was a lanky, awkward freshman in high school, obsessively shooting night after night in my driveway. On the nights the Lakers played, I would miss a second of the game. Every time out, every commercial, I run to the front yard to imitate my favorite Laker, Kobe. On a few lucky occasions, my dad would come home from work.

He was a metal sheet worker in Los Angeles. He'd come home with Laker tickets. Watching Kobe play at the Great Western Forum as a rookie made this little girl believe she could be a Laker one day. It was like getting to know myself every single day. He made it okay to play with an edge that borderline crazy. Early onset mamba mentality was in full effect. Years later when I spent time with Kobe at the 2008 Olympics, I learned firsthand that it just wasn't limited to the basketball court. His competitive fire ran through his veins, just like many of us today. Every single workout, I end the same way with the Kobe game winner.

Three hard dribbles going right, left foot plant pivot, swing right leg through, elevate, square up, follow through. Five in a row and I got to go home. It's that exact same shot that won us a championship in Phoenix in 2014. Kobe's willingness to do the hard work and make the sacrifice every single day inspired me and resonated with the city of Los Angeles. We struggled together. We grew together.

We celebrated victories together. The same passion we all recognized in Kobe, obviously, Gigi inherited. Her skill was undeniable at an early age.

I mean, who has a Turner Ray fadeaway jumper at 11? LeBron barely got it today. But it was her curiosity about the game that was pushing her to pick up the basketball every single day. Gigi was in the midst of the best times of the basketball player's career. No responsibilities, no expectations, just basketball with your best friends.

Every weekend was a new adventure, an opportunity to learn how to work and grow together as a unit. As a young kid, there's nothing you look forward to more than long hot summer days in the gym with your homies. The same way Kobe inspired a generation of basketball players, Gigi in turn Kobe's interest in coaching and teaching the game.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who received the text from Kobe asking what drills they were doing when they were 13. Gigi in many ways represents the future of women's basketball. A future where a young woman aspires to play in the WNBA, the same way I wanted to be a Laker.

Gigi already had goals to play for UConn. That in itself showed her fearless mentality. She represents a time where a young girl doesn't need permission to play. Her skill would command respect. The last time I saw Gigi, the mamas were in Phoenix for a big AU tournament.

Kobe brought them to the locker room to watch practice. I always remember the look on Gigi's face. It was a look of excitement, a look of belonging, a look of fierce determination. As a daughter, a sister, wife, and mother, we embraced Vanessa, Natalia, Bianca, and Capri. We promised to carry Gigi's legacy. Kobe, Gigi, itan en el corazón de los ángeles, los ángeles nunca muerren.

Te queremo mucho. And you were listening to Diana Taurasi and that UConn star and UConn, well, the dominant NCAA power in women's college basketball. And that's where Kobe's daughter wanted to go. And Kobe, well, he told her the sky's the limit. And he got her to know that program and got her to know the coach of that program, the great Geno Auriemma. And what would interested Geno is that Kobe Bryant had talked to him often, not about how to become a great player, but Kobe was now in a new role as a dad and as a husband and father, and that was the role of coach. And as anyone who's ever watched Kobe knows or knows about him knows, he wasn't always the most coachable athlete.

Let's hear Geno. How ironic that he would talk to me about coaching. The uncoachable one wants to talk about coaching. Probably the most uncoachable player in the NBA during his career wants to know about coaching. And I wanted to know why. He said, I'm coaching my daughter's team. I said, oh, my God, that poor kid. So when I watched highlights of her playing and on about the third or fourth time she touched the ball, Gianna passed it when she was open.

I thought, she's not listening to her father. So he would call and say, what kind of defensive drills should I do? We have practice tonight. We're going to work on defense. What do you think is the most important thing in teaching man to man? Further proof.

He never listened to one word any of his coaches told him. So I tried to explain them. I said, Kobe, they're 13 years old. I think you ought to just say, hey, you know, see the kid with the ball. Try not to let her go by you and see if you're guarding the other guys. Hey, see that kid with the ball over there. Don't let her throw the ball to your guy. Keep it kind of simple, you know.

He said, no, I want to know, like, what are the rotations when they drive? I said, come on, come on, come on. So these are the conversations that we have, both as basketball people and as dads who have ever coached their kids.

If you've ever been in that situation, like a lot of people here in this room probably have been. And I remember when Gigi came, as you saw in that video, she came to the very first game that she came to. And she came into the locker room.

And here she is. And the look on her face, the smile, the way her eyes just took everything in. How excited she was to be around, in her mind, royalty.

It's ironic. Her father's royalty. And she's excited to be around royalty that looks just like what she wants to be. And the most impressive thing about that point in time was how Kobe stepped as far back as he could. So anyone taking pictures, anyone there would not know that this was Kobe Bryant's daughter. This was her moment.

This is her time to shine. This was her time to experience all the things that he's experienced his whole life. He was being dad. He wasn't being Kobe Bryant. And he was allowing Gigi to be Gigi, not Kobe Bryant's daughter.

In today's day and age, that's a hell of a thing for parents to be able to do. More Kobe Bryant stories. He was born on this day in history in 1978. We're hearing some of the eulogies from his remarkable memorial service in 2020.

More Kobe Bryant stories when we return here on Our American Stories. Hey, this is Paris. I downloaded all my favorite things into my new Roblox experience. It's called Slivingland. It's got everything I love. Discovering, shopping, collecting, partying with my friends. Do you slay? Do you live? Do you sliv? You can join me, join me, join, join, join. Come sliv it up with me on Friday, August 25th. Get on the dance floor as I spin at the hottest party on Roblox. I can't wait for you to see it.

Now you're slipping. Slivingland on Roblox. Loves it. Xfinity Flex is pulling out all the stops to give you free premium entertainment every week, no strings attached. Catch up on all the hits from AMC Plus like Mayfair Witches. Introduce your kiddos to a world of science and technology on Hopster. Channel your inner hunter gatherer with Maneater from My Outdoor TV. While having a ball this National Dog Day with Dog TV's The Dog Moms and dance to I Heart Radio's Songs of the Summer playlist. Try a little bit of everything every week. Say free this week into your Xfinity voice remote. Experience the power and design of the all new, all electric 2023 Nissan Aria.

This is the total package. Premium finishes, a lush interior, unrivaled tech and unbelievable torque. All powered by an electric heart. Nissan has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible for 90 years. Loaded with new electric and semi-autonomous technologies, the Aria is Nissan's most powerful EV ever. When you're ready to unlock the thrill of driving, do it in luxury. Do it in the all new, all electric Nissan Aria and see for yourself why the Aria is the EV for people who love to drive. Visit NissanUSA.com to learn more about the all new 2023 Nissan Aria. Available features, limited availability.

Contact your dealer for local inventory information. And we return to our American stories and our look back at Kobe Bryant's memorial service. We're airing it today because on this day in 1978, Kobe Bryant was born.

And these stories, boy, they're worth replaying, repeating and retelling. As most people know the basketball accolades, they don't know the life he lived and how he redeemed himself after some terrible, terrible missteps with his wife and his family. You've heard a lot about fatherhood over this broadcast. You're about to hear a little bit about Kobe, the husband.

Up next is Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant. He isn't going to be here to drop Bianca Capri off at pre-K or kindergarten. He isn't going to be here to tell me to get a grip V when we have to leave the kindergarten classroom or show up to our daughter's doctor's visits for my own moral support.

He isn't going to be able to walk our girls down the aisle or spin me around on the dance floor while singing PYT to me. But I want my daughters to know and remember the amazing person, husband and father he was. The kind of man that wanted to teach the future generations to be better and keep them from making his own mistakes. He always liked working and doing projects to improve kids' lives. He taught us all valuable lessons about life and sports through his NBA career, his books, his show, Detail, and his PUNIES podcast series.

And we're so thankful he left those lessons and stories behind for us. He was thoughtful and wrote the best love letters and cards. And Gigi had his wonderful ability to express her feelings into paper and make you feel her love through her words.

She was thoughtful like him. They were so easy to love. Everyone naturally gravitated towards them. They were funny, happy, silly, and they loved life. They were so full of joy and adventure. God knew they couldn't be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together. Babe, you take care of our Gigi.

And I got Nani, Bebe, and Coco. We're still the best team. We love and miss you, Boo Boo and Gigi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day.

We love you both and miss you forever and always. Mommy. And there's almost nothing to say.

And what class and what beauty. And we have to remember there was a time in Kobe's life where he hit bottom. There were sexual assault charges.

A lot of people probably in her ear saying, dump him. What did he do? The charges were dropped. And Kobe had to rehabilitate himself, not just in front of a few people, but the whole world. And his wife hung in there. And they had a life together.

There was forgiveness and there was clearly redemption. He came to the NBA when he was 17 years old. His parents had to sign his contract. He wasn't old enough. He came right out of high school. By the way, part of that redemption was playing with the Redeem team under Mike Krzyzewski, which I wrote about in a piece in Newsweek. He had been a young guy, got a lot of attention, but ultimately became the villain in his own story. He'd run Shaquille O'Neal off the team. He'd run Phil Jackson off the team. And then he'd almost run his own family into the ground. But to watch a man come back and fix it and heal it and grow and get better.

We all watched this. And he once wrote about this, actually, because he was a remarkable writer. And here's what he wrote about it as he was retiring. No hero is perfect and no villain is completely void of heroic intentions.

We all live as both, he wrote on his website on the day he retired. What sets the good ones apart is how they use their inner villain to create something epic and beautiful. It's living as a hero villain.

The hero villain channels fear, rejection, anger, self-doubt, and turns it all into strength and courage and power and determination and love. And those are words of a guy who also, in his last act here on this earth, took communion with his daughter at his local Catholic church and prayed with her before stepping on that helicopter. Up next in the memorial service was Rob Polinka, not only Kobe's agent for his entire career, but a close personal friend.

Vacationed together, mentor, pal, and in the end, a guy, well, two guys who loved each other. He's now the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, and here is Rob Polinka on Kobe the husband. When God made Kobe, the next great act of his was to fashion Vanessa. I know this because they are matched perfectly together, and I've had a front row seat to being witness to their love for 20 years.

I remember all the way back to their wedding day in 2001. In typical Kobe fashion, he wanted to master every detail of that day to reflect his love for Vanessa. One of the things he was most excited about was carrying Vanessa in his arms over the threshold of their home as a husband and wife for the first time. Vanessa brought out Kobe's romantic side like nobody else in the world could. He loved to celebrate holidays with her, her birthday anniversary, and especially Valentine's Day. Often he would call me to brainstorm his incredible ideas for special gifts and romantic occasions with her.

He even loved to write poems and letters to her and make them into beautiful keepsake books. Simply put, Kobe's love for Vanessa was the energy for his life. One particular story captures the depth of Kobe's love for Vanessa. There was a stretch of days when work travel was causing Kobe to be away from Vanessa for longer than he wanted. He called me to explain how hard this stretch was for him. One night on the phone, Kobe noticed there was a grand piano in the hotel suite he was staying in.

He said it sat by a tall window under the moonlit sky. During one of our calls, he shared an idea with me. He said he hadn't been sleeping much at night because he was missing V and the girls so much. While he was away, he wanted to live in his love for Vanessa so at night, under the moonlit sky, he vowed to teach himself by ear to play the first movement of Beethoven's moonlit sonata.

When he told me this, I thought, there's no way. I knew he wasn't a trained musician and that was a really difficult piece of music to play. But Kobe's passion and love for Vanessa combined with the patience and focus that only the Black Mamba has made this seemingly impossible goal a reality. That next morning, Kobe called and played me the first few measures.

The next morning, more. By the end of the week, he had the entire piece mastered and he played it for me over the phone without a mistake. In my heart, I knew that moment was one of Kobe's grandest feats for his deepest love. Kobe had mastered one of the greatest piano movements ever written as a symbol of one of the most beautiful loves the world has ever seen.

To close, I will say this. Just as the sun lights the moon to guide us through the night, Kobe and Gigi will continue to shine light in all of us. But unlike the sun, Kobe and Gigi's fuel will never ever burn out because their light is eternal.

Yes, the axis of our world shifted that frightful morning a few weeks back. But with Kobe and Gigi's moonlight, we will never have to live in the darkness of night again. We will all journey on until one day we will be in heaven together again, and this time it will be forever. I love you, dear Kobe and precious Gigi. And you listen to both Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, and Rob Palenka, his agent and ultimately the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. And imagine getting the call not about salary, not about trades. Imagine calling your agent, talking to him about writing or learning a piece of music you want to play for the wife you miss. Not a typical conversation with an agent, I would submit. I'm sure Rob would agree.

More stories to come up next Michael Jordan to talk about his friend, Kobe Bryant, here on Our American Stories. Get on the dance floor as I spin at the hottest party on Roblox. I can't wait for you to see it.

Now you're slipping. Putting land on Roblox. Loves it. Try a little bit of everything every week. Say free this week into your Xfinity voice remote. Experience the power and design of the all new, all electric 2023 Nissan Aria.

This is the total package. Premium finishes, a lush interior, unrivaled tech and unbelievable torque. All powered by an electric heart. Nissan has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible for 90 years. Loaded with new electric and semi-autonomous technologies, the Aria is Nissan's most powerful EV ever. When you're ready to unlock the thrill of driving, do it in luxury. Do it in the all new, all electric Nissan Aria and see for yourself why the Aria is the EV for people who love to drive. Visit NissanUSA.com to learn more about the all new 2023 Nissan Aria. Available features, limited availability.

Contact your dealer for local inventory information. And we return to our American stories in the final portion of our look back at Kobe Bryant's memorial service. We're telling this story because on this day in history in 1978, Kobe Bryant was born and we have saved the best for last. In 1996, Michael Jordan faced an 18 year old Kobe Bryant on the court for the very first time. Midway through the game while playing, Kobe asked him for some tips on his jump shot. Kobe scored 33 against his boyhood idol that night. Jordan scored 36 and won the game. They developed a sort of father son relationship over time, which then developed into a brotherly one.

Here's Michael Jordan. You know, all of us have brothers and sisters for whatever reason. Always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything. It was a nuisance, if I can say that word. But that nuisance turned into love over a period of time. Just because the admiration that they had for you as big brothers or big sisters. The questions, the wanting to know every little detail about life that they were about to embark on. He used to call me, text me, 1130, 230, 3 o'clock in the morning.

Talking about post up moves, footwork, and sometimes the triangle. At first, it was an aggravation. But then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know. It's an amazing thing about passion. If you love something, if you have a strong passion for something, you would go to the extreme to try to understand or try to get it. Either ice cream, cokes, hamburgers, whatever you have a love for. If you have to walk, you would go get it.

If you have to beg someone, you would go get it. What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that someone truly cared about the way either I played the game or the way that he wanted to play the game. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be. And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be. To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late night calls, or the dumb questions. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant, that he was just trying to be a better person.

A better basketball player. We talked about business. We talked about family. We talked about everything. And he was just trying to be a better person. Now he's got me, I'll have to look at another crime meme for the next...

I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't want to see that for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me. I'm pretty sure Vanessa and his friends all can say the same thing. He knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally. Even though if he's being a pain in the ***. But he always, you ever have a sense of love for him in the way that he can bring out the best in you. And he did that for me.

I remember maybe a couple of months ago, he sends me a text. And he's saying, I'm trying to teach my daughter some moves. And I don't know what I was thinking or what I was working on.

But what were you thinking about as you were growing up trying to work on your moves? I said, what age? He says 12. I said 12, I was trying to play baseball.

He sends me a text back saying, laughing my *** off. And this was at 2 o'clock in the morning. And the thing about him was we could talk about anything that related to basketball but we can talk about anything that related to life. And we, as we grew up in life, rarely have friends that we can have conversations like that.

Well, it's even rare when you can grow up against adversaries and have conversations like that. I went and saw Phil Jackson in 1999 or maybe 2000, I don't know when Phil was here in LA. And I walk in and Kobe's sitting there. And the first thing, I'm in a suit. The first thing Kobe said, did you bring your shoes?

No, I wasn't thinking about playing. But his attitude to compete and play against someone, he felt like he could enhance and improve his game. To me, that's what I loved about the kid. I absolutely loved about the kid.

No matter where he saw me, it was a challenge. And I admired him because his passion, you rarely see someone who's looking and trying to improve each and every day. Not just in sports but as a parent, as a husband.

I am inspired by what he's done and what he shared with Vanessa and what he's shared with his kids. I have a daughter who is 30 who just became a grandparent. And I have two twins.

I have twins at six. I can't wait to get home to become a girl dad and to hug them and to see the love and the smiles that they bring to us as parents. He taught me that just by looking at this tonight, looking at how he responded and reacted with the people that he actually loved. These are the things that we will continue to learn from Kobe Bryant. To Vanessa, Natalia, Bianca, Capri, my wife and I will keep you close in our hearts and our prayers. We will always be here for you.

Always. I also want to offer our condolences and support to all the families affected by this enormous tragedy. Kobe gave every last ounce of himself to whatever he was doing. After basketball, he showed a creative side to himself that I didn't think any of us knew he had. In retirement, he seemed so happy. He found new passions and he continued to give back as a coach in his community. More importantly, he was an amazing dad, amazing husband who dedicated himself to his family and who loved his daughters with all his heart.

Kobe never left anything on the court and I think that's what he would want for us to do. No one knows how much time we have. That's why we must live in the moment. We must enjoy the moment. We must reach and see and spend as much time as we can with our families and friends and the people that we absolutely love.

To live in the moment means to enjoy each and every one that we come in contact with. When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. And as I look in this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died or else you wouldn't be here. Those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from. I promise you from this day forward, I will live with the memories of knowing that I had a little brother that I tried to help in everywhere I could.

Please rest in peace, little brother. And you were listening to Michael Jordan tearing up and he is not the kind of guy who cries in public, folks. And it happened several times as he went from sort of a banal speech to just getting right back into it about that special relationship he shared and just not wanting to cry in front of a bunch of people.

I can't wait to come home to be a girl dad. And that inspired, Kobe's life inspired Jordan to do that. Kobe Bryant's life memorialized, eulogized. He was born on this day in history in 1978.

Kobe Bryant remembered here on Our American Stories. Hey, this is Paris. I downloaded all my favorite things into my new Roblox experience. It's called Slivingland. It's got everything I love. Discovering, shopping, collecting, partying with my friends. Do you slay? Do you live? Do you sliv? You can join me, join me, join, join, join. Come sliv it up with me on Friday, August 25th. Get on the dance floor as I spin at the hottest party on Roblox. I can't wait for you to see it. Now you're sliv. Slivingland on Roblox.

Loves it. At Metro by T-Mobile, there's nada yada yada. That means no contracts, no price hikes, and no surprises. We don't even hide what the lawyers make us say.

We put it first. When we say no price hikes, we mean when you join Metro, your price will never increase for talk, text, and smartphone data. Our only exclusions are for limited time promos, previous charges, and third party services. Nada yada, nada yada yada. Nada yada, nada yada yada. Nada yada yada means wireless without the gotcha. Only at Metro. So their experiences can help inspire the MG community and educate others about this rare condition. Listen to find strength in community on the MG journey on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.