#MNR: MAMBA DAY

#MNR: MAMBA DAY
 
“Rest in peace Kobe and Nip, that’s off the rip. “
Nasir Jones
 
“Take my punches like a trooper, take my losses like a man. It come with the territory, take the good with the bad.”
Prodigy (LONG LIVE MY NIGGA BANDANA P)
 
My niece Zari’s earth day was 8.12. Baby girl, I apologize for failing to shout you out on the #MNR. Thankfully, I was present for her birthday function. Here’s to 85 more trips around the sun, my love. Her mom, my sister, is celebrating her earth day TODAY. HAPPY EARTH DAY JANAY! Love you, always.
 
It will come as a surprise to everyone in my family, but I was the second boy born to Shareon. Eighteen days prior to my grand opening, she gave birth to my twin Kobe Bean. Ok, I’m obviously lying. However, I am completely candid when I express my mother’s love for Kobe Bryant. She, like all of Archie and Mary’s chillun, eschewed the Knickerbockers in favor of other teams. I’m not exactly sure who my Auntie Cynthia and Uncle Archie’s favorite teams are, but Shareon was, and Alan is a Lakers fan. And – you guessed it – Kobe was my mom’s favorite. She loved the Big Fella (Shaquille Rashaan O’Neal), but Jelly’s boy was her ride-or-die. She even named her last doggie Kobe.
 
As for me, I was naturally a day one fan. He and I are the two most famous Americans of the storied class of 1996 (HCHS Blue Comet pride). I followed his career, beginning with his senior year at Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphian suburbs. I watched draft night when he wore a Charlotte Hornets hat for about three minutes (y’all forgot about that) before the great, late Jerry West pulled the heist of the 20th century, trading an aging yet still skilled Vlade Divac and some spare used car parts for the prodigy. I watched him experience his growing pains. I watched as Adidas made those ugly ass, oversized slipper looking sneakers for him to play in (I heard they were OD comfortable). I watched him win the most boring Slam Dunk Contest in NBA history (at that point) in 1997 with basic dunks that somehow were still the best of the bunch (a fucking snooze fest). I watched as he and Shaq figured it out with the help of Phil Jackson and Tex Winters (IYKYK). I watched a dominant dynasty three-peat, then break apart in the ultimate display of ego 2x. I watched SportsCenter on a Sunday evening in 2003 when there were reports out of Eagle, CO that he allegedly sexually assaulted a 19-year-old hotel employee. I was as shocked as could be. At the time, he was easily the most squeaky-clean superstar in all of sports. He’s my guy, but if allegations of epar are true, he’s not my guy anymore. I watched as charges were dropped. I watched him move on and mend his fractured image. I watched him shake Adidas’ mid ass and join the one and only swoosh. I watched him win two more ‘ships with Queens’ Finest L.O. (Lamar Odom) and the amazing Pau Gasol. I watched him drop a 60-piece in his final game. I watched him retire gracefully and become a global ambassador for Nike. I watched him embrace the role of girl dad. I watched (saw) nothing but smiles on Vanessa, GiGi (prayer hands & blue heart emoji), and the rest of the girls’ faces whenever they were around Kobe.
 
Sunday, 1.26.2020 was a tough day. My bro Ant text me around 13:00 or 14:00 (out of the blue) with an RIP. My heart fell in my lap. I immediately began checking the news and internet. NOTHING. I asked Ant if he was sure. He explained that he heard Kobe’s helicopter went down. Multiple casualties. No survivors. One of his daughters was possibly amongst the dead. I checked Wikipedia because MFs are OD quick to update a death date on Wikipedia. Nothing. I went back to Google. Nothing. Although it felt like an eternity, it was a good fifteen minutes of trepidation. I prayed my brother was wrong, that he’d received bad news. The internet has been known to lie here and there. Ironically, the first “legitimate” site to confirm his death was TMZ. Yeah, I know. As soon as they broke my heart, CBS News confirmed it. By then Twitter had exploded. I hate irony...we’d just lost the other Los Angeles gawd Nipsey nine months prior...on a Sunday. So many of us were in shambles. I’m thankful my mother wasn’t around to witness news of Kobe's death. They say the worst thing in life is having to bury your own child.
 
On a much lighter note, I caught a dub on the Mamba Day restocks. The Kobe 8 Protro “Venice Beach” arrive tomorrow. That makes me 4/4 on “recent” Kobe releases: the Kobe 6 “Grinch” AND “Reverse Grinch,” the Kobe 8 Protro “Radiant Emerald,” and the aforementioned “Venice Beach.” I haven’t missed one time. A lot of sneakerheads haven’t been successful AT ALL. 0/4. Call me crazy, but that’s my brother, my niece, and my mother making sure I’m first in [the virtual] line every MF time. I love all three of y’all. I’ll see y’all on the other side. Give me about 35 years. I’ll be right there.
 
HAPPY EARTH DAY, BROTHER. LONG LIVE THE BLACK MAMBA.
 
HAPPY MAMBA DAY TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AND ALL US KOBE FANS.