By Monika Gerges
On Jan. 6, beloved Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant, was killed along with eight others, in a helicopter crash. His death left fans of all ages in shock, as he was a figure whom thousands looked up to.
Now, individuals and institutions are making efforts to honor Bryant for both his basketball achievements and his accomplishments off the court.
Since Bryant was a father of four girls, he claimed to be a “girl dad.” Ever since his death, #girldad has been trending on Twitter and Instagram. Dads are posting photos with their daughters using the hashtag to remember Bryant’s role as a father.
On Jan. 24, the Lakers honored Bryant in the Staples Center and celebrated his life. LeBron James, another Lakers legend gave his own touching speech to commemorate the late basketball player.
“Tonight we celebrate the kid that came here at 18 years, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad that we’ve ever seen over the last three years,” James said.
In the event, the Lakers took 24.2 seconds of silence, 24 being Bryant’s Laker’s number and 2 being his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant’s, who was also killed in the crash.
During the Super Bowl, which took place on Feb. 2, the NFL paid their respects for the late basketball player. They lined up at the 24-yard line, honoring Bryant’s jersey number and gave both the daughter and father a moment of silence.
On Feb. 24, a memorial service for both Bryant’s will take place in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, commemorating one month since their passing. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, took to Instagram to share the symbolism behind the date as well. The 2 in 2/24/20 represents Gigi’s jersey number, 24 represents Kobe’s, and 20 represents the number of years that Bryant played for the Lakers.
Since their deaths, several murals have been made in honor of Gianna and Kobe Bryant. The majority of them are in Los Angeles, the city where Bryant dominated in basketball.
Besides large gestures, more local institutions are honoring Bryant in simple ways. At FVHS for example, the Monday following his passing students were encouraged to wear purple and yellow and a moment of silence was taken during the school day.
At Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia, the high school which Bryant attended and played basketball for created a video tribute and framed Bryant’s jersey.
Although Bryant died at 40, his vast contributions in basketball, as a father and as a role model still shine bright.
