Interesting how Kobe's name entered my home a few days before his death. My wifes sister just moved to Newport Beach from San Diego. Her and her husband have lived there before but now could really afford to enjoy living in a nice area, about 5 - 10 mins from Kobe Bryant in fact. Anyway, she isn't the kind of person that cares much about celebrities or athletes and my wife and her talk about 2-3 times per month. Well she sends a text to my wife saying "I'm working out next to Kobe Bryant." I guess they were members of the same gym. When my wife told me that I thought, how cool must that have been, working out near an athlete of that magnitude (this was 2 days before the crash). That night I was fumbling around in instagram and I came to a video of Kobe vs Jordan, I watched every moment of them play against each other in awe, Jordan being my athlete hero as a boy growing up (along with the cubs).
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.