Kevin Durant spoke with reporters on Tuesday about the death of Kobe Bryant, and how he feels the league should pay tribute to the Laker legend moving forward.
Although Durant explained that there's nothing big enough to truly honor the Black Mamba, he hopes each player will play with that fiery intensity and passion (aka the Mamba Mentality) that Kobe brought to each and every game and practice.
Says Durant:
"If every basketball player goes out there and plays as hard as they can every single night to honor Kobe I think that'll do. I tried to write, or think about what I would say or what I would write, and nothing was big enough, you know? That's how I feel about everything when it comes to Kobe Bryant.
It feels like nothing will ever be big enough to truly honor Kobe Bryant. But how we approach every day life - me as a disciple of Kobe, who studied him, learned from him - I think it's my justice to go out there and try to be the best I can be every single day. Not just in basketball, but in everything, and I feel like everybody who loved Kobe is going to take that approach in their lives."
The Brooklyn Nets were one of 16 teams to play on Sunday but they were without Kyrie Irving, who left Madison Square Garden immediately after learning the devastating news. The Nets have off on TUesday but they'll return to the court on Wednesday as they host the Detroit Pistons.
Kobe Bryant’s Latest Nike Kobe V Release May Be Postponed Following Tragedy
'Big Stage/Championship Parade' Nike Kobe V was originally scheduled for February 7th.
In the wake of Kobe Bryant's death, his hardcore supporters and casual fans alike have flocked to Nike.com, as well as other retail sites, to get their hands on any Kobe-related products available. As of this writing, all of the sneakers and apparel have sold out on Nike and there are reports that The Swoosh advised major retailers like Foot Locker to send their Kobe gear back to Nike HQ, in response to resellers jacking up the prices.
Nike will surely stock up on the Kobe sneakers and apparel in the near future, but for the time being it appears they want to make sure everything gets done right. For example, the upcoming "Big Stage/Championship Parade" Nike Kobe V Protro, which was scheduled to debut on February 7th, has already been removed from Foot Locker's release calendar and there's a chance the drop may be postponed until further notice.
The yet-to-be-named Kobe V Protro combines both "Home" and "Away" versions of the "Big Stage" Kobe V colorway, along with elements taken from Kobe's "Parade" PE. The result is a unique split design - the right shoe featuring a white lateral side and a black graphic on the medial side, while the left shoe flips the script. The laser-etched detailing, pulled from Bryant's "Parade" PE, is accompanied by gold accents throughout, similar to the "Big Stage" color scheme.
Take a look at the photos embedded below, and stay tuned for an official announcement regarding the release date.
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Willie D Questions Why Kobe Bryant Died Instead Of Charles Barkley
How about neither of them?
Geto Boys have never had an issue being direct with their audience. The rap legends known as Scarface, Bushwick Bill, and Willie D revolutionized the Houston scene and they never shied away from voicing their opinions. In recent years, Willie D has remained one of the more assertive figures in pop culture, discussing some of the most damning events happening today. Several years ago, he called out basketball analyst Charles Barkley in a song called “C**n” where he accused the man of speaking down on his race. Their differences still haven’t cleared up and, upon hearing about Kobe Bryant’s death this weekend, Willie D wished another legend was taken away instead.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
“It’s okay to question God,” wrote the rapper on social media, filming a video where he expresses his shock at the passing of Kobe Bryant. “In the wake of the late, great Kobe Bryant dying tragically, suddenly, young, a lot of people are in pain all over the world. Some people are saying it feels like the loss of a family member. I agree. Kobe was a good dude. So much so that some people are questioning God. I got a question for God too. Why Kobe? How come you didn’t take Charles Barkley? No more talk.”
The response to Willie D’s post has been mixed with some fans echoing the sentiment and others reminding him that Barkley also has a family and it isn’t right to wish death on anybody. What do you think?
Brendan Schaub & Bryan Callen Question Ari Shaffir’s Kobe Bryant Tweet
The Fighter and The Kid don’t know why Ari Shaffir would go so low.
The tragic and sudden death of Kobe Bryant has elicited tons of sadness from the basketball community and the rest of the world. The Los Angeles Lakers legend was a hero to many, spreading wisdom and confidence with the entire globe. Kobe was a household name in every continent, which makes his death that much more difficult to process. Comedian Ari Shaffir struck a major nerve when he reacted to the tragic news, tweeting that the baller “died 23 years too late.” Of course, he was referring to the 2003 rape case in Denver, Colorado. The disgusting comments have been picked apart by several sources, including Bryan Callen and Brendan Schaub, who discussed the remarks on their podcast The Fighter and the Kid.
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The actor and the former MMA fighter spoke at length about the comments Ari Shaffir made during a new episode of their show. Bryan Callen said that he is mildly associated with Shaffir through comedy and, after seeing his messages about Bryant, he reached out to the man to see why he would stoop so low. “I sent him a long text about how I just found it really offensive and I regretted sending the text — I even said to him, because we got into it a little, and I said ‘I don’t know you that well.’ What am I doing? Am I scolding Ari? It’s not my place to even say this to Ari but I didn’t wanna talk behind his back, I wanted to talk to him,” said Callen.
Brendan Schaub says that he’s just so confused about the intention behind the messages since, in his words, he can’t find the humor in what was posted. They then go on to speak about Shaffir’s character, which has always been on the friendlier side during their interactions. “If Ari was an asshole, I wouldn’t care,” adds Callen. “I don’t know Ari well but I know people who know Ari very well. My experience up until now with Ari has always been that he’s actually a very kind-hearted human being who means all the best.” Schaub agreed.
The two discuss Shaffir’s comments for over ten minutes, offering great insight into the situation, which begins at the 12-minute mark.
Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie Changes Number In Honor Of Kobe Bryant
Dinwiddie is personally retiring No. 8.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie is one of the many NBA stars who grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, and it's the reason he has worn No. 8 throughout his career. In the aftermath of Kobe's death, Dinwiddie has announced that he is personally retiring the No. 8.
The 26-year old guard revealed that he will now be wearing No. 26 moving forward.
Dinwiddie grew up in the L.A. area during the height of Kobe Bryant's illustrious NBA career. Following Sunday's game at Madison Square Garden, which took place just hours after the tragic helicopter crash, Dinwiddie explained that Kobe telling him he was an All Star meant more than actually being selected to the team.
“I met Kobe several times, exchanged pleasantries and text messages and things, and maybe it’s a little bit overexaggerating but I felt like this was the first time he was looking at me as the basketball player, Spencer, you know what I mean?” Dinwiddie said on Sunday, according to the New York Post.
“I briefly told you guys how much he meant to all the people from where I’m from, and for him to tell me that in his book, I’m an All-Star and stuff like that, that uh — I kinda talk about [the All-Star Game as] a popularity contest before, like you know, you don’t win things like that when you’re me. So for him to say that, like, I didn’t need to be selected anymore, because I was an All-Star. It’s not just like my family knows. The guy [knows].”
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, several other NBA players who wear No. 8 or No. 24 are also expected to change their jersey numbers. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has already announced that no Maverick will ever wear No. 24 again, and there's a strong chance that other teams around the league will do the same.
Blac Chyna Lashes Out At Kylie Jenner For Taking Dream On Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter: Report
Blac Chyna’s upset.
Blac Chyna’s anger towards Kylie Jenner and the Kardashian/Jenner family overall seem to be never-ending. On top of the suit Blac has against the reality family, accusing them of tanking her reality show on E! and subsequently trying to ruin her career (allegedly) she’s now big mad that Kylie once took her daughter, Dream, on a helicopter ride – the same helicopter that killer Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven other individuals.
According to new reports, Blac’s team of lawyers ripped Kylie a new one for taking Dream on a helicopter ride for her third birthday. “Chyna has become aware that Kylie Jenner is using the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his beautiful daughter, and seven other precious souls to profess her ‘distress’ that she and Dream had ridden on the same helicopter with the same pilot prior to Sunday’s horrific crash,” Lynne Ciani, Blac’s lawyer wrote. “What Kylie failed to disclose was that Chyna never gave Kylie permission to take her precious daughter Dream on a helicopter ride and that Chyna never would have given Kylie that permission.”
When Kobe sadly passed, Kylie shared to Instagram that she was a frequent flyer on the same helicopter and grew to know the pilot very well. “Rest in peace..and prayers to these families,” she wrote. “I still can’t believe this. That was the helicopter I would fly on from time to time with that pilot, Ara. He was such a nice man. Hold your loved ones close.”
Jamie Foxx Gives Heartfelt Tribute To Kobe Bryant: “He Lived Legendary"
Jamie Foxx spoke with TMZ Monday night on the passing of Kobe Bryant.
Jamie Foxx was leaving the famous Tao restaurant in Hollywood, California Monday night when TMZ caught up with him to ask him his thoughts on the passing of Kobe Bryant.
Foxx first started out by saying “God bless” his family, before going deeper and talking about Kobe’s transition from being a “legend” in life to what he can be now. He also said that Kobe made us think about love and family more.
“He lived legendary. And his transition will be legendary man. He literally like he made us think about love more. You can’t put your mind around it, but I will say this, it’ll be looked at as something of legends man. Like I said it made me want to embrace life, family more. Just God bless him and his family.”
Jamie ended his comments by saying we shouldn’t second guess God’s plan, although we’re all hurting at the moment. “They say God don’t make mistakes so we got to go with God’s plan man even though we don’t understand it. It’s sad but at the same time its of legend.”
With emotional held back, watch Jamie talk about Kobe’s legendary life (below).
"The Alchemist" Author, Paulo Coelho, Scraps Draft Of Book Co-Written By Kobe Bryant
Coelho thinks it doesn’t make sense to continue the project without Kobe.
While Kobe Bryant had already given so much to the world, with his untimely passing comes the imagining of all that still lay ahead for him. After retiring from his legendary NBA career, Bryant dove into the world of children’s literature. He conceptualized stories for authors to bring to life on the page: Legacy and the Queen (Annie Matthew), Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof (Ivy Claire), The Wizenard Series: Training Camp (Wesley King).
Another author that Bryant had a children’s book in the works with was Paulo Coelho, who is well-known for his novel, The Alchemist. Coelho revealed in an Instagram post that, in the wake of Bryant passing in a helicopter crash on Sunday, he will be scrapping the draft of the book they were co-writing. He posted a screenshot of Bryant messaging him to collaborate in August of 2019. “Let’s [write] that book together,” Kobe pitched. To which Coelho replied, “Anytime.”
“You were more than a great player, dear Kobe Bryant,” Coelho wrote in the caption of his post. “I learned a lot by interacting with you. Will delete the draft right now, this book has lost its reason.”
Coelho explained his decision to not move forward with the project to The Associated Press: “I deleted the draft because it didn’t make any sense to publish without him. It wouldn’t add anything relevant to him or his family. That doesn’t stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger-than-life person he was. But the children’s book did not make sense anymore.”
Coelho also spoke on what he learned about Bryant’s character from their interactions: “I saw him enough times to assure he had much more than sports on his mind, it wasn’t all about competition. His tragic death has shown already how he was important to the world, not only to the United States. We will discuss his legacy for many years, much beyond sport.”
Tracy McGrady: Kobe Bryant Had Said, "I Want To Die Young"
“I just thought he was so crazy for saying that.”
During Monday night's edition of "The Jump" on ESPN, Tracy McGrady recalled one of the chilling things that Kobe Bryant had told him years ago. McGrady, who made the leap from high school to the NBA just one year after Kobe did, explained that Bryant always used to say that he wanted to die young and be immortalized.
“He used to say all the time, ‘I want to die young,’” McGrady said of Bryant. “He used to say ‘I want to die young. I want to be immortalized. I want to have my career be better than Michael Jordan’s, and I want to die young.’
“I just thought he was so crazy for saying that.”
When asked by ESPN's Rachel Nichols, McGrady clarified that Kobe's comments came during his younger days, well before he was a father of four daughters. Says McGrady, "Clearly that statement was way before kid. I’m sure that when he had kids, he didn’t have the mindset.”
Check out the full clip in the video embedded below.
In addition to all of his on-court achievements, Bryant also experienced a tremendous amount of success in his post-NBA life, including an Oscar for his short animated film, "Dear Basketball." Most of all, Kobe's closest friends remember him as a loving father and husband who cherished his family more than any of his other accolades.
Comedian Ari Shaffir Celebrates Kobe Bryant’s Death In Disrespectful Tweet
Ari Shaffir said that Kobe Bryant "died 23 years too late."
This is the kind of thing you should really just keep to yourself. If you feel the need to celebrate somebody else's death, you're likely pretty screwed up and, in Ari Shaffir's case, he's receiving the backlash he rightfully deserves. Over the weekend, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were named among the fatalities in a Calabasas helicopter crash. The entire world -- not just the basketball community -- has been mourning his tremendous loss, remembering all the incredible feats he achieved and sending love to Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's longtime partner. Comedian Ari Shaffir decided to take the opportunity to actually gloat about how happy he was that the legend passed away, tweeting that it should have happened during his rape trial in 2003. As you would expect, he's being cancelled as we speak.
"Kobe Bryant died 23 years too late today," reportedly wrote Shaffir, who later claimed he was hacked. "He got away with rape because all the Hollywood liberals who attack comedy enjoy rooting for the Lakers more than they dislike rape. Big ups to the hero who forgot to gas up his chopper. I hate the Lakers. What a great day."
His account has since been made private and, after insisting he did not press send on the disgusting post, he actually doubled down with a video saying basically the same thing. "Every once in a while there's a good story that comes out," says Shaffir as he stands in front of the Charlotte Hornets' arena, which is the team that drafted Bryant. "A guy who got away with rape got his today. Kobe Bryant is gone. I'm here in Charlotte, the home of the team that originally drafted him... maybe he wouldn't have raped that chick in Denver if he had stayed in Charlotte with the Hornets."
There's no place for commentary like this, especially when a mother is mourning the loss of her husband and her teenage daughter.
On The Fighter and The Kid podcast, Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen discussed the comments, noting that Shaffir has never exhibited signs of this level of disrespect. They say that his video "shatters common decency," which is a sentiment echoed by thousands of fans online. Watch below at the 12-minute mark. Rest in peace, Kobe and Gigi.
