| |
|
NBA --- The Kobe Memorial at Staples Center is gone but the sadness lingers (PHOTOS)
By Nicholai R. Roska PhilBoxing.com Thu, 06 Feb 2020

LOS ANGELES --- Quietly, in the dead of a dwindling Super Bowl Sunday night, the makeshift memorial that came to life around the Staples Center-L.A.Live campus was taken down to make way for contractually obligated events at the venues.
With loving and careful diligence, each of the thousands of non-perishable items (toys, jerseys basketballs etc) that fans left behind as a tribute to their fallen star were catalogued, most of which will be shipped to Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Laine Bryant, who made the request.
In the days following the death of Kobe, his 13-year old daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash last week, the shrine became a vivid expression of the world's grief over the horrendous tragedy.
It's gone now. But the sadness lingers.
The text was short but jarring enough to bring friends Chad Noval, Ryann Gestopa and John Paul Maglasang together in communal sorrow. Lifelong Kobe fans since the 90’s and now based north of the border in Canada, frigid Detroit and sunny California, respectively, the trio reconnected and recalled their Kobe moments, recalling the times when they harbored the same affinity for collecting Kobe jerseys, sneakers during their youth.
Ryann made a heartfelt basketball confession :” I was really shocked when I got a call from from Chad in Canada, I haven’t heard from him in a long time...Kobe was kind of our hero growing up! We had to tell each that other friendships endures and will always remember the L.A. Laker icon for bringing us up together."
Grief is a cycle, tenacious in its intensity, searing in its pain. But it will eventually subside because time almost always heals what is broken.
Meanwhile, it is the fond memories and remembrances that will keep some emotions from completely falling apart.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Nicholai R. Roska.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Hamzah Sheeraz Demolishes Edgar Berlanga in Stunner, Becomes Mandatory Challenger to Canelo Alvarez By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025Shakur Stevenson Masterfully Tames William Zepeda to Retain WBC Lightweight Crown By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Score KO Wins in Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025Yanon is PBF flyweight champ By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod? By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA , Sat, 12 Jul 2025JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis) By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026 , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8 , Fri, 11 Jul 2025Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp , Thu, 10 Jul 2025Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25 , Thu, 10 Jul 2025Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle , Thu, 10 Jul 2025Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy , Thu, 10 Jul 20254 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas , Thu, 10 Jul 2025SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON , Thu, 10 Jul 2025FIGHT EMPIRE! TUAZON, ADOR, DE BARBO, JOMAR, AND MORE ARE READY FOR ACTION IN BRICO SANTIG'S EXCITING SHOW JULY 12 IN THAILAND By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025Shakur Stevenson and David Morrell Face "Crossroad Fights" This Saturday in Queens By Ralph Rimpell, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025Christy Martin’s “Mayhem in Music City 2” to Feature Undefeated Vic Hernandez Facing Jayvon Garnett for NABA & Jr. NABF Featherweight Championships , Wed, 09 Jul 2025 |

|
|
|
|
|