Grind City Media’s Lang Whitaker and Kelcey Wright Johnson weigh in on the most pertinent news from around the NBA. What’s lit? What’s lame? Find out each week right here.
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 10:49 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
Kelcey,
Tomorrow will mark one year since we lost Kobe Bryant.
I know it’s been a full year and we’ve had time to think about and process the loss, but it still feels weird to even write that first sentence. Kobe, gone? Kobe was a warrior who was supposed to live forever. But that’s not how things worked out.
But instead of dwelling on the loss, let’s start this week by thinking about some of the good moments: What was your favorite Kobe moment? For me, it was probably being at Madison Square Garden the night Kobe scored 61 points. I’ve seen a lot of great performances in person over the years, but there was something really special about getting to see KB turn into unstoppable mode there in the World’s Most Famous Arena.
What about you? When you think of Kobe, what memories come to mind?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 9:12 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Gosh Lang, has it really already been a year? What a year.
I remember January 26, 2020 like it was yesterday — walking to FedExForum to see the Grizz play the Suns, when I got the news on my phone. And then walking into the arena, everyone was so sad. No music. No warm-ups. It was so horrible. But you’re right; let’s not dwell on the loss, let’s talk about our memories!
Although, one of my favorite memories includes a loss (for me, at least). January 22, 2006 — I was 15 years old, innocently watching the Raptors game in Toronto with my father and my older brother. We were all pretty happy about the game too—Raptors up by almost 20 points at half. Until Mr. Bryant TAKES OVER and finishes with a career-high 81 points to pull the victory right out from underneath us.
That memory stings, but as a basketball fan, it was really incredible to watch live. I remember my older brother losing his mind and yelling at the refs through the TV.
My last memory of Kobe was when I was in Beijing China in the fall of 2019, and Kobe was one of the ambassadors for the World Cup tournament. Not many people got to see the human side of Kobe — everyone saw the intense competitor side — but at the World Cup, I was privileged to be able to just see him be a regular guy. I remember he was just sitting laughing with Manu Ginobili at a table in the back before the gold medal game, laughing and (probably) telling old stories from the hardwood. It was cool to see him kick-back, and that smile, the last time I saw him, will always be how I remember him.
Now, that I’m tearing up… I’m going to throw it back to you. Do you have a favorite Kobe quote? I have a few that live in my head rent free.
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 9:55 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: RE: IMHO
Well, as an editor at SLAM magazine forever, I was lucky enough to get to spend some time around Kobe, so I don’t have quotes that live in my head as much as I do moments.
When we did the cover with Kobe holding the snake, for instance, I remember the snake pooping on Kobe just as we went to shoot the cover, and Kobe jumping into the air and blurting out a curse word, the same way you or I might react if something similar happened. (That snake, by the way, was not a black mamba. When we were setting up the shoot we called a snake handler, and they said there was no way we could get an actual black mamba, because they were just too dangerous to have around. I don’t recall exactly what kind of snake we ended up using, but it was something completely safe. Kobe was OK with that concession.)
I also remember when we were setting up this cover shoot in Hawaii, where the Lakers were having training camp. I drew the lucky straw and got to fly to Honolulu to be on site for the shoot and interview. But before I left to go out there, someone from Kobe’s team asked if we could fly Kobe’s barber out from L.A. for the shoot. Now, big time magazines routinely do stuff like this. But SLAM was not a big-time magazine – we could barely afford to fly me out there, much less a barber. So, we said no, we couldn’t fly the barber out, but as a compromise we offered to hire the best barber in Honolulu and have him on set for the afternoon. Kobe’s folks agreed to this, so we were all set.
The day of the shoot, we all got to the hotel ballroom and got everything set up, and the barber set up his whole station in the corner, excited to have a chance to cut Kobe’s hair. And then Kobe came strolling in with a fresh haircut. No idea where he got it or if he flew his own guy in, but leave it to Kobe to be totally prepared. At least the photographer (the GOAT Atiba Jefferson) and I got free haircuts that day.
Anyway, it’s been a year, and today feels about as sad at the day did one year ago. I’ve been on TV a lot in my career, talking about all kinds of various things, but having to go on the Grizzlies pregame show last year to talk about Kobe’s legacy, just hours after he passed, was about the closest I’ve ever come to breaking down on live TV.
I just realized I completely veered off your question. Which Kobe quotes live in your head?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 8:54 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Some of the quotes that I think about when I think about Kobe are:
- That time he called the ESPN “a bunch of idiots” after ranking him 40th in the league rankings
- When he was being called a ballhog and in the game, passed the ball off the backboard to himself; “I should get an assist for that. It’s an intentional pass to oneself, so its an assist. That way people can’t say all I do is shoot.”
And the two best ones, in my opinion:
- “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
- “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
So, that being said… Lang, out of all the players in the league right now. Who is “the next Kobe Bryant?” Who embodies the Mamba Mentality the most?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 9:23 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: RE: IMHO
This is an easy question: There is no next Kobe Bryant.
I feel like we learned this lesson with Michael Jordan. When MJ left (the first time), everyone wanted to know who was going to be the next MJ. This was something that was debated endlessly. Would it be Grant Hill? Tracy McGrady? Vince Carter? Heck, would it be Kobe?
As it turned out, there was no next Michael Jordan. Jordan was Jordan. Grant Hill was Grant Hill. T-Mac was T-Mac. Vince was Vince. And just like Kobe wanted to be, Kobe turned out to be Kobe, which was quite good enough.
I do like the way you posed the question though: As far as that mentality, who has that edge? LeBron? Dame Lillard? Those were the first two players who came to mind for me. And keeping it closer to home, I know it’s still early in his NBA career, but I think Ja has some of that mentality, too.
So maybe that mentality translates in some ways, but I think we can all agree on one thing: There will never be another Kobe Bryant.