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| Kobe Bryant |
On January 26, 2020, NBA champion Kobe Bryant passed away at the age of 41 in Calabasas, California in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers. Over the course of his career, he became the all-time scorer for The Lakers over the course of 20 years. He is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history with five championships and has become ubiquitous with excellence as an athlete. With a poem detailing his retirement called "Dear Basketball," he became a rare sports start to also win an Oscar, proving that he was capable of doing anything. What he leaves behind is a seismic shift in how everyone not only sees the sport but how athletes from every generation since sees the game. He was a legend in his own time, and his work more than speaks for itself.
