In the days following the horrific deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, Shaquille O’Neal has been expressing his remorse over the loss of his friend and old teammate. O’Neal also lost his sister to cancer, just last October. The loss of Kobe coupled with his sister has taken quite a toll on the retired NBA star. Sources tell us that right now O’Neal is hurting badly from all of the losses he’s been experiencing in the last six months.
At the Hall of Fame ceremony for the NBA, emotions were heavy. Shaquille said, “I haven’t felt a paint that sharp in awhile…it definitely changes me.” Kobe Bryant had a positive impact on so many of his teammates, that his loss is still felt so strongly. Even outside the world of sports, the world is grieving his death heavily. Not only was he an excellent athlete, but he was an amazing philanthropist and family man as well. His family mourns his death, as well as his daughter, Gianna.
The Kobe Bryan public memorial is set to take place on Monday, February 24th at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The date (02/24/20) has an incredibly special meaning to Kobe’s fans and his family. Gianna Bryant’s basketball jersey number for her team was 2, and Kobe’s was 24. In addition to this special sentiment, Kobe and his wife Vanessa were married for 20 years, making all three numbers heavy with a beautiful meaning. A live stream of the ceremony will be available on the Yahoo! Sports page.
Although many teammates have spoken out about the loss of Kobe Bryant, O’Neal’s has been the most publicized in the media lens, given the magnitude of their relationship and their phenomenal NBA career together as close teammates. As the senior player to Kobe, O’Neal often acted as a mentor to him and had taken him under his wing. He likened the loss to Kobe to that of a family member, stating, “I’ve lost my sister, and now I’ve lost my little brother.”
As the world continues to cope with the lost of two amazing individuals, it’s important to understand that life is short and we don’t know if we will see tomorrow. Hold your loved ones close to you and tell them that you love them every single day. In this, we hope to continue to support to Bryant family during this tough time of deep losses. We send our thoughts to Vanessa Bryant and her children, and we thank Shaquille O’Neal for bravely speaking out about tragedy.
