Tom Brady on Kobe Bryant's death: 'Decide to make a change in yourself'
Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were among those who eulogized Kobe Bryant in a ceremony Monday
Tom Brady reflected on the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant in a tweet Tuesday – one day after friends, family and fans came together at the Staples Center to celebrate their lives.
Brady released a five-paragraph statement about what Kobe Bryant meant to him and why he will miss him and questioned why the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s death affected him greatly.
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Kobe Bryant with his wife and children. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
“For some, these days are the pinnacle in their lives, and there’s nothing wrong with that but it’s clear to me, for Kobe, that was how he lived his life in every way," Brady wrote. "In his second chapter, you saw even more. You saw his excitement for life, and for achieving in areas only he thought possible. He became more of an entrepreneur, media mogul, father, husband and mentor among other roles. And he didn’t stop himself. Kobe didn’t care whether you were a man or woman, boy or girl, black or white, rich or poor, ordinary or extraordinary, he wanted to help you become the best you could be. His mere presence had an effect on everybody he was around. He had the energy to recognize in others what they could not recognize in themselves.”
He added: “I think that’s why I will miss him the most. Because we all know the world needs more leadership and positivity. We recognize that he was doing the work that others don’t want to or simply can’t do. The world we live in is full of people telling kids and adults ‘you can’t’ ‘you shouldn’t,’ ‘you won’t’ or ‘you never will.’ The world we live in is teaching EVERYONE to fear, to worry, to shame or to give up. And that’s the opposite of what Kobe stood for. That’s what made Kobe a real superhero. He spoke about mentality with such conviction, about the idea that if you truly believed in something you could achieve it… you could overtime the obstacles in your path. And not just that, he walked the walk and did the work. He pushed others to find that some confidence. He was the real life superhero our world needs.”
KOBE BRYANT AND DAUGHTER GIANNA BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVE
Brady asked who was going to be the next person to “carry the load” and fight “against the norm.” He said it was going to be “ALL OF US.”
“Decide to make the change in yourself. IF there is anything I have learned and been inspired by through this tragic event, it is this, SEIZE THE DAY. That’s what Kobe always did, and that’s what he wanted for us too.”
Bryant and his daughter were among the nine who died late last month in a helicopter crash in California.
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Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were among those who eulogized Kobe Bryant in a ceremony Monday.