Just 18 days before Kobe Bryant's tragic death in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, he stopped by the All The Smoke podcast to chat about his career and personal life.
When asked about how he kept his marriage strong throughout the couple's ups and downs, Kobe boiled it down to two important components: "Commitment and [the] competitiveness of 'We're going to succeed.'" He added, "That's all the beauty of it: having the persistence and determination to work through things — very, very tough things — and we've been able to do that."
The dad-of-four also hinted that there were still rough patches with Vanessa Bryant, using a funny anecdote to get his point across.
"We've seen couples that have been like 85 years old and you look and you're like, 'Oh man, such an old, sweet couple,' and I'd go talk to them because I wanna know...," he shared. "One time a guy goes, 'Yeah it's great, but she just kicked me out of the bed last night, I was sleeping on the couch last two nights.' And I'm like, 'It doesn't change.'"
President Donald Trump initially tweeted about reports of the crash and Bryant's passing, calling it "terrible news!" He later shared a longer message, writing, "Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life.
He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating.... Melania and I send our warmest condolences to Vanessa and the wonderful Bryant family. May God be with you all!"
While Kobe Bryant's high-profile career meant his face was plastered on countless television screens and magazine covers, Vanessa rarely gives interviews or takes center stage. Unfortunately, her relative low media profile served as a sharp contrast to when she shared the spotlight with Kobe as he admitted to committing adultery and faced sexual assault charges in December 2003.
Of course, there's much more to Vanessa than how she responded to that one ugly incident in her marriage. Vanessa and Kobe's relationship held strong and as they focused on family, raising their daughters, and forging a lasting legacy on the court and off it.
Unfortunately, Vanessa will face the toughest challenges of her life as she copes with the tragic death of her husband and their daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Let's take a closer look at the untold truth of this tremendous woman.
Kobe 2003 Revisited
A little over two years after getting married, Kobe Bryant's wife's hopes and dreams of a perfect union were shattered when her husband was accused of sexually assaulting a Colorado hotel employee in 2003. Kobe Bryant appeared in a now-infamous televised news conference with a stoic — yet visibly defeated — Vanessa Bryant by his side. "You're my backbone.
You're a blessing. You're a piece of my heart. You're the air I breathe," Kobe told Vanessa as tears rolled down his face (via People). "And you're the strongest person I know, and I'm so sorry for having to put you through this and having to put our family through this."
The criminal case against Kobe Bryant was dropped in September 2004 after the alleged victim refused to testify, the Los Angeles Times reported. Kobe eventually settled a civil lawsuit with his accuser out of court, but the scandal continued to affect Vanessa's life.
In the Showtime documentary Kobe Bryant's Muse (via New York Daily News), Kobe revealed that Vanessa had been pregnant but suffered a miscarriage in early 2005. Kobe blamed himself for the loss, stating that Vanessa was dealing with too much stress in connection to the sexual assault allegations.
"We should be building our family," he said. "But because of my mistake, because of this tough year, we lost a baby."
Editor Note
Kobe was a talented basketball player.
He was promoted in the sports news media as someone who should be emulated.
Emulated because he was a talented basketball player.
I think it was ok to admire his talent as a basketball player but not to the point of making him an idol.
This is what happens when the news media promotes anything or anyone.
Kobe made mistakes and like some people initially lied about his adultery and when caught red handed admitted at a news conference with his wife he did have a sexual encounter with a 19-year-old woman at an exclusive spa where he was staying when he came to Colorado for knee surgery.
Kobe was not innocent and neither are any of us.
We all have lied at one time or another. We all have been caught in a lie.
Kobe was a sinner as we all are.
We all make mistakes including myself, we all are sinners.
Often when people die suddenly or otherwise the narrative is glowing and only invokes memories of a "perfect" life that will be remembered.
Of course it would not be correct to speak of the "mistakes" or sins a person has
committed in his life as this would be awkward and because of the grieving family and friends etc.
It would not be correct to speak of a persons "mistakes" or sins at a funeral or to a grieving family member or friend.
I think it is appropriate to not ignore or hide the truth about a persons past using discretion.
Post reporter Felicia Sonmez shared a 2016 story about 2003 rape allegations from The Daily Beast headlined, “Kobe Bryant’s Disturbing Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, the Accuser’s Story, and the Half-Confession,” as details of the helicopter crash were still trickling out.
“Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality… even if that public figured is beloved and that totality unsettling,” Sonmez wrote. “That folks are responding with rage & threats toward me… speaks volumes about the pressure people come under to stay silent in these cases.”
Because I am familiar with the 2003 about Kobe Bryant and his news conference I also think Kobe was sincere in his apology to his wife but was NOT sincere in the news conference about the sexual assault. Kobe defended himself against the assault charge.
We must remember God knows everything we do or have ever done.
We are all sinners Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
John3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Often many people only reflect on a persons accomplishments trying to establish a glowing legacy.
What someone does in this life is important, very important.
If we only live to do only what we want to do we are deceiving ourselves.
I John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
There is only one remedy for our sin.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Ask yourself if you are ashamed of Jesus.
There is only one remedy for our sin.
There was only one remedy for Kobe's sin.
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The Blessed Security of the Sinner January 19, 2020, Michael Winningham, 2020 Sermons
MountCalvaryBaptist.org
GeerMemorial.org Podcasts iTunes Podcasts
GeerMemorial.org
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