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“Woke Up In The Middle Of The Night In Tears”: Former Friend of Kobe Bryant is Still in Disbelief Over the Tragic Demise of the Legend

Published 05/14/2020, 9:38 AM EDT

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The tragic demise of Kobe Bryant left everyone in tears. Life is very much unpredictable, and when Kobe was with his daughter aboard the helicopter, never in a million years would he have wanted the copter to crash. But such is the harsh reality of life, and one can never really predict when the journey will come to an end.

In his beautiful life, Kobe had made several friends along the way. Apart from his close family, his dear friends would feel the huge void left by the five-time NBA champion. The mamba pursued a similar approach to his off-court problems just as he would face his on-court worries. He always believed in overcoming obstacles in one way or another. Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka rightly put the value of his friendship in a few words. “In a time like this, where there is a lot of darkness in the world, he is the strongest of friends you can have.”

Rashad Phillips still can’t get over the demise of Kobe Bryant

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The impact of the mamba in the lives of his friends just can’t be measured. His life values teach people a lot, and some of them just can’t get over the fact that he is not with us anymore.

Rashad Phillips, a professional basketball player who went unpicked in the 2001 NBA Draft, has everlasting memories about the Lakers legend. Rashad was mainly avoided by the teams because of his 5-foot-9 height. Kobe even called him the best talent to go undrafted. Then he was picked to play in the NBA Developmental League, now known as the NBA G League.

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Rashad and Kobe eventually became close, and their bond strengthened as the years passed. Recently, he took to Twitter to express his grief and disbelief over the loss of his dear friend. He wrote, “Woke up in the middle of night in tears. I miss you bro. Like some days I just struggle. I haven’t accepted it dog. The conversations we had play back in my head over and over. I’m in denial my dude. Some days I just can’t deal. I be at a loss for words my dude.”

Reading this message hits us right in the feels. Even if you’re no close friend of Kobe Bryant, knowing what he stood for and what he accomplished in his short life sends chills down your spine. Thus, the impact the mamba had on the lives of tons of people, both as a basketball player and as a person, just can’t be denied. Rest in Peace, Legend.

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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