"I wanted to have a father like him": fans tell their Kobe Bryant

An icon of basketball, sport and for many fans, the impression of losing a loved one. From the Paris region to Cameroon, via Le Mans, the shock was immense in the aftermath of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, at the age of 41.

Here is the testimony of three faithful from number 24 of the Lakers. All in their own way, they pay an unconditional tribute to the “Black Mamba”, a figure who inspired them outside the parquet floors, despite the arrogance that was sometimes criticized.

"His farewell was a bit like the sacrifice of Iron Man"

Nicolas, 23, lives in (Essonne) and plays in the local basketball club.

"In three weeks, I will realize my dream and leave for the first time in Los Angeles. I'm going to see Lebron James who is a monster, but I wish I had been born years earlier to see the Black Mamba with my own eyes. I learned to love this sport, the Lakers, the NBA thanks to it. I always wanted to look like Shaquille O'Neal because I play the pivot like him, but I was also inspired by Kobe's back to basket movements.

The Kobe Bryant special "2K" collector's poster stuck in Nicolas' room.

I have one or two Kobe jerseys. But, above all, I have the legendary edition of the video game "2K17" for his retirement, with a poster. I will never forget this farewell match. 60 points in the match, and these “MVPs” chanted by the public with each of their free throws. The most moving thing was when he left the field a little before the end of the match. I was divided between a feeling of sadness and joy. It was part of my childhood that was disappearing. I am from the new generation of films. So his farewell was a bit like the sacrifice of Iron Man.

VIDEO. Basketball legend Kobe Bryant did not miss his release

After clearly yes, Kobe Bryant was very arrogant! There was a funny Nike ad about the bitterness of opposing supporters. But at its level, when you eliminate a team on your own, you can be. He did a lot of personal actions, and attempted shots while a possible pass was open. But it was in his mentality. This perfectly describes the Black Mamba lifestyle. Kobe always wanted to train, outdo himself and win the most titles. "

"Sometimes I wanted to have a father like him"

Jean-Noël-Romaric, 21, Cameroonian student in Yaoundé (Cameroon).

“Since Sunday evening, I have been in shock. I have not slept. I go through all the TV news and apps to see if a miracle can happen. I don't play basketball. I was doing athletics but I had an accident so I stopped but it inspired me to always keep going.

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Sometimes I wanted to have a father like him. I remember the beating of my heart when he was about to put a basket. My God, it was unbearable. I could follow his matches a bit but it was difficult because of the lack of TV. So I was just catching up on the Internet when I was in an internet cafe. I did not have the means to get a jersey but I have it in the background.

When I followed his interviews and watched his matches, I felt this energy. I even said to myself that if I can't become a basketball player like him, I will be like him in my field and my character. People have their preferences and then we don't care, we will never be loved by everyone, it's inevitable. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that behind these criticisms hid a certain jealousy and bitterness, perhaps due to the fact that they could not accomplish what Kobe did. "

"Every noon, we would go through the statistics of the night"

Antoine, 30, lives in Le Mans. He was eleven when Kobe Bryant became an NBA star.

“I have the impression of losing a loved one, because memories of his career, of particular matches, are mixed with personal memories. I discovered and loved basketball at 11 with him (he was 22, it was still a hope, a legend in the making), and I never stopped. His career is the common thread of my adolescence, and two-thirds of my life.

All this is linked to the nostalgia that we can have in middle and high school years, at the time of the first bands of friends. I remember being aware of his 81-point match in the computer room of my high school, where every noon we would go over the statistics for the night. There was no smartphone in 2006.

Two years ago, something funny happened to me about Kobe Bryant. We are going on a school trip to Italy, near Rome. And on the outward journey, we spend the night in a hotel near Rome, I have a room for three, with my two best friends, also fans of Kobe. Quickly, we see that the TV in the room broadcasts the NBA at night, from 3 am. A stroke of luck, that night, the Lakers were playing in the playoffs against Houston. At the time of the match, towels are placed under the bedroom door so that the teachers do not see the TV light and we watch the match without the sound, to suggest that we are sleeping.

Kobe is not making his best game, but he is completely decisive in overtime, and switches the match to two actions. We refrained from shouting for joy not to wake up the whole hotel, but we were happy like kids. We had to sleep 1h30 or 2 hours afterwards. Suffice to say that we were not very attentive to the next day's visits.

VIDEO. Houston-Lakers (match 4), April 25, 2004