Kobe Bryant did not ride into the sunset, in the way of other athletes but just as he did in his 20-year career, continued to carve his own unique way. • Who does such things? Those who are not afraid to be themselves • Nitzan Peled on "The sad day in NBA history" • The full column on "Israel today"

• A portrait of Kobe Bryant on the streets of California. Touched all of us

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  Notwithstanding

A few weeks ago, the NBA world was eulogized by one of the most important and influential figures in league history, basketball, and professional sports, when David Stern passed away. Who could have imagined that in less than a month the same community would mourn an even bigger icon.

A few days after Stern's passing, Kevin Durant got into a childish Twitter fight with former teammate Kendrick Perkins. Who could have thought that in a short time a personal tragedy would happen that somehow manages to hurt so many people that Perkins would apologize and apologize to Durant for suddenly remembering, at one awful moment, how short and fragile life was.

Kobe Bryant, 41, and his second daughter, 13-year-old Gianna, crashed into the star's private helicopter early Monday morning with a local Los Angeles time clock, along with seven other friends, in an accident that caught so many unprepared people. Don't believe it. Like a punch in the stomach that you haven't even seen coming. Bill Simmons, the influential sports reporter in the US, was able to record a podcast, calling it "the sad day in NBA history." He is probably right.

Kobe Bryant on the hardwood. Unimaginable tragedy // Photo: Reuters

To sum up Kobe's January 2020 career is delusional. After all, he retired in 2016, so what a summary now. And you could wait with those summaries for the summer. After all, in September, he was supposed to be the nail of the annual Hall of Fame ceremony as a senior member of the ever-great Hall of Fame cycle alongside Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. An evening that will be especially sad now. An evening he must have been waiting so much for, and never got to.

But even more surreal is to sum up not Kobi's career, but his life in January 2020. Since he retired from active play, he has continued to be single and unique. He did not follow the path of other athletes, and rode off into the sunset. He did not become a league coach or manager. He did not join any broadcast and commentary team.

Los Angeles fans are trying to digest the tragedy. First night without Kobe // Photo: Reuters

He continued, just as he did in his 20-year career, to carve a unique path of his own. Do you know another ex-athlete who retires and then wins an Oscar? And even when doing TV, he didn't join another studio program, but tried something completely new when he conceived and produced "Detail" for ESPN +, which had already become a mini-franchise with Peyton Manning's spin-off. He created a podcast program for children. Who does such things? Anyone who is not afraid to be himself. Even if it means others may be less able to connect.

Nitzan Peled's full column will be published tomorrow in "Israel Today"