Kobe Bryant Day approved by Orange County officials
The day in his honor combines both the celebrated All-Star and his daughter's numbers, and happens to be the day after his actual birthday
No one can bring Kobe Bryant back to life, but Orange County officials have decided to honor his legacy with a day in his name. The community’s Board of Supervisors voted to officially make August 24th, Kobe Bryant Day.
Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant passed on Jan. 26. The two were killed along with the seven other helicopter passengers in a tragic crash. Seven months following their untimely death, the man they called “The Black Mamba” will receive a day in his honor.
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The California resolution, published on Aug. 11, passed on without hesitation reported The Shade Room.
The resolution stated, “During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24.”
This “Kobe Day” recognition is particularly special as it falls one day after his actual birthday, the first since untimely demise. Bryant was born on August 23, 1978.
The NBA All-Star has been called one of the best ballers to ever play basketball. He was drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and remained with the same team throughout his 20-year career.
Mamba went on to receive the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player Award (2008), NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (2009 and 2010), BET Award for Sportsman of the Year (2002, 2003 and 2008), ESPY Icon Award (2016), and after retiring he went on to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, for his 2017 film, Dear Basketball.
“Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off,” the resolution continued.
Bryant lived in Orange County during his two-decade solid career in the NBA and after he retired in 2016. Officials from the city acknowledge that to the community he was more than just a professional athlete, but was a valuable citizen.
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“…together with his wife, Mr. Bryant founded the Bryant Family Foundation whose goals are [as follows]: helping young people in need, encouraging the development of physical and social skills through sports and assisting the homeless…” stated the resolution.
The document concluded with encouraging people to continue Kobe Bryant’s legacy, “by engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant’s words: ‘The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.”
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