Bill Text: NY J02737 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the tragic death of basketball icon, five-time NBA Champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-02-04 - ADOPTED [J02737 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J02737-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2737

BY: Senator BAILEY

        MOURNING  the  tragic  death  of  basketball icon,
        five-time NBA Champion, 18-time  NBA  All-Star,  and
        two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant

  WHEREAS,  It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
celebrate those distinguished citizens who, throughout their career have
made a lasting impact on athletics and pop culture in this great  Empire
State and the country at large; and

  WHEREAS,  This  Legislative  Body  is  moved  to  mourn the death of
basketball icon, five-time  NBA  Champion,  18-time  NBA  All-Star,  and
two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant; and

  WHEREAS,  Kobe  Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna,
tragically died on Sunday, January 26, 2020, in  Calabasas,  California;
and

  WHEREAS,  Gianna  Maria  Onore Bryant, affectionately known as Gigi,
was born in Los Angeles,  California,  on  May  1,  2006,  one  of  four
daughters to Vanessa and Kobe Bryant; and

  WHEREAS, An excellent basketball player at her middle school, Gianna
considered her father an inspirational role model, citing him as her top
reason to play in the WNBA when she grew up; and

  WHEREAS,  Gianna Bryant played youth basketball for the Mamba Sports
Academy, where she  was  coached  by  her  father;  she  played  on  the
competitive team with the club at the U-10 through U-15 levels; and

  WHEREAS,  Born  August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe
Bryant will  always  be  regarded  as  not  only  one  of  the  greatest
basketball  players  of  all  time, but one of the greatest athletes the
sports world has ever seen; and

  WHEREAS, Upon graduating from Lower Marion High School  in  Ardmore,
Pennsylvania,  Kobe  Bryant went on to enter the 1996 NBA Draft where he
was originally selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets; however,  he  was
quickly  traded  to  the  Los  Angeles  Lakers  where he would spend the
entirety of his 20-year career; and

  WHEREAS, New York State is where Kobe Bryant  scored  his  first  of
33,643  points  in  the NBA during a game against the New York Knicks on
November 5, 1996, at Madison Square Garden; and

  WHEREAS, As a rookie in 1997, Kobe Bryant opened  the  eyes  of  the
basketball  world when he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest; he was promptly
named an All-Star in his second season with the  game  held  at  Madison
Square Garden on February 8, 1998; and

  WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive
NBA  Championships  from  2000-2002, setting an unprecedented example of
excellence that would only grow further throughout his career; and

  WHEREAS,  Successfully  leading  the  NBA  in  scoring  during   the
2005-2006  and  2006-2007  seasons,  Kobe Bryant scored a career-high 81
points on January 22, 2006, against the Toronto Raptors, the second most
points scored in a single game in league history; and

  WHEREAS,  On  February 2, 2009, Kobe Bryant dropped 61 points on the
New York Knicks at Madison  Square  Garden;  the  "Black  Mamba"  had  a
stellar  appearance,  making  19  of 31 field goal attempts and knocking
down all 20 of his free throw attempts; and

  WHEREAS, At the time, Kobe Bryant's 61 points were the  most  points
ever scored at Madison Square Garden by any player in NBA history; and

  WHEREAS,  In  both  2009  and  2010,  Kobe Bryant once again led the
Lakers to two consecutive championships, and was named NBA Finals MVP on
both occasions; and

  WHEREAS, Officially retiring following the  2015-2016  season,  Kobe
Bryant's  on-court  accolades  included  being  an  18-time  All-Star, a
15-time  member  of  the  All-NBA  Team,  and  12-team  member  of   the
All-Defensive Team; and

  WHEREAS, In addition to all his legendary accolades, Kobe Bryant was
a  two-time  gold medalist with Team USA, taking home the gold medals in
both 2008 and 2012; and

  WHEREAS, Becoming the youngest player in  league  history  to  reach
30,000  points,  Kobe  Bryant also became the All-Time leading scorer in
Lakers franchise history on February 1, 2010; in addition,  he  was  the
first  guard  in  NBA history to play at least 20 seasons in the league;
and

  WHEREAS, In 2018, Kobe Bryant won an Oscar for Best  Animated  Short
Film  and  was the first former professional athlete to be nominated and
win an Academy Award in any category for his  film,  "Dear  Basketball";
and

  WHEREAS,  Kobe  Bryant  is  survived by his wife, the former Vanessa
Laine; three daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri; two sisters,  Sharia
and Shaya; and his mother and father, Pamela and Joe Bryant; and

  WHEREAS,  Kobe  Bryant's  impact on not only the game of basketball,
but the country and  around  the  globe  will  never  be  exceeded;  the
connection   he   made  with  countless  fans  will  be  remembered  for
generations to come; and

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to  remember  the
life  and  accomplishments  of  great  athletes  such  as Kobe Bryant, a
well-rounded individual whose work ethic and  commitment  to  excellence
has enabled his influence to extend beyond the realm of basketball; now,
therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the tragic death  of  basketball  icon,  five-time  NBA  Champion,
18-time  NBA  All-Star,  and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant;
and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Kobe Bryant.