NBA Archives | Moss and Fog

The tragic death of Kobe Bryant shocked the world this past weekend. More than just a fabulous basketball player, he was a father of four who spoke four languages, and influenced the entire sport of basketball internationally.

He and his daughter died in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday, along with seven others.

If you aren’t familiar with his talent on the court, the NBA has a video showcasing the top ten plays of his career below. Rest in peace.

“My friend, a legend, husband, father, son, brother, Oscar winner and greatest Laker of all-time is gone,” Magic Johnson, the Hall of Fame Lakers guard and Bryant’s boyhood hero, wrote on Twitter. “It’s hard to accept.”

On a less-designy note, the NBA basketball season has started, and as a semi-fan, I have caught a couple of games. I was mystified and amused/impressed to hear that Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest has legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. What? In his words,

“Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world,”

His publicist, Courtney Barnes, said that World Peace chose Metta as his first name because it is a traditional Buddhist word that means loving kindness and friendliness towards all.

The eccentric 32 year old’s Twitter page is not necessarily awe-inspiring, and his infamous malice at the Palace makes his case a little murkier. But, I’ll take a very public display of world peace when I can find it. And perhaps the cause can be furthered, one basketball jersey at a time.

Thanks to Noah for the tip.