Meeting Kobe Bryant was a thrill of a lifetime

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 02:54:31 +0000

By JONAS TERRADO

Bulletin’s Jonas Terrado (left) feels like in heaven when NBA great Kobe Bryant “high-fived” with a group of sportswriters.

It was about six in the morning Monday when this writer’s phone kept ringing, triggering the start of a “where were you when it happened” moment.

I never got to answer the call of my sports editor, Tito Talao, but he already sent through Messenger a link that made me wide awake.

The link was a report that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash. A subsequent check on US media outlets confirmed the stunning news.

It initially felt like a bad dream or one of those “‘insert celebrity name here’ has died” stories from dubious websites, but it wasn’t. Kobe Bryant was dead at the young age of 41.

As reality set in, wonderful memories of June 25, 2016 resurfaced.

That date marked what turned out to be Bryant’s final visit to Manila.

For many, the visit was best remembered for a press gathering followed by a spectacle held before a big crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

But select media members, including myself, were invited to a special training session at Kerrys Sports in Bonifacio Global City, the arrangement being for us to take part in drills that will give us a glimpse of what “Mamba Mentality” is about and for Bryant to likely watch, say a few words and leave.

I saw Bryant in person five years earlier when a group of NBA players took part in a two-game exhibition against a team of PBA stars and Gilas Pilipinas at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, my only recollection being the one when he wrapped the ball around Arwind Santos before converting his signature fadeaway jumper.

But boy, seeing Bryant a second time was way more different.

After getting dressed into our gear, a group of camera people suddenly entered the locker room followed by a guy familiar to many. It was Bryant, in an all-black sports outfit that lived up to his “Black Mamba” persona.

Bryant high-fived each member of the group that included my brother Reuben Terrado, fellow sportswriters Cedelf Tupas, Joel Orellana, Mark Escarlote, Jerome Lagunzad and Christian Jacinto and other media colleagues namely Mark Zambrano, James Velasquez, Paolo del Rosario and Migs Rocha. He flashed his trademark smile and spoke for about a minute or so.

“I also got some magic beans to sell you too,” Bryant joked during his brief talk. “You guys ready to go? Let’s go!”

As Bryant headed out to the court, a burst of screams and cuss words came out, in cloud nine over what took place. Whether it was genuine or understanding his status as a global icon, Bryant went the extra mile.

He didn’t have too. Being Kobe Bryant is enough.

Inside the court, Bryant, accompanied by coach Xavy Nunag, told us to perform an eight-minute drill which includes a series of sliding, backpedal and sprints. The presence of Bryant, coupled with the fear of getting an earful under his wat
http://tempo.com.ph/feed/