few public figures succeed on such a level that they inhabit the realm where they're a metaphor by themselves, but Kobe resides there. He holds a unique, singular place in my mind about what he represents about sports, basketball, and society. I was stunned to hear the news today and saddened by what was lost.

Weirdly, a friend was in from out of town and we had tickets to see the Blazers play the Pacers. Wiped tears after the 24/8 second tribute, saw Damian hang 50. I'm sure I'll remember this day for a long, long time.

I'm with Jeselnik in that there's a certain selfishness in the "thoughts and prayers" tribute, but I've spent a lot of today thinking about what adds value to our lives, and naturally I thought of this board in connection. Hopefully someday we'll have a thread where we talk shit comparing the Kobe and Tupac murals against each other.

RIP