by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
LIFE GOES ON...:
From NBA: This is video of the unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue.
From NBA: Mike Trudell writes about the unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue.
From Insider: Three years after he died, NBA legend and champion and Olympic gold medalist, the late Kobe Bryant, seems to be making more money than ever.
From NBCNews: In an unanimous verdict, a federal jury awarded the widow of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant $16 million in damages over leaked photographs of the site of the helicopter crash that killed her husband and one of their daughters, Gianna, in 2020. First responders snapped of bodies at the crash and shared them with members of the public and the jury agreed with Vanessa Bryant that this invaded her privacy and caused her emotional distress. The jury also awarded co-plaintiff Chris Chester, whose wife Sarah and 13-year-old daughter Payton also died in the crash, $15 million in damages.
From Deadline: Vanessa Bryant plans to donate her proceeds from the judgment she won against L.A. County (16 million) to the nonprofit Mamba and Mambacita Sports foundation, which she founded to give sports education to underserved athletes.
From CBSNews: Deputy Doug Johnson, the Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who was among the first to arrive at the scene of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his teen daughter and seven others, testified Friday, Aug. 12th that he "didn't do anything wrong" when he snapped 25 pictures at the site, some of which contained close-up images of body parts, and sent the pictures to others.
From YahooSports: Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant's widow, announced on Thursday, March 24th that the Bryant family's partnership with Nike has been renewed, with an agreement to donate "net proceeds" from Kobe's shoes to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation and establish a youth basketball center in Southern California.
From NBA: To celebrate "Kobe Day," here is the "Ultimate Career Mixtape: Kobe Bryant."
6/22/2021 - From Deadline: Vanessa Bryant has settled the wrongful death lawsuit she launched last year over the helicopter crash that killed her NBA legend husband, Kobe Bryant, and eldest daughter, Gianna, along with seven others in January 2020.
6/7/2021 - From BET: Natalia Bryant paid tribute to her late father, basketball great Kobe Bryant, during her high school graduation on Friday, June 4th. Natalia is expected to attend USC beginning in the fall.
2/15/2021 - From YouTube: See Vanessa Bryant's "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame" Class of 2021 Enshrinement speech for her late husband, Kobe Bryant.
5/14/2021 - From YahooSports: Vanessa Bryant shows off portion of Kobe Bryant Hall of Fame exhibit she helped design
5/13/21 - From YahooSports: New and more shocking information has come out of Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against L.A. County. Initially, it was believed that four deputies took and shared anywhere form 25 to 100 grisly photos at the helicopter crash site where Bryant's husband, Kobe, and daughter, Gianna, and six others, including two other children, were killed. Now, it is believed that at least 18 fire and police department employees took photos of the crash site and that another 66 people may have "relevant" knowledge of the conduct.
4/19/21 - From BET: Vanessa Bryant shares intimate wedding photos to mark the 20th anniversary (April 18th) of her marriage to the late Kobe Bryant.
3/17/2021 - From YahooSports: In an Instagram post Wednesday, Vanessa Bryant named four Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies who allegedly took and shared unauthorized graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe, daughter Gianna and seven others. In a lawsuit, they are named as Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell, and Raul Versales.
2/27/2021 - From YahooSports: Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, wants to publicly release the names of the Los Angeles County deputies who were accused of sharing photos of the crash site where her husband and daughter, Gianna ("Gigi"), and seven other poor souls, including two other minor children.
From NBA: 15 years ago, January 22, 2006, Kobe scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest point total by a player in an NBA game (after Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points).
From ClutchPoints: Shareef O'Neal, son of NBA legend and champion, Shaquille O'Neal, will wear the number 32 when he plays for his father's alma mater, Louisiana State University (LSU). That number combines the two jersey numbers worn by his mentor, the late Kobe Bryant, 8 and 24. Shaquille also wore the number 32 when he played for the Orlando Magi.
From BET: Vanessa Bryant is celebrating the Los Angeles Lakers following their victorious finals win snagging the NBA Championship over the Miami Heat on Sunday, Oct. 11th. Paying tribute to her late husband, Kobe Bryant and daughter, Gianna, Vanessa wishes that the father-daughter duo “were here to see this.”
From BET: A new law has been signed to respect victims of crime scenes and other tragic accidents after photos of the helicopter crash which killed Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and seven others leaked online.
From YahooSports: LeBron James, currently of the Los Angeles Lakers, expresses his one regret about Kobe Bryant.
From TMZ: Vanessa Bryant is suing the L.A. County Sheriff and his department, claiming they caused her severe emotional distress ... when deputies allegedly took personal cellphone photos of the bodies of her late husband, NBA legend and champion, Kobe Bryant, and their daughter, Gigi Bryant, at the scene of the helicopter crash that took their lives. At least eight deputies took photos of bodies at the crash site, and one tried to use it to pick up a woman at a bar.
From YahooSports: Kobe's widow, Venessa Bryant, criticizes L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva for demanding reward money from LeBron James and for covering up that his deputies were passing around photos from the helicopter crash scene that killed her husband and daughter, Gianna.
From YahooSports: Kobe's former teammate, Pau Gasol, and his wife, Catherine McDonell, welcomed a baby girl. Her middle name is in honor of Kobe's daughter, Gianna. The baby's name is "Elisabet Gianna Gasol."
From HuffPost: On what would have been the late Kobe Bryant's 42nd birthday, we get "Thoughtful Quotes About Parenthood From Kobe Bryant."
From BET: Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa, shares photos of her daughters hanging out with Kobe's former teammate, NBA champion and Olympic medalist, Pau Gasol.
From YahooEntertainment: Grammy-winning recording artist, Taylor Swift, gifts Kobe Bryant's daughter, Natalia, a cardigan for her new album, "Folklore."
From IGN: Both the current generation and next-generation versions of the upcoming video game, "NBA 2K21," will have cover art honoring the late professional basketball legend and NBA champion, Kobe Bryant.
From Deadline: The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner on Friday released its examination reports (autopsy reports) for the nine victims of the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
From NBA: NBA.com writer Kevin Ding says that ESPN's Michael Jordan documentary, "The Last Dance," shows the how far Kobe's connection went.
From YahooSports: On her 38th birthday, Vanessa Bryant opens a letter her husband, the late Kobe Bryant, penned in January before he died.
From BET: Happy Birthday, Vanessa - her spectacular life in photos.
From PopCulture: On what would have been her 14th birthday, Kobe Bryant fans around the world celebrate the life of his daughter, Gianna, who died with him.
From ESPN: (4/17) - Gianna Bryant and the two teammates who died with her: Alyssa Altobelli, and Payton Chester were named honorary selections in the 2020 WNBA draft.
From YahooSports: Kobe Bryant has officially been elected to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.
From BET: Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant posts a picture of herself with two of her daughters and Kobe Bryant's sisters.
From BET: Vanessa Bryant shares video from Kobe and Wesley King's new book, "The Wizenard Series: Season One."
THE MEMORIAL:
From YahooSports: In the ongoing scandal of L.A. County deputies sharing graphic photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site, Sheriff Alex Villanueva says that he ordered eight deputies to delete photos of the crash that they had in their possession. Apparently, this was done last week to keep the matter quiet.
From NBA: Laughter and tears flow at the memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.
From YahooSports: Los Angeles County deputies allegedly leaked graphic photographic images from the Kobe Bryant crash site.
From YahooSports: Tom Brady tweets emotional statement about Kobe Bryant: "He was the real life superhero our world needs."
From YahooSports: Major League Baseball super agent, Scott Boras, will grant one of Kobe's final wishes.
From YahooSports: Hours after eulogizing Gigi and Kobe Bryant, Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu makes NCAA history.
From Deadline: Kobe Bryant Memorial: Beyoncé, Jimmy Kimmel, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, NBA Legends & Vanessa Bryant Lead Celebration Of Life
From Variety: Michael Jordan delivers a moving, tearful memorial to his friend, Kobe.
From YahooSports: Kobe Bryant's friend, former agent, and current Los Angeles Lakers general manager, Rob Pelinka, talks about the final text he received from Bryant.
From ESPN: From the Staples Center the "Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant" in a live-stream.
From BET: The cable network will air the memorial service (#ForKobeAndGigi) live; check your local cable television listings. The cable net is also live streaming the event, with coverage hosted by Marc Lamont Hill and Jemele Hill. The link at the beginning of this post will take you to BET's YouTube page.
From THR: The memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, (Monday afternoon, Feb. 24th), will feature 35,000 roses and number of performances.
From YahooSports: The life of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant told through his most iconic images
From NBA: Boston Celtics legend, Bill Russell, wore a No 24 Kobe Lakers jersey to the the Celtics vs. Lakers game on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 23rd.
From THR: The 2020 NAACP Image Awards ceremony this past Saturday night (Feb. 22nd) featured a tribute to Kobe and Gianna.
DEVELOPING NEWS/INVESTIGATION:
From YahooSports: NBA legend, Kobe Bryant (1978-2020), one of the greatest modern professional basketball players, died Sunday morning, January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, Yahoo Sports confirmed. Kobe's daughter, Gianna, was also on board as was another player and parent en route to a travel basketball game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
From BET: Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has announced that she will change the name of Kobe's "The Mamba Sports Foundation" to "The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation" to honor both Kobe and their later daughter, Gianna.
From YahooSports: The Los Angeles Lakers have revealed details about the Feb. 24th memorial service celebrating Kobe and Gianna.
From NBA: Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, laid to rest in a cemetery near their home.
From YahooSports: The investigation of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people, has found no signs that the helicopter suffered engine failure.
From YahooSports: Friday night (Jan. 31st), the Los Angeles Lakers revealed a new Kobe Bryant "KB" logo for the floor of the Staples Center where they play and for their uniforms.
From YahooSports: Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, makes her first public statement since the Kobe and their daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash, Sun., Jan. 26th.
From YahooSports: Los Angeles County officials said the Sunday morning helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also claimed the lives of seven other victims - nine victims in total.
From YahooSports: L.A. County officials makes it "official" that nine people died in the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. The article also names some of the other victims.
From HuffPost: All nine victims have been identified in the Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.
From YahooSports: The Los Angeles County Coroner's office has informed news outlets that all nine bodies have been recovered from the helicopter crash site where Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people were killed.
From YahooNews: Kobe Bryant's wife and Gianna's mother, Vanessa Bryant, with touching Instagram profile photo.
From YahooNews: Experts now wonder why helicopter pilot in Kobe Bryant crash flew in fog.
From YahooSports: Helicopter in Kobe Bryant crash lacked key safety feature, a "terrain awareness system."
From People: Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, attended Catholic mass at Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels in Newport Beach and received communion before the taking the helicopter flight in which they would lose their lives.
From YahooLifestyle: Kobe Bryant's surviving daughters must now grieve a sister: Why sibling loss gets "minimized."
From YahooSports: Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, CA has retired the No. 2 jersey of Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, who died with him in a helicopter crash.
From BET: Vanessa Bryant leaves heart-breaking tribute to her daughter, Gianna Bryant.
NEWS SITES WITH REGULAR UPDATES:
From LATimes: This link leads to a live sports blog with updates and new articles on the ongoing story of the death of Kobe Bryant.
From Deadline: The site has a dedicate Kobe Bryant page with links to their news and tributes articles.
From BET: Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash: Here’s What We Know
NBA NEWS, PLAYERS AND NOTES:
From YahooFinance: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Kobe is the only current or former NBA player to visit her in the seven months she has been commissioner.
From NBA: An NBA.com video of highlights from Kobe Bryant's years a star high school basketball player.
From Variety: At a 2020 NBA All-Star Game brunch President Barack Obama speaks about the loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant and the seven other victims of the helicopter crash.
From SI: Dr. Dre's 2020 NBA All-Star Game video tribute to Kobe Bryant is... something else...
From ESPN: Kawhi Leonard wins the first "Kobe Bryant MVP Award" an the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, Sun., Feb. 16th, 2020.
From NBA: On Sat., Feb. 15th, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the MVP Award for the NBA All-Star Game has been permanently named for Kobe Bryant.
From YahooSports: Tonight's 2020 NBA All-Star Game featured tributes to Kobe Bryant.
From NBA: This is NBA.com's Kobe Bryant tribute page.
From BostonGlobe: Boston Celtic Gordon Hayward talks about his secret workouts with Kobe.
From NBA: The best of Kobe on the "NBA on TNT"
From NBA: A NBA.com video obituary for Kobe Bryant
From NBA: Kobe Bryant honored throughout the league.
From NBA: Los Angeles Clippers star, Paul George, narrates a tribute to Kobe, Gianna, and the other victims in the helicopter crash.
From NBA: Three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry on Kobe's passing.
From NBA: Inside "Mamba Forever," the emotional tribute essay from Howard Beck of "Bleacher Report."
From ESPN: The NBA has postponed the Tues., Jan. 28th between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, in response to the death of Laker legend, Kobe Bryant.
From NBA: NBA commissioner Adam Silver's statement on passing of Kobe Bryant
From NBA: This link goes to a page of video highlights from Kobe's NBA career and also includes and also a photo essay by NBA/Lakers photographer, Andrew Bernstein, on his favorite Kobe photos.
From NBA: NBA players, coaches, legends and other personalities on Bryant's passing.
TRIBUTES/HISTORY/GENERAL:
From PopCulture: A young great white shark has been named for Kobe Bryant.
From BET: A father reveals how Kobe Bryant made his son's dream come through Make-a-Wish Iowa. The boy, who eventually died of cancer at 13, was buried in the the jersey Kobe game him.
From PopCulture: "The Big Bang Theory" actress Kaley Cuoco says the death of Kobe Bryant left her feeling "gutted."
From BET: Jay-Z reveals one of the last things Kobe told him.
From YahooEntertainment: An oral history of Kobe and Glen Keane's Oscar-winning animated short, "Dear Basketball."
From Deadline: Author Paulo Coelho, who had been working on a children's book with Kobe Bryant, wants to delete the unfinished draft and discontinue work on the book.
From YahooSports: NBA superstar LeBron James reveals his new ""Mamba 4 Life" tatoo honoring former Laker Kobe Bryant.
From YahooSports: NBA superstar LeBron James, of the Los Angeles Lakers, was surprised at the joy Kobe Bryant found in his family life in his post-NBA career.
From Variety: At a Super Bowl Week concert in Miami, recent Grammy winner Lizzo is joined on stage by actor-singer Harry Styles and also offers a tribute to Kobe, Gianna and the other victims of the helicopter crash that killed them Sun., Jan. 26th.
From YahooSports: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe's one-time teammate, will donate the proceeds from his big Super Bowl LIV party to the families of the nine victims in the crash that killed Kobe.
From THR: Talk show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon tear-up on the first episodes of their respective shows since the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people.
From YahooSports: "Mamba Mentality," Kobe Bryant's motto, looms over Super Bowl week.
From THR: Renowned animation filmmaker and legendary Disney animator, Glen Keane, shared an Oscar win with Kobe Bryant for the animated short film, "Dear Kobe." In a column for "The Hollywood Reporter," he writes about his first meeting with Bryant.
From YahooSports: Allen Iverson, one ne of Kobe Bryant's greatest rivals, speaks about being "devastated and heartbroken" over his death and offers a story.
From YahooSports: Los Angeles united in grief for the loss of its adopted son, Kobe Bryant.
From YahooEntertainment: In a rare interview, Los Angeles Lakers super-fan, Jack Nicholson, releases a statement about Kobe Bryant.
From BET: Remembering Kobe Bryant's relationship with his daughter, Gianna, who also died in the helicopter crash that killed her father.
From BET: Shareef O'Neal, the son of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, shares a message that Kobe sent to him the morning Kobe died.
From MarketWatch: This viral video shows how Kobe Bryant mirrored his idol, NBA legend, Michael Jordan.
From YahooSports: Pro golfing legend, Tiger Woods, speaks on the passing of his friend, Kobe Bryant.
From YahooSports: Upon hearing of Kobe Bryant's death, NBA star, Kyrie Irving, reportedly left Madison Square Garden before his team, the Brooklyn Nets, took on the New York Knicks. Irving and Bryant were close, and Irving saw Bryant as a mentor.
From YahooSports: President Trump and former President Obama take to Twitter after the shocking news of the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash.
From YahooEntertainment: The 2020 Grammy Awards are being held at Staples Center tonight (Sun., Jan. 26th). The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers also play there, and today, they lost one of their all-time players, Kobe Bryant. Even with the Grammys, fans are gathering at the Staples Center to celebrate Kobe's life.
From Deadline: Fellow Los Angeles Lakers legends: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal offer tributes and condolences to their fallen Laker, Kobe Bryant.
From ESPN - In Europe, Kobe Bryant remembered for his "Italian qualities."
From IMDb: The site remembers Kobe Bryant in a gallery of 58 photos.
Amazon has a Kobe Bryant shopping page.
Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).
---------------------------
and 
.) This time Scorsese and DiCaprio team up for The Departed, a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film, Mou gaan dou (released in the U.S. as 
).
is set in South Boston where the Massachusetts State Police are waging an all-out war against the most powerful mob boss in the city, Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Inside the state police, the levelheaded Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the hard-nosed and in-your-face Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) operate a deep undercover program. They recruit a young rookie from a trouble background, William “Billy” Costigan, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is from South Boston, to infiltrate Costello’s mob. When he accepts, the trio goes through a two-year process of rewriting and reestablishing Costigan’s identity.
). Costello (based in part on notorious Boston gangster, Whitey Bulger) is over the top without seeming like a cartoon; Nicholson turns him into a scary, real monster – the incarnation of human evil. Damon’s Colin Sullivan reeks of being a wily street rat – a slick con artist who can sell a man his own car back to him. Mark Wahlberg also shines in a meaty small role, making the most of every scene without being a hog.