It was back in elementary school when Jessy Dhillon and his friends did their best to mimic basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s fade away jump shot in the gym or driveway.
Today, Dhillon’s passion for the sport is knee deep as a coach with the McNair senior boys team and coordinator for the Richmond Youth Basketball League.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday.
“I just started to have basketball fever as Kobe came into the league when I was in Grade 6,” recalled Dhillon. “He definitely had an impact on myself and friends growing up playing the game during our high school days. He won three titles with the Lakers during (that time).
“I wasn’t a big fan of Kobe at the time because I didn’t like the Lakers but respected his greatness because his game was the closest resemblance of Michael Jordan’s game.”
Pasha Bains doesn’t have to be convinced on Bryant’s impact on the game locally. He is reminded of it on a daily basis at his Richmond Olympic Oval based DRIVE Academy.
“One thing that I have not seen mentioned is the fact that tons of kids (including many in our academy) are named after Kobe,” he said. “That’s how much he resonated with people. He registered so much emotionally. A true inspiration.”
Bains, 39, is one of the greatest players to ever come out of the city, earning provincial tournament MVP honours with the Richmond Colts back in 1998. As an elite athlete himself, he always admired Bryant’s legendary work ethic.
“How many people truly give their all to something? Kobe was a great example of that. He was so talented, but yet, he was an overachiever,” Bains continued. “May his legacy live on in all the great players he inspired and the many more he will inspire moving forward.”
Although Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, today’s young players are well aware of what he meant to the game over his 20-year career.
“Kobe has a huge effect on the kids in Grades 11 and 12 of today,” said Steveston-London senior boys coach Mike Stoneburgh. “They all know who he is and the imprint on the game.
"I have one in particular who Kobe was his idol. It hit him pretty hard and he wore a Kobe jersey when warming up (for our game) last night. When we were in LA this year he was buying another Kobe jersey.”
Like Dhillon, Stoneburgh wasn’t a Laker fan growing up but admired his work ethic and how driven he was.
Even with some big league games this week, he couldn’t stop watching the tragedy unfold in California.
“I was watching tv and heard the news and I didn’t get anything done I wanted to with regards to scouting game film and preparing for the week," added Stoneburgh. “It hit me hard as he was someone I watched and knew what he meant to the game.
“What I found tough also was that his daughter passed away too, as I don’t have any kids but plan on it one day. The fact that he couldn’t save his daughter and any parent would give up their life for them. I thought about my niece who is 11 and I would do anything for her.”
