By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Words fail to describe 2020. A global pandemic, unprecedented for our short lifespan took over so quickly, that we no longer understand when was the last time the world was “normal”. With entire seasons canceled and bitter farewells to the sports biggest icons, this year has been peculiar, to say the least.
The good news is that there are brighter days to come! What 2020 rendered impossible, 2021 has yet to give. Before we dig into the new year, let’s look back to the 10+1 moments that defined 2020 in basketball.
2020 began with the worst news that we could ever imagine. On January 26, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in California, alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna and 7 more civilians. According to reports, the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying Kobe, Gianna, and the other passengers was headed to Thousand Oaks for a basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy before the helicopter crashed.
The images of the tragic event remain haunting, though the legacy of the four-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star will carry on. Bryant defined a whole generation of the game and continued to fight for a change even after his withdrawal from action. A strong advocate for female sports, a father of the nation’s next generation of players, there was more to Kobe than we could see.