Culver City Observer -

Imagine a gathering of 20,000 people, all coming together to celebrate their hero, Kobe Bryant, leaving the Lakers. They see both his jerseys, No. 8 & 24 hanging on the dais for display. This outstanding production was one of the best shows of teamwork, just like the Lakers Family knows how to do it.

The atmosphere in Staples Center was intimate. The Spirit of Love & Gratitude was to the fullness & we were continually surrounded by High Appreciation.

The Lakers shared many of their unique videos. Both the players & their coaches gave us their own great stories filled with drama & heroic sacrifice toward victory. Meanwhile, around us flowed the music, sounds & lights. We witnessed profound words spoken there for Kobe. Once again, for sure, we felt his unique qualities of strong will, drive, hard work, team responsibility, & loyalty to his fans. Obviously, on this journey, he has sacrificed himself to attain his tremendous achievements.

One sentence spoken by Magic Johnson still resonates in my mind:

“Koby! We need you! This Country needs to come together & you are able to bring us all together!”

From my point of view, this message is the real deal. Kobe has leadership quality. He is admired by many millions all over the world. He is our source of great inspiration. The power of his charisma has a positive influence upon us & in our Society. We need these qualities in our leadership. It strengthens us & encourages us to help each other as a community while we walk thru so many of life’s changes. We strive to

become closer to the truth & to express our free will as we endure these difficult times. Otherwise, we risk losing sight of our goals.

Kobe Bryant’s life-story teaches us the value of determination & dedication. He gives us faith in our ability to overcome the many obstacles we face. With Kobe standing at our side, we can feel the strength we need to do the hard work on this journey of life. We will need his level of courage to cut down racism, fight crime, & overcome laziness. We need his faith to build respect in ourselves, his bravery to reach our goals & his vision to fulfill our dreams.

We need good leaders to represent our true values. We need confidence, trust & faith that they are guiding us to a better place.

I sincerely wish that Kobe Bryant will take his part in this process & continue to allow his Leadership Spirit to have its influence on our Community.

After all, he is a dreamer too: A dreamer that made it, Big Time!

I hope that Kobe will continue to show us his true spirit, not only as the best NBA player, but as a man with a leadership legacy & the ability to bring us all together as One Good Team. That’s a journey of Worth, Quality & Value.