I’m not a fan of basketball. All right, that’s an understatement. The truth is, I’ve never played nor seen a basketball game in my whole life. For me, Kobe Bryant only occasionally exists in EMF, an English program I’m learning now. So for me, his death didn’t come as a shock as it was to his fans. What really stunned me was someone’s condescending (or brutal) speech in social media on his fans’ mourning over his death.

Those speeches like:

“How could you mourn over a nigger when people in Wuhan are living in hell?”

“Save your respect to the doctors, to the nurses, to ZongnanShan, Okay?”

I don’t see any logic here.

This Spring Festival is the longest one for everyone living in China---in fact, festival is not the right one, words like disaster, battle, and crisis fit so much better. Most people, at least the people I know, my family, friends, neighbor, are all trying their best to do the right thing. We are in the same boat, and we all want our lives back.  

We cancel meetings.

We stay at home as long as possible.

We don’t go out without wearing masks.

We wash our hands, sterilize, and disinfect our home.

Most of all, we are trying to gain strengths and courage from the things we love and the people we admire. For our ordinary people, that probably is the most effective and powerful weapon we can get to go through this nightmare.

Words can’t express our gratitude for those people who are still working on the first line in hospital. They deserve everyone’s respect and admiration.

But it doesn’t mean that we have no rights to show respect anyone else, to gain strengths and courage from other channels. This virus has infected everyone’s life in every possible way. But it doesn’t mean that it should be the only thing left in our life, the only topic we should talk about, and the only matter that should occupy my mind. If in this way, it wins, and we completely, totally lose.

As far as I know, Kobe Bryan is a man who can give many the inspiration and aspiration to carry on their lives in a better way. He sent us the message: “Whatever form your dream may take, it’s through passion and perseverance that the impossible is possible”. He told us that legends are created through pain and hard work. For that alone, he deserves to be remembered and mourned over. If not now—a time we are desperately in need for miracles—and then when?

Have you ever seen the scene of Los Angeles at 4 a.m? I see often, because I have been starting training at that time. ----Kobe Bryant.