Pain? Sadness? Longing? How much have we all endured from the incomprehensible loss of Kobe Bryant recently and from the loss of his beautiful daughter Gianna, “GiGi”, and the other sweet souls Alyssa Altobelli, her mother Keri and father John, their beloved basketball assistant coach Christina Mauser, their basketball teammate Payton Chester and Payton’s mother Sarah, and the helicopter pilot Ara Zobayan.

They have passed recently but will stay in all our hearts for Infinity. 100.

How do we do a proper tribute, carry the torch for them all? Kobe was the gold standard for excellence, that ultimate agent of change for others by being an example of tireless work ethic and belief in himself and his mighty goals.

The next generation won’t get to see Kobe in person. We were all blessed to see the Mamba Mentality in person. His love of being a good father, his hopes that women be treated with equal respect in sports, how can we keep that alive?

The weeks and month before the tragedy, I was texting the same few kids Kob was texting. He would drop-ship Charlotte KB kicks to our girl, 8th grade Cal Storm player Reni Johnson, inviting her to join Sage High, encouraging her on, as only Kobe could.

Kobe would hug Brooklyn Shamblin, Reni’s teammate, he’d bring in WNBA ballers to improve Brook’s skills as they all trained at The Mamba Academy, my 2nd home.

How heart broken was Brooklyn that Kobe’s chopper went down? Just the day before he texted her to meet him on that fateful Sunday, to share a vision of how they could rewrite the books together, turn up together to the next level as only KB could command your attention.

Reni and Brooklyn, so heartbroken, a few days ago they both got “Mamba Mentality” tattoos, Brook on her foot, as she springs to the rim Kob eternally springing with her, Reni’s tattoo 8 inches from her heart on the side of her torso, Kob’s spirit forever near her heart and because he so personally touched her soul, from his deep and direct mentorship of them both.

We can’t forget how Kobe touched the life of Inland Empire’s Puff Morris, the 7th grade Cal Sparks baller that reminds one of OJ Mayo, her talent that soaked with potential.

It was only a few days before his passing that Kobe ran after Puff in The Mamba parking lot, probably freaked her out I bet as Kobe came up on her and said to Puff soulfully, “Young killa, your game inspires me big-time girl. Please let me know if I can ever help you, I can train you. I want to follow and be a part of your journey, I admire how you brought it vs our Mamba team. I appreciate you a lot Puff.”

Puff told me this quote and that she’ll carry on Kobe’s torch, “I’m just honored to be recognized by Kobe, a true legend to us all. I will carry on by always being fearless, working relentlessly on my craft as well as on my mindset. Working hard to take girls basketball to the next level.”

#Kobe was a real, real one

Maybe Puff was Kobe’s last hopeful protégée, how many more kids do we wish he could’ve spoken to in person?

I was watching a kindergarten teacher a couple days ago, know him like I know myself, as he was showing 5 year olds how to color a peace sign on purple and gold air planes.

He was showing kids how to glue 8 gems next to Kobe’s #8 or to write the number 24, and to spell homelessness on the planes, then draw a circle and line through that lonely word. Kobe had teamed up with LA’s City Hall to try and eradicate homelessness.

Do you think Kobe would like to see airplanes gliding in air, as he would glide to the rim, lil angelic voices chanting “Kooybee, we miss you!”

How does that teacher answer the tender girl Lupita as she shouts out to him, “Teacher, when is Koybee coming back teacher? Mommy and daddy are crying a lot for Koybee. I want to meet him, be like him, his daughter is sooooo preeety, when can I meet them?”

What do you say to Lupita? It’s so freaking heartbreaking to hear. You tell me?

How can we honor Kob? Maybe try to offer and speak truth about how you felt about him, offer to mentor a kid, give them beautiful literature, flash a smile to a friend. K-Bryant was known for all that kind of stuff.

Hear from his close friend Keion Kindred.

K is more than a Drew League legend, hoop legend in LA. K is a real, real one besides being that world class trainer and mentor.

K along with his lifelong friend Chris Young, they helped run Kob’s inner city Mamba League. Kob trusted them to educate the next gen.

Mr Bryant’s echo will live on in them.

Feel Keion’s conviction as he says, “Working with Kobe the last 7 years with Nike and Mamba League & Academy was nothing short of a blessing. To learn from him about basketball and life is something I'll cherish forever! He was my muse... my mentor... I'll carry the torch for him now!”

#how will you carry the torch ?

Me, E-Woods, I noticed that a week before his passing, Kobe said that 3 WNBA women could play in the NBA right freaking now: Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, and Diana Taurasi.

I have to believe that was Kobe’s ultimate wish, for females to wear his mentors jersey, for Jerry West The Logo to grace a woman’s form, for the world finally seeing that a woman can make the L, be appreciated and equal as much as a man is appreciated.

My way to support that fantastical dream that Kob had to see women in the NBA?

There are 4 prep high girls and 3 junior high girls I’m close to that have agreed to try and make the L, told me they are “with it” and I will get them to play vs. Drew men on Sundays in Santa Monica, that hoop spot I took my girl Mo Billings to ball vs. Drew players a couple years ago.

You may laugh but in 1969, a couple years before I was born, humans dreamed of landing on the moon. We worked together, made a plan, made it happen, so why not women in the L?

The future of hoop? Rayah Marshall (Lynwood). Londynn Jones (Santiago), Kiki Iriafen (Harvard Westlake), Ashley Chea (Flintridge Prep).

Feel them, feel the junior high kids committed to this goal in Reni, Brooklyn, and Puff who I already mentioned.

They burn to play this game, because their heart is aflame to carry the mamba mentality, so can you imagine a women in an NBA jersey? I can!

Why Londynn Jones? Well, she made Team USA as a freshman last year, she’s a killa in the cloth cut from Kobe’s material. She was blessed to meet Kobe at the UCONN vs UCLA game last year.

Londynn told me she’ll carry Kobe’s torch when saying, “I will dedicate myself to accomplishment, try to impact the game in a classy way, try get others to fall in love with the game. I’ll do it for Kobe’s memory, do it for everybody.”

Kiki Iriafen is that 6-4 phenom prep of LA. It’s easy for me to believe she could transcend expectations, make the NBA, it might be easier than her career goal to be a brain surgeon.

Kiki says of carrying the torch for Kob, “I love kids with all my heart. I follow Kobe’s lead by trying to be all I can be. I study video, train myself to extreme levels. My goal to is to run camps for kids, like Kobe did. I’ll just pay it all forward.”

Rayah Marshall has more athletic talent than any girl I’ve ever seen. Example? Rayah been dunking on 10 foot rims in 6th grade, she shoots her shot like KD from 3, she has mad heart to train and play like Kob.

Rayah told me, “Kobe was a monster player, a master of the game because he cared so much. We all just go hard to be like him, that’s all we can do.”

Ashley Chea is synonymous with excellence in the female hoop community and she spent much quality time with Kobe, for A-Money. She says this of her idol, “Kobe was not just a basketball player, he was a father figure to so many people and treated every student of the game like his own, especially me and Brooklyn and Reni.

“Without Kobe there would be no basketball. Basketball is played like how he played and he’s the one that started it all. Kobe pushed me to the best of my abilities and I don’t know what type of person or basketball player I would be today if it wasn’t for his advice and persona.

“Kobe was my role model and one of the best influences I’ve ever had. Because of Kobe and him inspiring me every day and every game, I’ve given it my all from my mind, heart and hustle.

“Since Sunday, every shot I’ve taken all I thought about was Kobe, GiGi, Alyssa, and Payton. I’ve been playing till everything hurts like sh*t and I will never stop. Basketball is something more than just a sport to me. It’s a lifestyle and if basketball was a person it would be family.“

#Ashley feels deeply, how much do you feel?

We can only go forward with love in our heart if we love Kobe. Like NBA great DeMar DeRozan, I know he is hurting. I told D when he was in 7th grade to give yourself to the grind, believe in yourself, you could one day be Kobe’s protégé, DeMar, And now DeMar is that living legacy and true protégé of The Black Mamba. 100.

There’s this really special 7th grade youngster from Sierra Canyon, Chris Cain, who has DeMar’s athleticism and drive like I’ve never seen since 03’. Like 4 months ago, Kobe went up to Chris after a game and told him something.

I’ll just let Chris recall it, “Kobe asked me how old I was and I said I was thirteen. Then he said he didn't start dunking till he was fifteen.”

How blessed do you think Chris felt to receive Kob’s attention? How many more kids do we wish could feel his grace.

Chris told me, “I’m paying that moment forward, I’m going on to treat people right, encourage little kids to believe in themselves when I grow up, because I respect the Mamba!”

Danny Felix owns and runs The Pro Image Sports memorabilia franchise in Ventura and I can't imagine a better family man than D. He has probably sold or seen that awesome look of love from 100,000s of Kobe and Laker fans buying gear, maybe millions of times.

People shine when they buy a Kobe jersey, shorts, or a hat, something physical in their hand that gets them closer to Kobe the player. Danny has seen so much love over the years for Kob, he’s a world expert on Kobe fans love.

Danny told me that when Kobe and Shaq began their winning time in 2000, it jump-started his business that he took over in 98’. The fanatical zest of Laker fans to purchase memorabilia helped put food on the table, a roof over their head, and Danny’s kids through college.

Hear Danny's remembrance, how D-Felix is honored to carry the torch, "I grew up cheering on Magic, our showtime era. Then Kobe allowed us all to feel more pride. He gave us more parades to celebrate, more ways in which we could sit and share hugs and high-fives with our kids, just be chill with our friends, that priceless moment with our family all around us.

“Because Kobe always strived for excellence, we all miss him because he was proof that the high tide makes all the boats stand taller. He made us all stand tall because we wanted to stand with him.”

Well said D, Kobe would be proud to hear that!

Now this next part is almost too painful for me to share, it’s beyond personal to recall. But if I’m authentic to myself, real to you the reader, Kobe looking down on us from above, I must share it.

I started teaching in LA in 96’ when Kobe was also a rookie. I wanted to meet the man my whole life and hoped a mutual friend would introduce us, but I never did get to meet Kob even though we have lots of friends in common. Dunno, our destiny is not to always get what we want.

I give 100% cred to God for my writing, and I had a dream 2 months ago and it was like He was talking to me. God told me it was not just a coincidence that my fam has called my only daughter, 19 year old Giselle, by her nickname GiGi her whole life. Kob nicknamed his daughter GiGi.

Kob had good taste in nicknames as Kobe and I both are #a girl dad.

God also seemed to say to me in that dream that if I truly appreciate Kobe, his mentality as I’ve tried raise my Giselle to follow Kobe’s principals of chasing greatness, you have to write a story to challenge Kobe. Get his blood up to help him level up as a youth coach.

I'm like, "God, I don’t want to do that, nooooo! I just want get a lil love from Kob, be his guy, a high-five maybe, tell Kob he's dope, him maybe say thanks E-Woods. I don’t know about writing this True Venom story you’re downloading into my cranium.

God said that I owe it to Kobe because Kob gets lots of pats on the back but a real friend sometimes offers criticism as motivation and you're the vehicle E-Woods.

Daaaaang as I pounded my fist on the pillow. As I type these words, I wipe away the tears on the keyboard below me. I didn't want to, yet I blindly followed the command and wrote that story.

Fast forward to Saturday, the day before Kobe passed. I was at The Mamba Academy, it’s 5 min from my house. I was near the back weight room, the black nets area and Kob stood there in front of me, super spooky because it was just him and me alone.

He’s in front of the nets at 1 pm Saturday, his team waiting to come out. My mutual friends of Kob and myself had told me Kobe, he knows who you are E-Woods. He’s a big boy and isn’t pissed at you for your story, just very motivated by it.

Kob, who was just a couple steps from me, he looks at me dead in the face, a loooooong 5 seconds, straight in my eyes. That look he gave me was, "I'm going to show you what I got E-Woods!"

That sublimely confident smirk, just telling me I got a lil some'tin some'tin for your top 4 8th grade AAU girls list (his mamba team wasn’t on it and I frankly explained why). And in that moment, I finally figured out what God meant for me.

Sometimes it’s not our destiny to be a friend of someone we admire, we just need to be that someone to push them out of their comfort level. A true friend will sacrifice themselves to challenge and improve others. Right? Feel me?

It still hurts to think about it, prolly always will forever. That’s ultimately how I will try to carry Kob’s torch.

I’ll continue to challenge others, be their own personal hater (not literally), try to help others level up! I can only pray Kob would appreciate that, I pray, I just pray.

Kobe’s passing is a reminder to us all to hug your kids tight. We are not immortal, we all thought he’d live forever. I think that Kob would want us to hug our own GiGi’s tight on this earth.

I wish Kob could’ve hugged all his kids, his GiGi and wife Vanessa another 40-50 years. This tragedy reminded us to realize that “Tomorrow is never promised today” That’s real.

That fateful Sunday at The Mamba Academy I was watching 8th grade AAU girls team Tree of Hope playing vs. Cal Storm 8th AAU, thinking, dang that TOH coach has a dope Supreme hat on.

And then Brooklyn Shamblin’s dad BJ runs up to me saying, “Please, Erik check your phone, they say Kobe just died!” Click, click, we all were clicking to check if the impossible was true.

Then the roof caved in on us all, the floor blew apart from under our feet. We all stopped, suspended in thin air, time had stopped.

We all went to the center of the gym to pray on one knee, thousands of us. No one told us to, we all just knew to do it. Tears streaming down our eyes like a waterfall of tears, we bowed our heads, offered our prayers in Kobe’s house, prayers to all in that chopper who were headed our way, never to touch down with us.

1,000s of us were huddled, strangers hugged strangers, immediately becoming fam to help each other deal with the excruciating grief, knife twisting in our hearts. We leaned on each other as fam.

All we had was each other, me seeing tears in the eyes of Sherri Pegues, founder of GBL, and her head coach eloquently preaching peace to all.

I was thinking how George Quintero was holding his hands in his face when devastated by the news. G was such a great speaker side by side with Kob in camps.

I just cried, speechless, a hole in my chest 8 inches in circumference.

Me, E-Woods, I was kind of sitting next to the Cal Sparks AAU team on Sunday, just love them. I had given them some my mom’s boutique soap, my way of saying you are fam to me. Gave some to Kennedy Smith’s mom Monica, some soap to Ray and Steph, they’re all so dope to me.

I’m thinking what is pure passion, the kind Kobe truly respected? Kennedy is the epitome of the word, and I was thinking God only knew how much Kobe loved coaching vs. Kennedy Smith. Sure enough she will carry the torch because her eyes are on fire like Kobe’s were.

Kennedy’s teammate Ryann Bennett, I can only imagine how Kobe loved devising defenses to stop Ryann’s sweet stroke. Her parents Ray and Stephanie will miss getting up to coach vs. a Kobe-led Team Mamba, coach Nigel too, Elbert K always got up for see Kob coach!

Where do we go as a basketball community without Kobe?

Losing his majesty on the sidelines, him providing comp for the ages, it hurts, but through it all we march on, we honor, we coach, we write. We breath going forward as best we can.

That fateful day Kob passed, I hugged West Coast Premier 8th grade girls AAU coach Kertd Elisaldez tight, his tears real.

Kob had just invited Kertd and his girls to scrimmage at Sage High. Whether West Coast Premier won or lost by 8, who cares. If Kob called you to scrimmage personally to share his love of the game, that’s a big W.

Kertd’s star guard Shea Joko had told me about her elation of beating Team Mamba last year, after the gut wrenching feeling of being beaten by Team Mamba. Shea always gave and will always give her best, because she respects Kob and his kids so much.

That dreadful Sunday I hugged Christy Reynoso, 8th grade phenom for GBL. Her mad dribbles and wicked offense must’ve made Kob go nuts trying to coach against her. Christy was inconsolable, tears rained like a downpour storm for her idol. Kob wasn’t just Christy’s competition, he was her idol.

Christy gave this touching quote to honor her Kob, “Kobe meant a lot to me and our girls basketball community. He always wanted to see us grow on and off the court. He always asked how our grades were looking because that’s what mattered.

"He said that basketball was just a talent that got us somewhere. He loved each and every one of us and it was a blessing to spend time with him. We’re going to continue the Mamba mentality.”

We can’t imagine no more games to be involved with, and by, this great man Kobe Bryant who brought out all our greatness, helped us find our own mamba mentality as he did in himself. Kobe grew the game to epic proportions for girls b-ball.

Does the music stop when Kob isn’t able to provide his unique soundtrack to the game?

It only stops if you believe you can’t carry the torch. He would want everyone to invest time in and support a girl, like when a fan told him he had to have a boy to carry on his tradition. Kobe proudly watched as Gianna looked over and told that fan, “I got this. I’m the legacy my dad needs.”

Gianna would’ve carried on his tradition. She gone from us all but we can’t give up his torch.

Who really loses if we check out of girls sports? We all do. Who wins if we care, we all do! We all need to use our imagination, give a dang where few have ever cared.

For all those who passed that day, so much passion lost, we need to pick up the slack for them.

Why? They cared, that’s why we cry for them. They were one of us. Whether we donned a different color jersey, we all wear the jersey of fellow humanity.

Pain? Sadness? Longing?

We have to transcend those sad feelings. If we pull out our shirts away from our chest, expose our hearts, raise our chin to the sky, we’ll find our torch to carry for Kob.

Kobe once famously ran into Allen Iverson who told Kob, "I’m going to the club tonight, what you doing tonight Kob?" He would tell AI, "I’m going to the gym tonight." He would understand we must grieve, but also must undoubtedly dust ourselves off, wipe the tears away.

He wouldn’t want us to cry for tooooooo long, imagine all the training we’re missing out on? I imagine he’d want us to start to grind again in his name, to be that next man or next woman up to try to help a woman make the NBA, to help a girl make a grade school team.

Would he expect any less of us? Of himself?

Kobe knew statistics Nike had researched and published since 1990. Like 50% of all girls will be at risk, possibly be that teenage mother, pregnant. and 50% more likely to drop out of high school if they’re not entered into a structured club, team, organization by the time they reach high school.

Stats don’t lie, they inform. How can we turn the tide? It’s time to turn up, grow the game in a fallen teammate’s honor.

Kobe, to paraphrase Robert Frost, took the road less traveled. Its time for us to GPS to Kobe’s route, for all our sake. It’ll make all the difference for the next generation. Let’s do it, in Kobe’s memory!

#Black Mamba Out