It was the morning of January 26, 2020 (Los Angeles local time), and Alex Kolosow II had just gotten out of bed to see the news of the crash of a helicopter supposedly carrying Kobe Bryant.
Colosso tried his best to find out if this terrible news was true, and whether his idol was really dead. He clicked on the ESPN.com, and the bad news began to become a reality little by little.
"There was a rumor that he was taking his daughter to a basketball game and I thought, 'Oh, God. Don't let his daughter be on the helicopter too,'" Coloso said. "But the news is getting worse and worse, it's sad."
When Bryant left on Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, the former Los Angeles Lakers legend left his family, friends and fans who loved him devastated. As one of the greatest basketball players of all time, the 41-year-old Kobe bryant has left an indelible mark on the sport and the world at large.
"It's shocking," Said Coloso, who called it a surreal day. "It's no exaggeration to say that it feels like losing a loved one. You grew up with him — we were almost the same age, a year or two apart. Watching him play for the Lakers at the age of 17, playing for twenty years and then having his beloved daughter, you could still see him on the sidelines a few days ago. He recently appeared in the news after being announced to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he died the next day. ”
Alex II and his father, Alex Sr., had been fascinated by Kobe for twenty years, both of whom lived in Huntington Beach, California, and they loved everything about Kobe.
"The assassination of John F. Kennedy (former U.S. president), the overdose of 'Elvis Presley' drug, the shooting of John Lennon (the beatles beatles lead singer), and the death of Walt Disney (Disney founder) despite his advanced age, are shocking. Bryant could be listed as the fifth person," said Alex, 71. "I'm a rock veteran myself, like Jupling, Hendricks, Morrison (* note) – these guys mean a lot to me, but Kobe Bryant is a player. He was too young to go. ”
* Janis Joplin (1943-1970), a generation of psychedelic women, the most powerful female singer of the rock and roll century, died of heroin overdose in a hotel room in Hollywood in 1970.
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (1942–1970), recognized as the greatest electric guitar player in the history of rock music, died of an overdose of psychedelics in 1970 at the age of 27.
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (1943–1971), rock star. His band, The Doors, was one of the most important bands of the 1960s. He died in a bathtub at his residence in Paris, France in 1971.
In the 1996 NBA Draft Day trade, Bryant was traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers, thus starting the young man's way from Pennsylvania (Kobe's birthplace) to Hollywood. It didn't take long for him to capture the hearts of many fans, including the Corosso father and son. As star card and souvenir collectors, they began to catch up with the mamba trend, collecting Kobe Bryant cards and other souvenirs.
"There's so much to collect," Alex II (Coroso) said. "I was once told there were about 2,400 different Kobe star cards in the circle."
After nearly 1/4 of a century of buying Kobe Bryant's neighborhood, the father and son duo already have a huge collection. They have two 660-capacity, single-card-filled card books, plus 200 physical jersey cards. About 40 of these cards have a PSA rating of 10 or 9, and in total there are more than 2,000 Kobe Star Cards. In addition, they have more than 20 Kobe dolls, 300 Kobe-cover magazines (below), and other souvenirs.
"I can relate to his whole upbringing," said Alex II, 45. "He's about my age and on my favorite team. A lot of people like the Los Angeles Lakers because of him... He is really like our own brother and son. ”
Alex II attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach, the same school as Bryant's widow, Vanessa. But he was older than Vanessa, so the two never intersected. But Coloso always used this as a bond between him and Bryant.
"We saw how good Kobe bryant was when he was in high school, and we knew he was going to accomplish something in the future," Alex Sr. said.
As a salesman, The Elder Alex was on the road all year round. In 1996, he saw Bryant's rookie card while on a business trip to California. In total, the elder Coloso has nearly 3 million star cards – he knows the circle very well and plays with his experience.
"In my day, buying a pack of star cards could be $3, $4 or $5," Alex Sr. said. "But at the time you could always take apart Kobe Bryant or other stars' cards, baseball cards and basketball cards were very popular in those days. There were more than 20 companies in the market that issued Kobe Cards, not just Fleer, Topps, and Leaf (Panini hadn't entered the U.S. market at the time, Carter Felix). ”
In the rookie season, Bryant's star card was still cheap; the Coloso father and son swept away all the Kobe cards they saw. Alex II had graduated from high school for two years and was collecting the young player's cards, jerseys, magazines and shoes.
"He's my favorite player," Alex II said. "I love the Lakers, I love the Dodgers (LosAngeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB team). He was the first player I was really looking forward to. ”
Since the elder Alex began collecting Kobe, he learned that Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy as a child, where Kobe's father, Joe, played. Bryant Sr. also played eight seasons in the NBA. In the old Alex's collection there are several Joe Bryant star cards from the seventies and eighties.
The Coloso fathers' Kobe star card spans from Kobe Bryant's time at Lower Merion High School to the present. Some special, rarer cards are their favorites.
"I'm a die-hard fan of physical cards and rookie cards, and I love all the Kobe Bryant jersey cards or draft day cards in 1996," Alex II said. "I still remember the moment he was traded to the Lakers, that day was so special that I still remember it vividly." Look at the Star Card of Kobe Bryant wearing a Hornets draft hat, which quickly changed to wearing a Lakers jersey. I have a lot of memories of everything about 1996. ”
The elder Alex preferred the double cards of Kobe Bryant and former teammates such as O'Neal.
"His physical cards are priceless," said Alex Sr. "You can imagine the court he's been on, the jersey or shoes he's worn, the rims he's shot, and even the slices of those nets look so incredible."
The most valued and precious card of the Coloso father and son is Kobe's signature. It was a game the Lakers had against the Lone Rangers, and The Coroso father and son were there. They stopped Bryant on his way back to the locker room and handed Him a 2001-02 Topps Ten Points Per Game, which Kobe signed.
"Not only the ticket stubs but also the cards have Kobe's signature," Alex Sr. said. "Now no one can get Kobe Bryant to sign anymore."
Although there are already many Kobe Collections, they still have a wish list to be realized. Alex II has always wanted a Kobe signed rookie card, but that may be beyond his budget. And his father always wanted to put a Kobe Bryant game ball in his office.
"My house is almost decorated with Lakers around," Alex II said. "My father had a little more affection for baseball and the Dodgers. I already had a lot of Kobe bryant jerseys on display at home, and my dad had several pictures hanging on the wall of his room. But because we had too many cards, we had to put them in the card book and flip through them. ”
After Bryant's death — similar to the death of other athletes — the prices of everything related to him skyrocketed.
"eBay simply removed Bryant's signature," Alex II said. "They stopped selling souvenirs about Kobe. It took me a few weeks to buy a Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Great Western Forum Arena vintage jersey. Due to possible changes in the market, they suspended the sale of Kobe's signature. At that point in time it became a scarcity. ”
The Coloso fathers and sons witnessed the price of Kobe bryant souvenirs soar, but that didn't make any sense for them or their collection.
"We're collectors, not investors," Alex Sr. said. "We collect Kobe because we like Kobe. We don't even intend to sell them; we keep them all the time. There are precious memories of us, and if you have such a souvenir, you will live for it too. ”
As the first anniversary of Bryant's death approaches January 26, Alex II feels that the grief caused by the death of his idol seems to have lessened by looking at the cards and souvenirs. His father agreed.
"I could have spent the whole day talking only about this man, this myth, and the energy he brings to basketball and our lives," Alex Sr. said.
— End —
Compile the | Sir Beijia
Original | Greg Bates
图 | SC Digest