SAN ANTONIO — It still doesn't seem like today is real, and even watching the Spurs play basketball, with the game on the line, we all weren't really into it as we should have been.
That's to be expected when something so shocking happens. All NBA arenas took a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant, and I'm sure that will continue for the next few days -- as well as the tears.
Kobe Bryant had the "it" factor; he was just must-watch television, and every time he stepped on the court you knew he was going to bring his A+ effort.
That's the big takeaway NBA legend Gregg Popovich had when discussing his thoughts on Kobe after his death.
"All of us know what a great player he was, but he went beyond great play," Popovich said Sunday.
"He was a competitor that goes unmatched, and it's what made him, as a player, so attractive to everybody -- that focus, that competitiveness, that will to win."
"And even more importantly than that, we all feel a deep sense of loss, for what he meant to all of us in so many ways. And so many millions of people loved him for so many different reasons. It's such a tragic thing."
What Pop is alluding to is the "Mamba Mentality," and it's such an important takeaway for all of us on this tragic day.
Kobe's unexpected death, and the eight others on that helicopter, is never the way we draw up our final destination.
This is such a tough day for all us, even people in this world who couldn't care less about the game of basketball because it reminds us of the fragility of life. We take a step back and realize death does not discriminate against rich or poor, white or black, young or old.
We are all human, and our sole purpose on this journey we call life is to live it to the best of our abilities knowing that when we do ascent to the heavens, we can look down with pride knowing we did this darn thing to the fullest.
Kobe Bryant is the embodiment of that. This is a man who not only was blessed with god-given abilities but scratched and clawed night after the night to be the best he could possibly be in whatever he was doing.
Did Kobe live a perfect life? No. He has well documented off-the-court issues, and though no one can ever condone those actions, all anyone could ever do is face the consequences and try to become a better man because of it.
One of the most important commodities in life is respect; the reason it's so important is because you're not born with it. It's not a god-given ability. It's earned in the way you work and in the way you act.
You're never going to have a 100 percent approval rating in this category, but when we look at the tributes around the NBA by organizations, coaches and players.
When you look at the droves of fans outside the STAPLES Center -- when you think back to the number of lives he's impacted along the way -- the Mamba Mentality was always the endearing element resonating with everyone.