Kobe Bryant: Ugandans eulogise basketball legend

Jan 27, 2020

I don’t know if any tribute is sufficient for a man like a Kobe Bryant. He was the epitome of hard work. He was the consummate athlete; he put in work for his trade. If any of our Ugandan players want to emulate anything from him it is that.

BASKETBALL   KOBE BRYANT   

The shock of Kobe Bryant's death did not spare the local basketball fraternity, which held the American star in high regard. Officials from the local basketball fraternity are still grappling with the tragic incident and offered prayers and respects when contacted by New Vision Sports.

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Nasser Sserunjogi (FUBA president)

What a tragedy! Kobe Bryant's death is a huge loss for basketball. He is a legend and he has inspired so many to play basketball. Many picked up a basketball for the first time because of Kobe.


Mandy Juruni (Uganda Silverbacks and City Oilers head coach)

 uruni Mandy Juruni 

 


First of all I'm very sad about this. Kobe Bryant was not just an athlete but someone who inspired so many people on and off court. Yes he had talent but he also worked for everything he got and his life after the NBA was also going so well. It is a huge loss for his nation and the whole world.


Nick Natuhereza (Team Uganda technical director, Uganda Gazelles & UCU head coach)

 ick atuhereza Nick Natuhereza

 


Kobe Bryant's death has been tough to deal with. I could not sleep and when I finally did I did not have the motivation to get out of bed. I wasn't sure what to think. All the messages and tributes, many from people outside basketball, have shown us the power of sport and the kind of impact Bryant had on people.


Grace Muguli (Team Uganda and City Oilers director)

 race Grace Kwizera

 


I don't know if any tribute is sufficient for a man like a Kobe Bryant. He was the epitome of hard work. He was the consummate athlete; he put in work for his trade. If any of our Ugandan players want to emulate anything from him it is that.


Ambrose Tashobya (Ex FUBA president and current UOC VP Admin)

 ashobya Tashobya name his son after Bryant

 


As a family we loved Kobe Bryant so much that we named our first son after him - Humphrey Bryant Tashobya. So his death has been a huge shock and we are still in disbelief. He is one of the few players I looked up to because of his tough character and aggressive game. His death is a huge loss to basketball. We can only pray for his wife and children who are still alive.

Mark Opio - Oh! What can I say he was all that basketball stands for. His desire, his inspiration, he was just phenomenal. If you asked him to give you effort, he would give you his heart; he was extra-ordinary. It is a big blow to the basketball fraternity. The way he carried himself; physically he is dead, but he will continue living in us and everyone will forever admire his mindset. I personally admired that. He was so resilient and would continuously lift himself up.

 pio admired obes mentality Opio admired Kobe's mentality

 


Flavia Oketcho - He was one the greatest players in the sport. Whereas most idolized Michael Jordan as the face of basketball, many of us watched Kobe in action. If you were looking for inspiration you wouldn't look elsewhere. His demise is too abrupt, and the most saddening is the younger basketballer that perished with him. He was an idol to many and it is sad that he had to go in that way.

Caesar Kizito - We grew up watching Kobe so it is just sad that he is no more. One thing that stood out for me was his mentality. He had that ‘fear no one' attitude and I liked his ability to lock-out play. His ability to play through injury was amazing and I tapped into those energies. We are going to miss a living legend, he was the ‘Jordan' of our era. He is gone but there is still a lot to learn from him and it is really sad for such an icon to die at such an early age.

 

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