Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist and diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan Flea reflected on what made Kobe Bryant such a compelling figure and unique basketball player in a tribute posted one day after a public memorial service for the late NBA legend and his daughter, Gianna.
Following the Monday (February 24th) memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Flea wrote, “The outpouring of love yesterday for Kobe, his beautiful little girl Gianna and the other beautiful people lost was powerful. It’s tripped me out, how in the days after his death the quantity of people who texted me letting me know they were in tears, shocked and saddened. This includes many friends who expressed dislike for Kobe while he was alive, for a variety of reasons.”
Flea added that what made Bryant so fascinating, even to those who were not fans, was his total immersion and concentration when he played basketball. Flea explained, “Whether you liked him or not, we all yearn to be completely in the moment. It is a natural human thing, and our only possibility of true happiness, whether or not it is a conscious thought. We saw it, and we felt it. And it crossed through every human barrier. I loved him.”
A longtime Lakers fan, Flea expressed his shock and grief in the days after the January helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter and seven others. Flea also notably performed the National Anthem at Bryant’s final game in Los Angeles before he retired.
Flea and the Chili Peppers are returning to action this year with tour dates later this spring, a new album on the way, and a reunion with longtime guitarist John Frusciante.