THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
I'M SURE YOU ARE FEELING THE SAME AS I AM, AS SO MANY PEOPLE
ARE YESTERDAY.
IT IS STILL SO HARD TO FATHOM THE NEWS YESTERDAY THAT WE LOST
KOBE BRYANT.
AND THE SHOCK OF HEARING THE NEWS THAT THERE HAD BEEN A HOLD
KEPTER THAT CRASHED OUTSIDE OF LOS ANGELES AND TAKING KOBE AND
HIS DAUGHTER GIANNA AND SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE.
IT DIDN'T FEEL REAL WHEN I HEARD IT.
AND IT IS SO UNSPEAKABLY SAD.
ALL OF IT, YOU KNOW.
GROWING UP IN BRITAIN, LIKE IF YOU GROW UP IN BRITAIN,
BASKETBALL IS NOT A MASSIVE PART OF YOUR LIFE.
NOT MANY PEOPLE PLAY BASKETBALL AT SCHOOL.
NBA GAMES WEREN'T ON TELEVISION WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.
THERE WERE WERE SOME ATHLETES THAT TRANSCEND THEIR SPORT,
BEFORE YOU EVER EVEN GET A CHANCE TO SEE THEM PLAY.
AND KOBE BRYANT WAS ONE OF THOSE ATHLETES.
HE REALLY, REALLY WAS.
AND I KEEP FINDING MYSELF THINKING ABOUT THE LAST TIME
THAT KOBE WAS HERE ON THE SHOW.
HE WAS FRESHLY RETIRED.
AND HE COULDN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW EXCITED HE WAS TO HAVE
ALL THIS FREE TIME TO DE VOTE TO HIS FAMILY AND TO COACH HIS
DAUGHTERS.
AND I REMEMBER LOVING HEARING HIM TALK LIKE THAT, A MAN WHO
HAD ACHIEVED SO MUCH IN HIS LIFE.
HE WAS SO EXCITED JUST TO GET TO BE A DAD FOR AWHILE.
AND OUR HEARTS BREAK AT THIS TRAGEDY.
OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR LOVE GO OUT TO KOBE'S WIFE AND TO HIS
CHILDREN, HIS FAMILY, HIS FRIENDS.
WE MOURN THE OTHER SEVEN PEOPLE ON THAT HELICOPTER WHOSE LOSS IS
NO LESS PROFOUND.
AND OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TOO.
I WISH I COULD SAY SOMETHING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL.
AND I CAN'T FIND THE WORDS TO SAY, ALL I CAN THINK OF IS THIS,
IF YOU CAN, TAKE A MOMENT TONIGHT, TOMORROW, TO CALL UP
SOMEONE YOU LOVE, TO JUST LET THEM KNOW.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK FOR MORE OF THE "LATE, LATE SHOW."
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