Skip to content
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • PodBean
  • Subscribe To The My Pal Sammy Newsletter
  • ABOUT
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

My Summer Lair

Think NPR's Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: My Summer Lair with host Sammy Younan: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.

  • Home
  • Podcast
    • My Summer Lair
    • Space Station Oddity
  • Set The VCR
  • New Book Alert
  • True Sammy Stories
  • Toggle search form

Goodbye Kobe Bryant

Posted on January 26, 2020 By Sammy Younan

This is hard. I wish my mouth was like a ventriloquist dummy and my heart was the puppetmaster and I could articulate all the things without tripping over my thoughts.

My contempt for cancel culture: most hashtag movements is fairly consistent. I refuse to employ any of them for the simple reason that my unwavering fidelity is wholly to the creator. Fans are fickle, we take so much for granted and often issue proclamations from a position of arrogance or worse ignorance. I don’t like these modern movements because they falsely hinge on an idiotic assumption that creators―especially celebrities―are lightbulbs and can easily be replaced.

I’ve said this before: you get 1 Prince. That’s all you get. You get 1 Bowie; 1 Michael Jackson. There are some of our best and most dynamic creators yet we often treat them like indistinguishable lego blocks snapping them in and out of our pop culture.

And as we have seen repeatedly death in a variety of forms comes for all of them. And no matter how they pass away all we are left with is The Work they did. (If we’re being honest all we as fans are ever permitted to judge is The Work. Of course, TMZ’s shoddy but profitable business indicates we have an irresponsible hunger for rumours that haven’t been fact checked. And though many church pews come Sunday morning are empty we readily apply a shoddy righteousness to the moral failings of the famous like an unreasonable duct tape to fix all that is broken. Even a casual glance at how we treat others online sadly confirms we are a cold society mostly devoid of empathy.)

I devoutly abide by creators because I value the sacrifices they have made (for themselves but also for us!). The books and movies and music and blogs and podcasts and NBA greatness we consume were made by individuals who gave up sleep and family time and beach time and so much. So much.

It wasn’t easy but it’s not meant to be easy. It’s not fair and it’s not supposed to be fair. We all labour in a system we did not design and yet we cannot afford to be intimidated by the odds.

It takes sacrifices to be good; to be great is a brutally high cost. This is why creators like Prince and Bowie stand out. Lots of people make music: Spotify is brimming with bands. But lots of people make excuses or they complain or they play the race card or do anything but The Work.

When you die people will not remember your excuses; you’re buts and wouldas, shouldas, couldas. None of that matters. When you die all you leave behind is The Work.

I am so deeply appreciative of the sacrifices these creators have done for our benefit. Who scanning their field of business decided to become one of the best to ever do it. Then followed through and put the time and the effort and the hustle in so we could all enjoy magic.

I feel bad for thinking that magic would be endless.

Kobe Bryant: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
August 23, 1978-January 26, 2020

-28-

NBA Tags:Goodbye, Kobe Bryant, RIP

Post navigation

Previous Post: The Agents Are Free
Next Post: Kobe Bryant’s Fadeaway

More Related Articles

The Agents Are Free NBA
#CouchWorthy: LA Originals Movies
Jordan Ain’t No Joke Episode 2 (The Last Dance Podcast) Garbage Time - NBA
Under-Review: Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry Books
Yo, I Thought I Told You That We Won’t Stop… Handle Your Business
The Last Dance Meets The Untouchables Garbage Time - NBA
  • #SetTheVCR: March 20 – 26, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Big Names in this week's #SetTheVCR: The Sandman, Mr. October, David Koresh and Tom Cruise. All they require is a Watcher, Britpop supplies the soundtrack.
  • #SetTheVCR: March 13 – 19, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    This week's #SetTheVCR is a fantastic TV tour: from Local comedy, to Irish hospitality to an Essex County visit after seeing Changeland you'll want to wear comfortable pants. Or no pants…even better!
  • #SetTheVCR: March 06 – 12, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    We got historical farts, spies in a cold war and a talking seashell…that can only mean it's #SetTheVCR!
  • #SetTheVCR: February 27 – March 05, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Selective Outrage, a ghost and a Lil Yoda…obviously it's time for #SetTheVCR!
  • #SetTheVCR: February 20 – 26, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Smile! It's a fresh week of TV; you don't need The Consultant to know the Circus is back in town. It's #SetTheVCR.
  • #SetTheVCR: February 13 – 19, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    This week in #SetTheVCR we go to space, technology runs amok and the American Government has been keeping UFOs secret. Welcome to the future…in this week's TV.
  • #SetTheVCR: February 06 – 12, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    A #SetTheVCR week that starts with a #GOAT…but will it end with a #GOAT?
  • #SetTheVCR: January 30 – February 05, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Ark you excited for another #SetTheVCR? Train your Watchful Eye on these fresh recommendations that'll make you Stand and cheer.
  • #SetTheVCR: January 23 – 29, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Can you read my Poker Face? You People are gonna enjoy this week's #SetTheVCR selections.
  • #SetTheVCR: January 16 – 22, 2023
    by Sammy Younan
    Two Canadians: one esteemed, one disgraced, Al Pacino is hunting Hitler and The Daily Show host is regenerating…kinda. It's not strange if it's on TV; it's #SetTheVCR!
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: DCEU Is Pee-Ew | Batgirl vs HBO MaxAugust 5, 2022
    Sammy & Rob Gaudette discuss and review the status of the DCEU following the cancellation of Batgirl on HBO Max. Rob still has hope.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: Contact Photography Festival 2022 | Culture SnapMay 12, 2022
    Sammy is joined by photographer Henry VanderSpek aka Culture Snap to discuss and recommend a happy handful of Contact Photography Festival exhibitions.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: A Taylor Hawkins MemorialMarch 28, 2022
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss the shocking and sad passing of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: All The Batmans | Keaton To Nipples to BatfleckMarch 10, 2022
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss All The Batmans: from Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck.
  • MSL Space Station Oddity: 2021 Induction Ceremony | Rock & Roll Hall of FameNovember 25, 2021
    Sammy & Stephanie discuss their happy highlights from the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

  • Yaron Weitzman (Tanking to the Top) and Sammy Younan in My Summer Lair 148
    Under-Review: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers
    by Sammy Younan
    Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sportsby Yaron WeitzmanPublished by Grand Central Publishing on March 17, 2020NBA // Non-Fiction // 76ers One of the best lines in Yaron Weitzman’s NBA book: “Hinkie triggered a culture war.” Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and...

    READ ON “Under-Review: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers” »

  • New Book Alert: January 10-14, 2022
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: January 3-7, 2022
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: November 8-12, 2021
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

  • New Book Alert: November 1-5, 2021
    by Sammy Younan

    My weekly collection of new and notable books for your pop culture pleasure and edification: #ReadMoreTweetLess.

Copyright © 2023 My Summer Lair.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme