On January 26 we lost a star in Kobe Bryant, his beautiful daughter, and seven others in a tragic helicopter crash. The Lakers legend left his imprint on our generation and will continue to live on through those who have inherited that Mamba Mentality.

After having some time to reflect upon the death of Kobe Bryant, it just goes to show how quickly life can be taken away from someone at any moment. No matter how big or small the person is.

When we look at the several different athletes in each sport, we see men and women that give it their all to their sport on a nightly basis. When we look at LeBron James, we see someone who has been giving the game their all for 17 years and counting. At 35 years of age, James continues to play at a high level and was named an All-star Game captain for the second straight season.

He's able to maintain his greatness… and we need to appreciate it while it last. Seeing how quickly life can change caused me to think about all of the greats we have been able to witness over the years.

James' career as a whole has been one hell of show so far. We remember this wide-eyed teenager that put his city on his back as soon as he arrived. We remember the countless playoff battles he's had with Boston in his first tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The post season failures eventually lead to his departure from his hometown, to the bright lights in South Beach. Through that transition, we all remember the reaction from the die hard Cleveland fans. Burned jerseys, ripped posters, disrespectful messages, it was just an ugly site. But as fans, we never had a clue what could of been going on inside James' head.

I understand it was hard to lose your star, but we have to respect the change in scenery he wanted and move on. He is still a human first and a basketball player second. His move certainly doesn't take away from his greatness, as he captured two titles in Miami, and returned to Cleveland to deliver the franchise's first ring. After having to deal with all the hate he received from the very fans who claimed to hate him, fell for him all over again.

There is no need to hold onto grudges for players decisions they make throughout their career. We should really appreciate their greatness while its around. When we look at the career that Kevin Durant has had so far, it has been nothing shy of fantastic. There is no need for the “snake” insults, or the “cupcake” posters to be held up around arenas. He is arguable one of the scorers ever, a two time NBA champion, an MVP, but most importantly, a human being.

Players in every sport should be respected. As reporters, analyst, journalist, and fans, we have to remember to cherish the players we get to see compete on a daily basis. Even if they do play for a rival team, the respect should still be there for some of the GOATS that we get to see on a daily basis.

Tom Brady is a six time Super Bowl Champion who is still managing to make headlines, at the ripe age of 42. We know about deflate gate and spy gate, but we can't take away from his Hall of Fame resume. Let alone him as a person. Like James, Brady has defied the odds and may be hated by opposing fans around the world. Which is fine, but we have to give credit where its due.

Among other things, the death of Kobe Bryant taught us to appreciate greatness in real-time.

The younger generation is also looking to fill the shoes of those greats once they hang'em up. Guys like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and many more are looking to make a name for themselves. But we all need to remember that they are all people first. We should appreciate their play styles for years to come.

From personality, to swag, lets just sit back and enjoy the show.