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 The death of Bryant, who won
five championships in his 20 seasons with the
Lakers, stunned the sports world and led to an
outpouring of emotion in the city, where the
pain of his loss is matched only by the legacy
he left behind.
Army Specialist Malcolm Marks first saw Kobe
play when he was 9 years old and said the man
nicknamed "Black Mamba" inspired him to not only
take up the game but to strive for success in
all aspects of life.
"Every day I try to have that Kobe mentality,
that Mamba mentality," he said while standing
near the Staples Center arena.
"I live my life, work hard and I expect
greatness. And I'll keep striving."
The loss of Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna
hit home for Miguel Fong and Tina Munos, a
couple who are Los Angeles natives.
"I'm the same age as Kobe and we have daughters
as well, so it affects us personally," said
Fong.
"It can end at any moment, you never know.
Accidents happen, just like that morning one
year ago. It was just an accident.
"But he is going to live on forever through his
legacy," Fong said.
Bryant's passing inspired the Lakers, who last
season won the National Basketball Association
title to end a championship drought that
stretched back to 2010, when Bryant won the
Finals most valuable player award.
Johnny Anderson, who built a large sign
depicting Kobe and Gianna as angels, said higher
forces were at work during the championship run.
"That was God to me," he said. "That was
supposed to happen. God brought that together."
'AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS'
Vanessa Bryant, who gave a moving speech at a
memorial for her husband and daughter at the
Staples Center last February, said the tragedy
still "doesn't seem real."
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 "I miss my baby girl and
Kob-Kob so much," she wrote in an Instagram post
marking the anniversary.
"I will never understand
why/how this tragedy could've happened to such
beautiful, kind and amazing human beings ... Kob,
we did it right. Gigi, you still make mommy
proud. I love you!"
Hall of Famer Ray Allen, who joined the NBA with
Bryant in 1996 and faced him many times,
including twice in the Finals, said it was
remarkable to witness his growth as a player and
person.
"Kobe's legacy is all about building yourself
from the ground up and winning," Allen said in a
recent interview.
"People who watched him for over two decades saw
him as a kid with big goals and high ambitions,
and he carried them to many championships.
"People will always be connected to that."
Pau Gasol, a Spaniard who won two championships
alongside Bryant, said in a video shared by the
National Basketball Players Association union
that his former teammate was like a big brother
to him.
"Once you slowly get over the void and the
sadness and the pain, you start looking at what
he has left us," Gasol said.
"He was a guy that gave his best to whatever he
did."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; additional reporting
by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Jonathan
Oatis)
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