It's January 26th and one year ago today, Kobe Bryant and his sweet daughter G passed away in a helicopter crash.

It's a day that in some ways feels like 10 years ago, but it also feels like yesterday, and just so much has happened since them.

Our heart continues to break for them and all of the families and lives that were touched.

I was so fortunate to get to know Kobe Bryant during my time in L.

A.

And, um, it's just one of the greatest blessings of my life that that he was a part of it for a short time.

Theo Greatest irony of Kobe Bryant's passing is that nobody maximized life more than Kobe Bryant.

Even in only 41 years spent on this Earth.

Get Theo older.

Kobe got the more of a master.

He became at everything he did.

Basketball was obvious, but he was a one of a kind father, um, Oscar winning artist.

Ah, pioneer businessman.

But most importantly, Kobe was a human being whose life was so purposeful it changed the world.

You can look yourself in the mirror and say that I do everything possible to try to get better.

If the answer is yes.

Let the dust settle way.

I was fortunate enough to cover Kobe during my time in Los Angeles.

The first time I ever met him, I reached my hand out to introduce myself and he looked at me and said, No handshake, Ash.

I watch you all the time on TV.

You're a rock star.

You're amazing.

Kobe was purposeful and intentional about empowering women in sports.

Women like me.

Kobe was so proud of his four daughters.

He talked about them every time we saw each other.

And he loved being a hashtag girl.

Dad.

Oh, my God, Girl.

I'll never forget asking him.

Why are you still working?

You don't have toe work.

Enjoy your retirement and chill out.

And I remember him saying, No, ash, I have tow work.

I love toe work.

This is my routine.

I need it.

It's my responsibility to get up and do something today and that stuck with me.

So I've taken that with me over the last year, and I've used that as daily motivation.

That and this one other thing he told me, Don't be afraid to be curious, he told me.

Like he told his daughter's.

Never be afraid to question why and how things were done because there was always room for improvement that I believe, is the Mamba mentality.

Kobe.

It was a blessing and an honor to know you.

Thank you, e the power to turn back time.

Yeah, I would never use it.

I think about it because then every moment that you go through means absolutely nothing.

But you can always go back and do it again.

So it loses its flavor.

It's loses it.

Z beauty.

When things are fighting, you know, moments won't ever come again as it was so wonderfully put.

We appreciate you kind of displaying everything that Kobe, but not only to, uh those within L.

A.

Those outside of L.

A.

Every member of his family, every member of his friend circle and everything like that.

It boils down to what his impact had.

The sports Tua's well, right like I can't ever forget.

His final game was the perfect sort of tribute to Kobe.

The way he goes out with Mama mentality 60 points to close out the seat, all alongside history being made with the Warriors on the same Dag all night.

But everybody said, Nah, we're gonna watch the Lakers and Jazz close this thing out and it just speaks toe.

How much weight?

His career, his being head on this world.

And it was just exceptional.

First off the last game, it wasn't gonna go any other way.

Kobe Bryant shooting 50 times.

He shot 50 times.

A remarkable athlete, I hated Kobe Bryant.

Absolutely hated him because when he came into the MBA for all of us that grew up with Michael Jordan.

Everyone was talking about This may be the next one.

This may be the Patrick Mahomes two Tom Brady, and none of us wanted to buy it.

None of us did.

Yeah, I'd have friends and say No Co Kobe's got it.

He's got I'm like, Get out of here.

He doesn't.

You had it appreciation for what he was.

And secondly, for me, in the world of soccer, every European soccer player talked about Kobe Bryant, right, in large part because Kobe was a soccer fan because of his time in Italy.

So always, I was always ask questions for some of the greatest soccer players in the world.

Have you ever seen Kobe play?

What's it like in person?

So that's where his world crossed me.

But I'll admit it to the camera.

I hated Kobe.

I was like, You're not Michael Jordan.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

He was as close as I've ever seen.

Anyone get to that standard with you.

And I actually got to see him about a week before his passing.

We were at the same event about a year ago.

But we continue to think and pray for his family and everyone affected by that horrible day.

And we will always remember him as the special human being that he waas Mamba out, Mamba out.

Thanks for watching Sports Nation.