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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of NBA
4superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, on January 26,
52020; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia,
7Pennsylvania to Joe and Pamela Cox Bryant on August 23, 1978;
8when he was six, his family moved to Italy, and he spent many
9of his formative years there learning Italian and playing
10soccer; he returned to the U.S. during the summers to play in
11basketball summer leagues; he earned national recognition
12while playing basketball at Lower Merion High School in
13Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where he played on the varsity
14basketball team as a freshman; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant joined the NBA directly from high
16school and played his entire 20-season professional career
17with the Los Angeles Lakers, his favorite team while growing
18up; and
 
19    WHEREAS, During his career, Kobe Bryant won five NBA
20championships (2000–2002, 2009, 2010); he was an 18-time
21All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time
22member of the All-Defensive Team; he was named the 2008 NBA

 

 

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1Most Valuable Player and was a two-time NBA Finals MVP; he led
2the NBA in scoring during two seasons, ranks fourth on the
3league's all-time regular season scoring, and ranks fourth on
4the all-time postseason scoring list; he is also a two-time
5Gold Medal Winner with the U.S. Men's Basketball Team (2008
6Beijing, 2012 London); he is widely regarded as one of the
7greatest basketball players of all time; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 60 points
9against Utah in his last NBA game on April 13, 2016, outscoring
10the entire Jazz team 23–21 in the fourth quarter in a Lakers'
11victory; he became the oldest player to score 60 or more points
12in a game at 37 years and 234 days old; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant said that he wanted more out of life
14than just a successful basketball career; he married Vanessa
15Laine at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana
16Point, California on April 18, 2001, and they had four
17daughters, Natalia, Gianna, Vanessa, and Capri; his daughter,
18Gianna, had a passion for basketball, and he enjoyed sharing
19his love of basketball with her; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, also referred to as
21Gigi, was born on May 1, 2006; she considered her Kobe a role
22model and cited him as a reason she wanted to play in the WNBA;
23she played youth basketball for the Mamba Sports Academy,

 

 

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1where she was coached by her father; she wanted to play college
2basketball at the University of Connecticut and regularly
3attended UConn, WNBA, and Lakers games with Kobe; she had a
4very close relationship with her father and was usually by his
5side; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Kobe Bryant was the official ambassador for
7After-School All-Stars, an American non-profit organization
8that provides comprehensive after-school programs to children;
9he also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund, which raises money
10within China for education and health programs; on November 4,
112010, he was part of a group that presented a $1 million check
12to the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit organization that
13helps veterans transition to civilian careers after their
14military service has ended; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Together with his wife, Kobe Bryant founded the
16Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, a charity dedicated
17to improving the lives of youth and families in need; the
18foundation supports programs that strengthen communities and
19promote mutual understanding among people around the world;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, In 2018, Kobe Bryant became the first African
22American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
23and the first former professional athlete to be nominated and

 

 

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1to win an Academy Award in any category for his film Dear
2Basketball; on October 23, 2018, his book, The Mamba
3Mentality: How I Play, was published, and most recently, he
4was working on a children's book aimed at inspiring
5underprivileged children; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we mourn the passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna,
9and extend our sincere condolences to their family, friends,
10and all who knew and loved them; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That we declare January 25, 2021 as "Kobe Bryant
12Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Kobe and Gianna Bryant as a symbol
15of our deepest sympathy.