EPISODE 76: 10 PLACES YOU CAN VISIT TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KOBE BRYANT

In this week's episode of Living in the Sprawl: Southern California's Most Adventurous Podcast, host Jon Steinberg shares his list of 10 places you can visit in Southern California to celebrate the life and times of Kobe Bryant. His list includes: the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Javier's in Newport Beach, the mural at 1147 South Hope in Downtown Los Angeles, the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, the Long Beach Pyramid in Long Beach, LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles, El Camino Real Restaurant in Fullerton, the helicopter crash site in Calabasas, Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach and Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles.

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Transcript

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Hello listeners and fellow explorers. This is living in the sprawls lovely and talented producer slash wife, Lisa Steinberg. I wanted to thank all of you for your continuous support of the show. As a new podcast on the scene, John and I self-support the logistics and research that go into the show. The number one way to support the show is to rate, review and share this podcast with everyone, you know, Many of you have been doing this and it has helped immensely. I also invite you to check out our website and the show notes for other ways to support the show. We are currently working with companies. We currently use ourselves. To get discount codes for our listeners and support the show in the process. These companies include. Every table, just CBD store, gold belly cats, botanicals, and so much more. By using the links on our website, you are letting them know we sent you an intern, supporting the show. You can also support us on Patrion and pod fan. Please check out the website@livinginthesprawlpodcast.com. For updates on companies we are working with our testimonies links codes and new living in the sprawl merchandise Again thank you to all of you our lovely listeners for tuning in every week and allowing us to do what we love Without further ado you're humble correspondent John steinberg Hello, and welcome to another installment of living in the sprawl. Southern California is most adventurous podcast. I am as always your humble host and correspondent. My name is John Steinberg. Joined by my lovely and immensely talented. Wife. Slash producer. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises. Ready to bring you yet another exciting foray into the vast expansive terrain that we have lovingly dubbed. The sprawl. On today's show. I'm in memoriam in examination. Of a legend, the ultimate legend. Today we discuss the life and times. Of. I feel repetitive saying this word again, but it really is the most accurate one. To summarize this gentlemen. We're going to be talking about the career life in times. Of legendary. NBA hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant. But we're going to be doing it a little bit differently. Examining. 10. Uniquely important spots. That each played a role. In the life of the Laker legend. On January 26th, 2020. Lisa and I received the news about the tragic helicopter. Accident in Calabasas. While at brunch. When we came back. To our apartment. Amir Stone's throw away from the staple center. The area. Was jam packed. With fans. Well-wishers. They're really. It hasn't been a scene before or since. Then I can really compare the. Happenings. Around staple center that day, too. It was the Grammy awards. And the news of. The crash. Had motivated thousands upon thousands. Of people. To flock. To downtown. To pay tribute to remember. And to celebrate. The life and times. Of Los Angeles, his favorite son, Kobe I think on that day, each of us in our own way. Remembered. Something that was tangentially related. To Kobe's career in purple and gold. Maybe it was. Where we happen to be the night of a particularly. Staring contest during the NBA finals. Perhaps. We could recollect. Uh, time. When we were celebrating. Uh, graduation. Or a wedding or someone's birthday. While the Lakers were competing. In the NBA playoffs. For those of us that grew up in Southern California. There was no one like him. I was 10 years old. When Kobe Bryant came to the Lakers. And whether it was. The superstar taking Brandy to his high school prom. His wheat wrap freestyles. Or the debut in 2009. Of the documentary he did with spike Lee, doing work. Memories. Came flooding to the surface. When I heard of Kobe's passing. He was. Also a Newport beach guy. He happened to live in the community that was just down the hill. From the house where I grew up. Friends. I had stories about. Seeing him at the local coffee bean. I remember. Seeing him at. A photography studio on the Pacific coast highway. So today. We're going to do our best to try and. Put Kobe's life and times. In a perspective. By discussing 10 locations. Yeah, uniquely defined. The life and times. Of Kobe bean Bryant. And number 10, the Dolby theater on Hollywood Boulevard. This is where. Kobe Bryant received. And academy award for best animated short. In 2018 for deer basketball. Here we have. An indication of where. The black Mamba. Was attempting to go in his post basketball career. I just listened. Oh, relisten to an interview that he did about a year before his passing with on a Ferris where he was talking about. A series of children's books that were in the works. He was collaborating with Palo Coelho. Of the Alchemist fame. And when he won. The golden statue. At the Oscars, it represented. And expansion. Of his patented. Laser like gays. If Coby have lived. Undoubtedly. He would've continued. His work in. Fields outside of basketball. The Dolby theater. Which stands. Adjacent to the Hollywood and Highland center, as well as Grauman's Chinese theater. Is home to the biggest night. Four players within the movie industry. And interesting to note. That Kobe Bryant, who has I mentioned. Would go on to collaborate with spike Lee. Was actually Lee's first choice for the Jesus Shuttlesworth part in, he got game. Who knows what the future would have provided. For the black Mamba. And number 10, the Dolby theater, where Kobe Bryant took home a coveted golden. Academy award statue. At number nine, hobby airs, Mexican restaurant. In Newport beach. Right after Colby's passing. The entire. Basketball. World came to a head. Everyone seemingly had a Kobe story. For. ESPNs. Lead NBA. Uh, news breaker, Adrian ward. He reflected upon a time. When he had lunch with Kobe Bryant at what he phrased as Kobe's favorite restaurant, Havi, EHRs. There are six different outlets. Of the incredibly popular upscale, Mexican eatery. But the one in Newport. Colby's adopted hometown. Was absolutely. One. Of the legends favorite spots. He was known. Too frequent. The beautiful restaurant from time to time. Often. Conducting business meetings, ad Havi EHRs. Or simply dining out with his wife and S uh, and. His four daughters. The restaurant is not all that far from where Kobe Bryant lived. So if you fancy yourself, A diehard black Mamba enthusiast. Strongly recommend. Doing. Like number 24. Did. Getting yourself some grub at hobby heirs in newport beach I never ate. The Kobe Bryant. Mural at 1, 1, 4, 7 south hope street in the south park section of downtown Los Angeles. It's not just Coby in this particular mural. His daughter, Gigi is also represented as is. The black Mamba snake, which would come to signify. The way in which. The former number eight, approached the There are over 600 Kobe Bryant related murals in the world. As of this recording. They exist. Not only in Southern California, not only in the United States, there are Coby BI murals that I found in Uganda. In south America in Europe. On every one. Of the world's continents. Los Angeles and orange county for obvious reasons have the lion's share of. Kobe Bryant murals. And they can be found. In all corners of the city. From century and Western in the Westmont section of south Los Angeles. To the Melrose district Burbank. Foreign wide, all kinds, all different types of art. But the one. Roughly three blocks away from the staple center. Is my personal favorite. It's large in scale. Includes both of the Bryants that passed on January 26th, 2020. As well as the iconic black Mamba. Snake. Though there are no shortage of. Kobe Bryant. Murals. The one. At. 1, 1 47 south hope. Is in my opinion, a cut above. And number seven. The. Mamba sports academy in thousand Oaks. Well, it's not called the Mamba sports academy any longer in deference to. The Bryant estate. The Mamba. Name as well as pretty well, all traces of Kobe Bryant. We're taking. Off the website. Of the academy. If you're interested, there is a Mamba SITA sports foundation that you can learn more about online. But this is the campus. That the nine members. Of the traveling party. We're headed to on the morning in question. There used to be. Uh, branch of the Mamba sports academy in Redondo beach that no longer exists either. And even though. The sports academy may no longer have the word mom, but Everyone will always remember. It's deep association with Mr. Bryant. He partnered. With the sports academy in late 2018. And actually. The day before the tragic accident. He and his daughter had been there as he looked on coaching Gigi from the sidelines. There are a bevy of programs. A really noteworthy summer basketball camp. All kinds of treatment. Programs. Sports training. It's all sort of covered at the sports academy that used to be called the Mamba sports academy. In thousand Oaks again, the name Mamba has been removed from the academy. But it is still very much. The Mamba sports academy. And number six. The long beach pyramid, which is now known as the Walter pyramid. This is at Cal state long beach. It opened in the year of our Lord, 1994. And in the summer of 1996 and 18 year old. Graduate of lower Merion high school in Philadelphia. Played in his first competition representing the franchise. That he would partner with for two decades. On an afternoon in the summer of 1996. A young Kobe Bryant. Took the court at the long beach pyramid for. What at that point? Was the annual summer league. Series of competitions. They were playing the pistons. Brian had 26 points in the game. And it kicked off. A two decade long relationship that would yield five NBA championships. And the legacy. That. Is truly going to be impossible to match. It all started. At the long beach pyramid in 1996. And number five. LA live. On January 26th, 2020, the Grammy's took place at staple center. They were hosted by Alicia keys who proclaimed. We're gathered here today in the house that Kobe built. And indeed that very much is the case though. His career began a couple seasons before the Lakers moved from the great Western forum in Inglewood. To their home. At Olympic and Figaroa. LA live. GRU. In the shadow of the staple center. On that day. Those thousands of individuals that I referenced at the top of this podcast. Gathered. At LA live. Right behind the statues. Of Shaq and Kareem and Chamberlain and Wayne Gretzky. Lisa and I were there. Chance of Coby chance of GG. It was raw. It was spontaneous. The gathering. That happened that Sunday in January. Was unlike anything I've ever seen. And when people make documentaries about the events of that day. It's going to be within the first few shots. Of the film, the scene going on at LA live, nothing like it. I'm not kidding. And it kind of stayed like that for quite a while at the time. As I mentioned had an apartment. That was a Stone's throw away from LA live. And in the weeks and even months. Following Kobe's passing. LA live was kind of a defacto gathering spot where grieving fans and supporters. Could congregate to celebrate the life and legacy of. Lakers. Favorite son, Coby beam Bryant. And number four. El Camino reality. Mexican restaurant in Fullerton. After Coby's passing a number of articles came out. Indicating. That this unassuming. Order at the counter spot. At a Fullerton strip mall happened to be a favorite. Of the Bryant family. Kobi was introduced to El Camino Ryall. During his courtship with Vanessa. Vanessa. Who attended high school? At nearby marina and who grew up in the orange county area. Had been going to El Camino Rio, her entire life. They went there. As I mentioned during. The period. That came before their marriage. After they had children, they continued. Patronizing the establishment. To the point where Coby had a special order. You know, you're a regular, when you can just tell the folks behind the counter, I'll have the usual. And they not an acquiesce. For Coby carnitas plate. Tostada. And. A. Cantaloupe. Agua Fresca. Delicious. Inexpensive. If you. Hey, did this restaurant you'll undoubtedly hear someone simply tell the person behind the counter that they would like the Coby. And they know. What that means. Because. He really was a regular. And number three. The helicopter crash site in Calabasas. Now I don't put this on here. In an attempt to. Double down on the, as. Some would put it lookie, loos. Or folks who would come. To the site to simply Ngoc or take awful pictures, videos, that kind of a thing. I put this on there. To reiterate. The fact that Kobe Bryant was a human being. He was a person. This is where his life came to an end. He wasn't a video game. Not an NFT. He was mortal. And so were the other eight individuals that perished on that day in January. Though there's no official Memorial at the actual site. As of this recording. I anticipate at some point in the future, there probably will be. It's a pretty. Beautiful spot in some respects and completely forgettable in others. You have those cascading Hills? A gorgeous. Calabasas Vista. That more or less takes you into Malibu canyon. And much like. The X that sits in the middle of the road, outside Dealey Plaza to denote where JFK lost his life. The crash site is important for the same reasons. When people like Kobe Bryant. Exists. There's a tendency to deify them. To remember them as gods. JFK. Malcolm X, Martin Luther king. Benazir Bhutto. When these figures lost their lives. Not only. Were there beings. Tragically taken from us far too soon. But we were reminded. That they were all just human beings. So if you'd like to pay your respects, don't be that person. With the phone, don't be that person. Who needs to take a picture of this area? But just to see it. Like you would, if you went to visit the site where JFK was assassinated and there's that X in the middle of the road. For those same reasons. This truly is. A place that. Should be seen by all those that. Loved this man. For his achievements on and off the court. And number two. The Bryant grave at. Pacific view. Memorial cemetery in Corona Del Mar. My grandparents are buried here. I've attended multiple funerals at this cemetery. It's literally less than a mile away from my mother's house. It's also where. Luminaries John Wayne. Bobby Hatfield of the righteous brothers. Jeff Hanaman from the band Slayer. It's where they're buried also. We won't tell you how to go about finding. The. Grave of Kobe and Gigi Bryant. Suffice to say that we have done the leg work. We do know that he is buried there. We've been able to confirm. This. And like we mentioned on our episode discussing. The graves of famous musicians. Again, We urge anyone that finds the actual grave at Pacific view. Don't be the person to take pictures. Be respectful. But we do understand. That Kobe Bryant meant a great deal to a great many individuals. So, if you would like to pay your respects, you can do so. At Pacific view Memorial cemetery in the Corona Del Mar section of Newport beach. And at number one. It has to be staple center. I know it's technically called crypto.com. But. Kobe never knew that. So. We're going to talk about it. At staple The house that number eight, number 24. The guard from lower Merion high school. That's how he knew it and helped make it one of the more legendary venues. In professional sports. It was here. That Coby one. His five NBA championships here. That he. Told a packed house when he decided to retire. Mamba out. Here that he scored 60 points. On the night. Of his last game as an NBA player. Here that he partnered with Shaquille O'Neal for some of the most exciting. Basketball than anyone had ever seen. Here that he taught. Multiple generations. Of Southern California residents to To aspire. That if you put your head down worked, took it seriously, put everything you had on the court. The results would come later. It was one of my best friends with so often remind me. In the words of Kobe Bryant. All you had to do was trust the process. That's going to do it for another episode of the show. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support of the podcast. A couple of easy ways to express a demonstrate a such support. Hop on apple iTunes or wherever you happen to be listening to the show, leave us a five star rating and a kind review. That stuff really helps us out. A great deal on the business end. If you'd like to correspond with us or drop us a line and email, we do love interacting with listeners. The address is living in the sprawl podcast@gmail.com. The Instagram handle is living in the sprawl podcast. We'd like to direct you to our phenomenal website. And it's on this website that you can snap up any and all living in the sprawl merchandise, as well as the special living in the sprawl guide. on behalf of myself. As always I am your humble hosted correspondent. My name is John Steinberg joined by my lovely and immensely talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg, thanking you from the bottom of our hearts for listening to another episode. Have a living on the sprawl. Southern California's most adventurous podcast. Talk to you guys very soon.