We spend part of our days trying to inspire others onward, part of our days trying to make others proud of us. Much of that time we don’t even know how others are being affected by us.
Certainly we don’t know in cases where the people have passed.
It didn’t stop Adam Silver from trying to make David Stern proud with the bold, ultimately immaculate NBA bubble model. Or Jeanie Buss from trying to make Jerry Buss proud with the championship that her father dearly coveted for the Lakers to tie the Celtics at 17.
This Lakers team, featuring so many guys fortunate enough to be directly inspired by Kobe Bryant, deeply understood the meaning of trying to make him proud in this year of his death.