I had this whole regular newsletter prepped but then Kobe passed away. And it was―and it is devastating.

Emotions ringing in my head like an unanswered phone I did the only thing I could. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. Then I set up the mic and hit record.

Here’s the link to the My Pal Sammy podcast but it falls short (it’s attached as well…dealer’s choice).

It's why people get so tongue-tied when they randomly meet a celebrity.

It's hard to correctly convey all the complex emotions and the depth of the feelings that somebody's work...their music, their ball skills, their dedication...it’s so damn difficult to transmit every single thing in your heart your museum of emotional experiences when you’ve just been gifted this random encounter. And you know it’ll be brief. But you gotta say something...anything. Just to let em know. On this one moment so much hangs.

Well, Know This.

Kobe’s passing? This has just begun.

This energy and his greatness are gonna transform lives. The NBA: players and the people who cover it will not be the same. The fans oh wow...I cannot wait. Kobe’s passing will spark an astonishing and positive Butterfly Effect: it is going to ripple out. And you will have a choice to make. Join or reject.

This isn’t for everybody. Friends―people you thought were friends―will be left behind. Many will fail to recognize the invitation. Or worse fearfully hesitate to RSVP. Carry on sad and undaunted.

Remember that last line from Back to Future? Dr. Emmett Brown said: “Roads…where we're going we don't need roads.” Then he and Marty McFly blazed into the future.This. This Kobe passing: this has just begun. “Roads…where we're going we don't need roads.”

Let’s blaze into the future, shall we?Sammy Younan-28-

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