GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro mother Keishuh Jones was crushed when she heard the news of Kobe Bryant's passing.
"I just broke out in tears, I had to get off the phone and I just cried my heart out," Jones said.
She says she's been a Lakers fan all her life, though she has no ties to Los Angeles.
"I know I’m Kobe Bryant’s biggest fan, I love me some Kobe Bryant!" she exclaimed.
Jones says she had a Kobe Bryant themed birthday party for her one-year-old son years back.
"When my son turned one, I rented out the Dudley High School gym and had him a one year old birthday party," she explained. "We had a Lakers cake and he was decked out in his Kobe jersey."
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Jones says she went to many of his games.
"Every time the Lakers came to Charlotte, I didn’t care if it was during the week, we would get a pizza and get in the car do homework in the car but we were going to see Kobe play," she stated.
Jones says she will continue to instill Kobe's life lessons, in her children.
"He just wanted you to strive to be the best, don’t settle for what you are keep striving to be better and do the best you can," she said of Bryant's teachings. "Trust me I will drill that into my children."
Jones' son plays for an AAU basketball team in Greensboro, and wants to be just like Kobe when he grows up.
"I just liked his work ethic, and how he never gave up."
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