It is now one year since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash on their way to a youth basketball game. In this episode Kobe’s friend and author of 'Kobe Bryant: Showboat', Roland Lazenby, makes his return to speak to Jarlath and pay tribute to the NBA legend. Roland speaks about the role of one particular man at Adidas in his early life, the organic spirit that made Kobe a great competitor and the birth of his own relationship with a kid wearing number 8. We hear of Roland’s heartbreak as how he watched him both attempt to destroy, the Jordan comparison and the touching letter Kobe wrote to his daughter.  Jarlath quizzes Roland on the big difference between Kobe and modern stars. They find common ground on a Roy Keane comparison as Roland explains how Kobe's maniacal work ethic saw him wear his body and teammates  down. Featuring rare and intimate insights into the life and mind of one of the most ferocious competitors ever to have lived, this truly is a remarkable conversation with one of the greatest sports writers ever to have lived. To hear each episode in full every single week and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected]. Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.