This is a presentation of the Force Cast Network, the official podcast network of the Force.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the force cast we are back from our hiatus

but before we get to some Star Wars I think it's quite obvious if you listen to us even for a matter of months or if you

listen to us for all five and a half years I think what's in what's tied to Daniel and I and what the reason why we even became friends in the first place was our love of the

NBA and basketball in general. I think it is nearly impossible for anybody whether you follow basketball or whether you were a

Kobe Bryant fan or not is literally impossible to not know and be somewhat impacted by the news of Kobe's passing.

So I do think it would be slightly odd for us even though we're a Star Wars show and even though people

listening this may have never watched a second on basketball in their life to just not

at least mention what happened and I think in a way that I like to do things the

reason why I wanted to be a writer and a broadcaster

was I thought I liked the storytelling element of those things.

And in times of tragedy or in times of personal grief or sorrow, I like to typically write about how I feel or tell stories.

And I think the best way as somebody if you guys know me you know my entire life

I've been part of a giant chunk of my life has been the Lakers and I was born in 1993.

Kobe was drafted in 96.

So do the math.

I've been watching Kobe since I was three years old.

Those of you know me also, I was born in California.

All of my family still lives out there.

My parents from California,

and that's something that my dad and I bonded over.

My earliest memories are wearing Lakers baby clothes and watching the Lakers even before Kobe was drafted but I will just simply tell a story about how we came to a name. So those of you also know me know I have two

...