The Issue Is: Remembering Kobe Bryant

We kick things off with an intimate discussion with Tracy Murray. Murray, an NBA vet who was part of the 1995 Champion Raptors, not only played alongside Kobe on the Lakers, but also returned in 2015 to serve as the team’s shooting coach. Two of those Angelenos are Liz Habib and Arash Markazi. As FOX 11’s sports anchor and an LA Times Sports columnist, respectively, Habib and Markazi have covered Kobe for years, forging bonds with him that went well beyond the typical reporter-and-subject relationship. Both had much to reminisce about Kobe’s generosity and spirit. Habib recalling the time Kobe took time to meet her entire family, Markazi talking about how Kobe supported him in his effort to lose weight. As the story of the horrific helicopter crash continues to unfold, one organization has received a good amount of backlash for their coverage: TMZ, which posted footage of the wreckage before all of the victims’ families had been notified. Levin defended TMZ’s actions, saying they acted as any other outlet would – that if a plane had gone down, any other outlet would run the video because it was a “news event.” We close out the show with a heartfelt personal tribute from Elex Michaelson.