In some ways, it seems like it was 5 years ago, and not 1, that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and 7 of their friends suddenly died in a helicopter crash. In the shadows of that enormous loss, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others were killed in acts of racial violence. And the pandemic then overtook our entire nation - killing over 400,000 people in the process. In some ways, I think the way we've grieved the loss of Kobe and Gigi over the past year, has served as a way for us to grieve the hundreds of thousands of lives we've lost in this past year. Listen - and let me unpack and explain what I mean.

If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.