Death is never a good thing,but sometimes it is the spark of something bigger,deeper,that goes beyond the tragedy itself. For the city of Los Angeles,the death of legend Kobe Bryant,was the fire lit under the city,set to boiling over,emotions and a passion that could only be cooled by victory and championship rings. His death went beyond sports,but it meant even more to the teams and professionals,especially those of a certain Los Angeles Lakers,where Bryant spent the entirety of his 20-year career,wearing five NBA championship rings before his time was over. Everyone in Los Angeles wanted to win,in life,in sports,in everything,but a Lakers’ championship ring would be the perfect hommage to Bryant,and with LeBron James leading the way,the Lakers did pay their dues.

The season for the Lakers is always turbocharged with high expectations. With legends like Magic,West,Kareem,Shaq,and Kobe,that have left their mark on the organisation and the NBA,winning has become part of the team’s DNA and culture. Bringing in the best player in the NBA (except for 2016 when Stephen Curry was a beast) in the last decade,LeBron James,after the retirement of Kobe Bryant,meant the Lakers were doing rebuilding in a different style and expected winning nonetheless. After an understandably sub-par first season in LA,James was expected to once again lead the Lakers to the height of NBA glory after he got Anthony Davis as his supporting cast. The season was going as planned,the Lakers looked a threat,the new look LA Clippers were front-runner and favorites so the Lakers had less pressure to deal with. In what had been a year of big losses for the NBA and American sports as a community after a number of high profile deaths,Kobe Bryant’s death would be the straw to break backs,and even hearts. Then the pandemic would strike,spiraling players and the whole world into an even darker place. For four months,death tolls,a change in lifestyle,fear,uncertainty,and grief would torment but also spark a new fire in the hearts of the Lakers’ organization and players. When the chance came to restart the NBA season in a bubble,amid all the concerns,LeBron James,would be most vocal about seizing the opportunity. Upon the restart in Orlando,the Lakers had a different aura about them,even the Los Angeles Dodgers,the baseball team had an air of inevitability about them,they all wanted to play and win for Kobe. As the ultimate competitor,Bryant would have wanted nothing more than that,and these teams were bent on paying respect to the man,by channeling his mamba mentality.

The Lakers would waste no effort and energy in the bubble,torching teams on their way to the Lakers’ first championship ring in over a decade,a first since Kobe Bryant last led the team to the winners circle in 2010. This is the story of how tragedy won the Lakers a championship ring.

View Lakers Championship Rings here 

SANTA CLARA, CA- With life returning to  typical as the COVID19 pandemic recedes,  potential -homebuyers  have actually developed a  particular set of priorities when it comes to the  items and design features they  desire in their next  home.

That is the  essential conclusion of a  brandnew national  study conducted by Realtor.com. The recent online poll  included more than 1,200  grownups over the age of 18 who plan to  acquire a  house within the next 12 months, according to Realtor.com, which is operated by  openly traded News Corp under a license from the National Association of Realtors.

“ The COVID pandemic  introduced a  brandnew way of thinking about what ‘ house‘ means, and that is  affecting much of what today’s home shoppers are  searching for,” said George Ratiu, senior  economic expert for Realtor.com, which reported that the desire for  extra space was the top  factor driving home  buyers‘ decisions to  buy a  brandnew home in the coming year. Survey  actions  likewise  suggest buyers are looking for more flexibility in their home  area and affordability in exchange for a shorter commute, the new realities of a post-COVID world, Ratiu said.

“ Garages, large backyards and space for  family pets  constantly rank high on buyers‘ wish lists, but those features  have actually grown in  significance,” he  stated. “The pandemic has elevated our relationship with family,  along with the need for our home to serve  several  functions,  specifically the  capability to work remotely. As a result, we’re placing a premium on the  requirement to accommodate extended family, and features like a  office and broadband internet.”

When asked which home features have  ended up being a  concern as a result of the pandemic, a  peaceful location (28%), an updated  kitchen area (25%) and garage and  big backyard (24% each) topped the list.  Outside living  location (20%), space for  family pets (18%), updated  restrooms (19%), home office and broadband internet  abilities (17% each) and open floor plan (16%) rounded out the  leading 10 pandemic-induced most desired home  functions (see graph, left).

Sixtyfive percent of respondents indicated that they are considering -extended family when they  purchase a home, with nearly a quarter stating that they are  preparing to buy near family members, Realtor.com reported. Onefifth of those surveyed  stated they will have extended  household  coping with them full time, while 30% said their new- home would need to accommodate extended family  sticking with them part time or  going to.

Reducing in  value from  previous surveys was the  requirement for a  brief commute time and a home with smaller square footage.  For instance, only 9% of those polled  showed a  brief commute time was a priority, and only 4% said they are  trying to find smaller square  video footage. This was  below 11% and 8%, respectively, prior to the pandemic.

Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Piano

Playing the piano can be an addictive passion. Some find playing the piano their outlet for creativity,whilst others simply adore the aesthetics of playing the piano. If you fall into the second category,you will love every minute of the experience. If on the other hand,you are a true grand piano fan,I bet you already know how much the appearance and design of your piano will affect the way you feel about the instrument when you first pick it up. Let’s have a closer look at the different types of piano and where to find them.

An acoustic piano is simply a piano with strings that run parallel to the top board. It has fewer strings than an upright piano,making it a smaller piece of music equipment. Generally,the acoustic piano is more compact and fits easily in most apartments or homes. This is also a great choice if your fingers are already accustomed to typing on the keyboard. Because the strings are closer to the ground,you can press the strings harder without feeling discomfort.

You may choose to invest in some Yamaha products. Yamaha pianos are known for their quality and many older models can still play like new. If you are looking for the best pianos,keep in mind that they are generally more expensive. However,for a brand that has been around for decades,this shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise.

The next type of piano to look at is the digital keyboard. These are considered to be the best piano for beginners if they want to learn piano lessons because they reproduce piano sounds exactly. In order for you to fully appreciate how these keyboards sound,you need to familiarize yourself with the different sounds that occur when the keys are struck. Digital pianos produce sound like the actual ones that piano players make on the keys.

If you’d like to play an instrument but you don’t want to get an electric one,then the best piano for you will probably be an upright piano. Upright pianos reproduce the piano sounds using strings. Most people think that an upright piano is similar to an acoustic piano. While both acoustic pianos and upright pianos have keys that hit the strings,the difference between them is that an upright piano is larger than its acoustic counterpart.

Another option you might consider is a hybrid piano. A hybrid piano is the perfect combination of the above two models. The difference it makes is that it duplicates the piano sounds of both an acoustic piano and an electric one without the latter being smaller. However,a hybrid piano lacks the portability of the acoustic ones. So,if you intend to take up piano lessons with a piano instructor,you might want to invest on an acoustic piano first to get your feet wet.

Hammer action keyboards,on the other hand,replicate piano keys by using hammers instead of springs. These types of piano keyboards are popular with rock musicians because of the distinctive “hammer on” sound that they produce. Hammer action keyboards have larger keys that require more force to hit the keys. With this in mind,hammer-action keyboards may not be as portable as other types of keyboards.

An additional consideration that you need to pay attention to is whether the piano that you’re planning to buy is a “built-in” or an “accessorized” type. Usually,pianos that are built-in have pre-attached strings and wooden tuning pegs that provide you with more control over the tonal characteristics of the instrument. These kinds of instruments are usually accompanied with music stands that contain storage pockets for music sheets,pick ups and other accessories. On the other hand,Accessory-equipped pianos come along with their own tuning pegs and strings and sometimes,additional components such as digital piano keyboards,headphones and sometimes a monitor. Although an instrument like an “accessorized” piano may have more features than a “built-in” piano,but the former type can cost you more especially if you want to customize it and add additional pieces.