Sekou Smith was a treasure to everyone who knew him. I'm still stunned. David R. Squires, Special to The Commercial Appeal High School Coach, Teammate Remember Kobe Bryant Replay Video The celebrity, the status, the visibility — it can mess with a person’s head. It can turn a human into a false idol, into a social media hotshot who shuns and disdains past relationships — and friendships. That’s why it hurt so bad Tuesday when a colleague hit me with a three-word text: “Sekou died today.” I’m still stunned. So too are scores of friends and colleagues who responded this week upon hearing the news.