KOBE BRYANT & DAUGHTER KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH
/Kobe Bryant & daughter killed in helicopter crash
By: Robert Foreman
NBA legend Kobe Bryant, 41, was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday. While the world was still trying to process the news of Bryant’s sudden death, the situation became even more tragic when it was discovered that his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, perished in the crash, too. They were traveling aboard Bryant’s private helicopter to the Mamba Sports Academy for a game that Gianna was going to play in and her father was going to coach. Bryant, often considered among one of the best NBA players ever, won 5 championships with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring after the 2015-2016 season.
While the NBA had no plans to postpone or cancel games after the news of Bryant’s death, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary: five NBA championships, an NBA MVP award, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and two Olympic gold medals. But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability. He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Vanessa, and their family, the Lakers organization and the entire sports world.”
Bryant, the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, entered the NBA directly out of high school. He amassed a career that many athletes dream of, but only few ever achieve. In addition to his five championship rings, Bryant’s lengthy resume includes being ranked top-five on both the All-Time Regular season and All-Time Postseason scoring lists. His two-decade long career often created numerous debates about who was the greatest NBA player of all-time: Bryant or Michael Jordan. While that debate will likely rage on, Bryant’s untimely death will only spotlight the place he has earned in the pantheon of NBA legends.
However, Bryant’s storied career was not without controversy. In 2003, he was arrested in connection with a sexual assault investigation while in Colorado for surgery. A 19-year-old hotel employee accused the NBA star of assaulting her the night before his surgery. While Bryant, who was married, admitted to a sexual encounter with the woman he denied the rape allegation. The case would ultimately be dropped when the woman opted not to testify. Ultimately, the woman sued him in a separate civil lawsuit and the case was settled out of court with a public apology from Bryant. The apology did not include an admission of guilt from Bryant.
It’s still hard for me to believe that Bryant, often called ‘The Black Mamba’, is actually gone. I happened to be talking to someone in the store when they pulled out their phone and said “Oh sh*t. Kobe Bryant died.” I just brushed it off and told them to stop playing. I still didn’t believe it when they showed me the story on their phone. It didn’t start to become real for me until I started seeing the news on multiple sites on my phone. Even now, it still doesn’t seem real. While Kobe was retired, he was still in the prime of his life. In his post-NBA life, he was coaching at his Mamba Sports Academy. He had even won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for producing "Dear Basketball.”
Of course, I think the thing that has stunned so many people about Bryant’s death is the suddenness of it. He was just traveling with his daughter on a trip that they’ve likely taken numerous times without incident. It just goes to show how random life can be and how often we take for granted getting to and from places safely. So, while the public, media and sports fans debate Bryant’s life and legacy it should not be forgotten that there are multiple families grieving the loss of their loved ones. One can only imagine what they are going through and their pain is only exacerbated by having to deal with the media spotlight. Hopefully, the media will allow the families some privacy to grieve and make funeral arrangements. Just because Bryant was a celebrity doesn’t mean his family, or the families of the other people killed, don’t deserve some dignity and respect in their darkest hour.
