In what can be considered one of the greatest tragedies of our time, basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Giana are now dead among 7 others following a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Officials have already identified all 9 of the victims which includes Baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa. Basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton and pilot Ara Zobayan were the other victims. They were all in route to Thousand Oakes for a basketball game to be played by Kobe’s daughter and her friend Alyssa; Kobe was due to coach the team.
But as tragedy would have it, the plane never arrived.
Reports are that around 9:47am on Sunday, the Los Angeles County Fire department received a 911 call of a potential helicopter down and a brush fire. Upon arrival the response team discovered a quarter acre brush fire and subsequently had to hike into the site due to the steep terrain. However, they’d soon realize that there was high level of magnesium, which is very hard to put out due to the fact that it reacts with oxygen and water. A search for bodies would soon confirm all 9 victims dead.
Now Kobe passionately known as the “Black Mamba” truly revolutionized the sport. He joined the NBA right after graduating high school and in 1996 he was the youngest player at just 18 years old. Throughout his stalwart career he won 5 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and in 2008 he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics for U.S. Men’s basketball.
The basketball superstar got married to Vanessa Layne in April of 2001 and they have four beautiful daughters together, the eldest of which died with him yesterday.
During his tenure multiple injuries led the all-star to sit out especially in the early 2010’s and he would soon enough retire in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game against Utah Jazz. The glory didn’t stop there; in 2018 he accepted the Oscar for the best short animated film “Dear Basketball” .
Just like you, millions across the world are mourning the death of Kobe Bryant but even in this time of grave loss, we must also celebrate his life and legacy.
Today we ask you to lift his family, friends and fans in your prayers as they recover from such a tragic loss.
The “Black Mamba” lives on.