A helicopter crash in California has claimed the lives of all nine passengers on board and among those helicopter passengers was Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star, who went straight from high school to the pros…
(The helicopter crash also claimed the life of Kobe Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant. Bryant and those on the helicopter were on the way to watch Kobe’s daughter Gianna’s travel team basketball game.)
Kobe Bryant was 41 years old.
Bryant was the son of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant who played for the Philadelphia 76er’s in the NBA…
Last night, Kobe’s old team the LA Lakers were playing his dad’s old team, the 76er’s in Philly, and last night was the night that LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list…
from ESPN.com:
As late as 10:39 p.m. ET on Saturday night, Bryant was active on social media, congratulating James on Twitter during the Lakers’ 108-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
James inscribed his sneakers with “Mamba 4 Life” and “8/24 KB” in gold marker before the game, showing respect for Bryant, an 18-time All-Star with the Lakers who is eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Kobe was a five-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers, plus he won the NBA Playoffs MVP award twice and was the regular season MVP once…Kobe Bryant is first in nearly every major LA Laker statistical category…Scoring, three-point field goals made, assists, games played and he is second all-time in assists for the Lakers…
But, Kobe never played a day/game of college basketball…If he played college basketball he was headed to Duke, and he said as much about Duke, and told everyone that would have been his college of choice…
Kobe Bryant was a two-time Olympic Basketball Gold Medal winner, for USA Basketball…
As a kid, Bryant was born in Philadelphia, grew up and played youth basketball in Italy, where his dad Joe Bryant was playing professional basketball, and Kobe Bryant played high school basketball in Philadelphia…
Upon graduation from high school, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; the Hornets then traded him to the Lakers.
Kobe Bean Bryant:
His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. His middle name, Bean, is derived from his father’s nickname “Jellybean”.
Kobe Bryant was loved by many, but he was not very good friends over the years with Shaquille O’Neal and they often feuded, while members/teammates of the LA Lakers…
In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault, but the charges were eventually dropped and a civil suit was settled out of court.
Kobe Bryant left an impact on all of professional basketball and pretty much all of basketball in general and his impact is still thriving and lives on today…
You have Kobe Langley, a former Southwest Guilford High School two-time NCHSAA State Champion and now with the local UNCG Spartans basketball team, and you know he had to be named for Kobe Bryant….You also have Kobe George, a freshman seeing regular playing time these days for the Ben L. Smith Golden Eagles, and you know he also had to be named for Kobe(Bryant)….
Any kid from say 10-20 years old out there playing basketball today, has to be a part of the Kobe Bryant legacy….
Kobe Bryant, (August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) RIP…..
Lots of responses on Twitter, but here’s one I thought really stood out…
Barack Obama
@BarackObama
Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.
Another touching comment from Twitter:
John Newman III™
@_JayRock15
God never promised we’d live forever, But if we live for Him, we’ll live forever in eternity. So we must always be ready, in Christ.
This is just a reminder for us to love each other and live to die to live again.