In memoriam to the LA Lakers phenomenon that was Kobe Bean Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and seven others.
Legends Never Die
On Sunday 26th of January 2020 whilst preparing an article in relation to the 62nd Grammy Awards, we became aware of devasting news. A helicopter crashed, and one of the nine lives taken too soon was the NBA Legend Kobe Bean Bryant (41), in Calabasas, Los Angeles.
In a world full of fake news, and "viral theories" it didn't seem appropriate to consider it "truth" until we conducted our own research. It didn't take long however, as it quickly became blatant that it wasn't disinformation, but a factual circumstance.
Whilst updating a post about the death of Kobe Bryant, we came to acknowledge the name of another victim of the tragic crash. It was mind boggling for us to fathom the fact that his daughter Gianna Gigi Bryant who was aged 13 was also on board; a promising basketball star.
As the tragic events continued to break, we learned that further young souls aged 13 were onboard the flight. One was named Alyssa Altobelli - a teammate of Gigi, and she wasn't only. To add further heartbreak her parents John Altobelli, and Keri Altobelli were on the flight.
Sarah Chester, and her daughter Payton Chester were also on the flight, for which her grandmother confirmed. Among the dead was Christina Mauser, a girl's basketball coach. Her husband Matt Mauser posted on Facebook "My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash".
It took sometime for us to accept the revelations "regardless" of the reports from authority news sources such as the BBC, or Sky News. This is because the celebrity news source TMZ broke the news first, and inaccurately reported the death toll by 4.
How they - TMZ - got this information's beyond us, but clarification was on the forefront of our intentions to establish what went on. Their initial reporting claimed that five people were confirmed dead in total, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva concluded that 8 passengers and a pilot were on board referencing a flight manifest - see video courtesy of the BBC below.
The Devastating Crash
The nine victims were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down amid foggy conditions in the hills above Calabasas, and burst into flames. They departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, in a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter.
Regardless of their best efforts emergency personnel couldn't save anyone, and it's said magnesium was present making extinguishing harder - a chemical that reacts with oxygen and water. Kobe leaves behind his wife Vanessa Laine Bryant, and three of their daughters Natalia (17), Bianka (3), and Capri born June 2019.
Reactions From Around The World
The reactions to the death of The Mamba Mentality originator, came in abundance from fans, celebrities, fellow athletes, and presidents. Barack Obama said "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.".
As well as Donald Trump who said "Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating....", posting on Twitter.
Britain's very own Pierce Morgan shared his condolences of Twitter saying "Kobe Bryant personified the power of hard work, sacrifice, playing to win & never giving up – here are 10 of his greatest life lessons that could help us ALL be a Mamba".
One of the saddest days in basketball was marked with tributes in several games played on the night, for which players purposely dribbled balls for 24, and 8 seconds for shot violations. This was all in respect of the numbers Kobe Bryant wore.
Former Laker, and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tweeted a video saying "Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete,".
Say I Love You Like It's Your Last
On the very night we were looking forward to especially concerning the slain rapper Nipsey Hussle at the Grammy Awards - his tribute - our moods quickly changed. We can't begin to express our sincere condolences for all the families torn apart by death.
This article's for "everyone" who lost people they love, and serves a reminder to appreciate your experiences, and what you love as nothing's greater than the gift of life.