Rumors of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were reported to have died to a helicopter crash heading to a basketball game at the Mamba University, these rumors were confirmed. It has been a tragic week for the sports world and for NBA teams, teams have been taking 8 to 24 second violations in honor of Kobe.
Kobe Bryant was only 41 years old as Gianna was only 13 years old, he has certainly left a legacy on and off the court. When the helicopter crashed it was before 10 AM in California and since there was a brush fire there was no way the first responders could have came any sooner, this is what the fireman said about crash:
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby: “At 9:47 a.m. the Los Angeles County Fire Department received a 911 call of a potential helicopter down and a brush fire…Upon arrival, our firefighters discovered approximately a quarter-acre brush fire that resulted from a crash on the hillside.”
A statement came out by Vanessa Bryant following the death of her husband and daughter:
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.
There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.
I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.
Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me.”
Official statement from the Los Angeles Lakers on Kobe Bryant’s death:
“We are devastated and have been forever changed by the sudden loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. We send our love to Vanessa, the Bryant family, and to the families of the other passengers. Words cannot express what Kobe means to the Los Angeles Lakers, our fans, and our city. More than a basketball player, he was a beloved father, husband, and teammate. Their love and light will remain in our hearts forever. The Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to support the families affected by this tragedy. To help, please visit MambaOnThree.org. For those who are inspired to continue Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org“
Frank Vogel on whether Lakers will be playing the rest of this season for Kobe Bryant:
“We want to represent what Kobe was about, more than anything. We’ve always wanted to make him proud. That’s not going to be any different.”
Kobe Bryant has left a incredible career, giving us Mamba Mentality, and leaving everything he had out on the court. Thank you Kobe for an amazing 20 years! This has truly been an amazing career!
Here are some of stats he had over his 20 year career with the Lakers:
- Spent 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers
- Fourth-leading scorer in NBA history (33,643 points)
- Five-time NBA champion, twice named Finals MVP
- 18-time All-Star
- 11-time All-NBA First Team
- Nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist
- Youngest player in NBA history at the time of his debut in 1996
