One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant, died in a tragic accident yesterday. A helicopter with him and his daughter, along with seven other persons, crashed near Calabasas, California.
This news was officially confirmed by the LA County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva, who had a press conference this Sunday where he revealed certain details.
Besides Kobe, his daughter Gianna Bryant also died, as well as John Altobelli, Orange Coast College baseball coach, his assistant Ron La Ruffa. Also, Christina Mauser, the basketball coach of the team where Gianna played died, and one more of her friends.
According to the preliminary results of the investigation, the cause of the crash was a heavy fog, which made problems all over LA. Some sources are saying that the LA Police Department helicopters who were supposed to patrol that day stayed on the ground.
The intel gathered from the flight control from the nearby airport show that the pilot contacted them and that they warned him about flying too low.
He was waiting for permission for landing due to weather conditions, and circled for about 15 minutes, before trying to elevate to the 1800 feet, probably to avoid the fog.
The FBI also included themselves in the investigation. There are several scenarios what might have happened here, and all of the stories released by the media are not confirmed.
Kobe Bryant was the player who defined an era in basketball history. He was one of the most influential players of all times, and a person who set new limits while playing.
Charlotte Hornets drafted him as the 13th overall pick in 1996 draft but traded him one day later to Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. He would play for the LAL in the next 20 years, creating the legacy only a few persons have.
His Mamba mentality brought him and the Lakers five NBA titles, three in a row with Shaquille O’Neal and two with Pau Gasol as partners on the court.
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time All-Star game MVP. He was NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008.
“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,” Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner, wrote in his statement.
Kobe is the No.4 on the NBA all-time scoring list, being surpassed by LeBron James this Saturday. He scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-most in the history of the league, and also won two Olympic gold medals.
According to many, Kobe was the closest player to Michael Jordan, who himself stated that when looking at him sees himself.
Bryant was married to Vanessa Laine for 19 years, and they had four daughters. Besides tragically passed Gianna, they had Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and the seven-month-old Capri.
This is a sad day for basketball and for the Bryant family, to whom we express our deepest condolences.
