By Bob Phillips
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| Kobe and daughter Gianna were UConn basketball fans and have rooted on their Huskies in Connecticut and Los Angeles. (Photo Courtesy of @UConnWBB) |
“Holy crap. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash!”
Kobe was one of those transcendent sports figures… One that needed only one name to be
identified. Ali. Tiger. Papi. Scooter. Derek. Martina. Chrissie. Kareem. Wilt. Boomer (which could be Esiason or David Wells). Magic. Larry. LeBron.
Shaq. It’s a long list, but each member is immortal in his or her own way. And Kobe
has been a part of that elite group, pretty much since the day he left high
school to join the NBA.
Everyone has heard of Kobe. My wife was with a close friend of ours who couldn’t tell a
basketball from a plum tomato. But she knew who Kobe was.
His impact on the game he loved is indisputable. His impact
on the world was immense.
“Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete
who inspired a whole generation of basketball players,” tweeted Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, himself a member of the basketball pantheon.
“But I will always
remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete.”
That he died with his beloved daughter, Gianna, or Gigi, at
his side while making an 80-mile trek from their home to Kobe’s Mamba Sports
Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for a travel basketball tournament, was
appropriate. Kobe not only adored his 13-year-old daughter, but the two shared
a passion for the game they both loved so deeply. And it forged a special bond
between them.
“The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans come
up to me, and [Gigi will] be standing next to me, and be like, ‘You and V
[Kobe’s wife, Vanessa] got to have a boy,” Kobe once said on Jimmy Kimmel’s
late-night show. “You gotta have somebody
to carry on the tradition and the legacy. And [Gigi]’s like, ‘We got this!’”
Indeed, Gigi inherited her dad’s athletic gene, was in the
process of becoming an elite basketball player, and that’s where the Bryants’
connection to Connecticut comes: They were both huge fans of the Huskies’
women’s basketball team.
“She’s hell-bent on playing for Geno Auriemma at UConn,”
Kobe told The Los Angeles Times last year. Indeed, the two spent time with the
Huskies in 2017 when they were in Los Angeles to play UCLA. The Huskies defeated
the Bruins in that game, 78-60.
“Kobe and Gianna meant a lot to our program,” read the
statement on the team’s Twitter account (@UConnWBB).
“Our thoughts are with the Bryant family. Mamba Mentality will live on forever,
but they are deeply missed.”
Kobe was known for his support of women’s basketball throughout
the world. Rebecca Lobo, who starred for UConn in the early days of the team’s
dominance, tweeted, “No NBA player supported the WNBA or women’s college
basketball more than Kobe. He attended games, watched on TV, coached the next
generation. We pray for his family.”
Indeed, Kobe was one of those people who didn’t really need
to do much to support women’s basketball. His mere presence at games—and the
excitement and exposure that would generate—was enough.
Kobe and Gigi visited Gampel Pavilion two years ago. That
day Lobo had her number retired, and seniors Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson
were honored. Samuelson, a Southern California native, had a close connection
with Kobe and Gigi. They returned again last March to root on the Huskies, and
also attended several Oregon games when the Ducks traveled to UCLA.
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| Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal had a sometimes-contentious relationship with the Lakers, but grew close after their playing days were over. |
In all, nine people died in the tragic crash, including John
Altobelli, head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, his wife Keri, and
their daughter, Alyssa. Another thing
that connects this tragedy to Connecticut is the fact that the helicopter was
manufactured here in Connecticut—at Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft.
While weather conditions (specifically heavy fog) is
suspected as a key reason for the crash, a full investigation is underway by
the National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB] and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The investigation will include a complete review of Sikorsky’s procedures in
manufacturing the helicopter as well as weather data, radar information, air
traffic control communications, maintenance logs and the pilot’s record, according
to NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway.
A report in The Los Angeles Times said that the fog
was so dense that the Los Angeles Police Department had grounded its
helicopters. “The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for
flying,” said LAPD spokesperson Josh Rubenstein.
While it’s imperative to find the cause of the tragedy,
nothing will bring back Kobe, his beloved daughter, and the seven others who
died in the crash.
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| LeBron James passed Kobe as the NBA's No. 3 all-time scoring leader the night before Kobe passed away. |
One legend who mourned Kobe’s passing was
Shaquille O’Neal. The two had an often contentious
relationship during their run of three championships with the Lakers, as alpha
dogs are wont to do while sharing the same space. Those feelings had softened
over the years, however, and the two had become close friends.
“There’s no
words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of losing my niece
Gigi & ,u brother http://@kobebryant,” tweeted
Shaq. “I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant
family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW”
In another twist of irony, LeBron James passed Kobe the
night before his death as the No. 3 all-time scorer in NBA history. “Continuing
to move the game forward @KingJames. Much
respect my brother. #33644” read Kobe’s last tweet.
At the time of his death, Kobe Bryant—the only player in NBA
history to have two numbers (8 and 24) retired by the same team—was just 41. To
say that he will be missed is an understatement of mythic proportions. The pain
will ultimately subside, and the game will recover. And his spirit will live on
forevermore.
—with staff reports
#kobebryant #nba #lakers
#kobe #k #mvp #shaq #blackmamba #mambamentality
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