On Jan. 26, Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah and Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. For those who don’t know, Kobe Bryant played on the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years and was a five-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, and ranked fourth in All-Time Points leaders. He was a basketball icon and a role model to everyone. Bryant wasn’t just a basketball player, but he was a fantastic person overall. He died at the age of 41.
Kobe was known to be a family man and spent as much time as he could with his four daughters and wife. His second oldest daughter, Gianna Bryant, died alongside her father at the age of 13. She was a basketball player, too, and had dreams to follow her father’s footsteps and play in the WNBA.
The world mourns over the loss of the victims in the crash and honors their memory. For example, the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) women’s basketball team draped a jersey over one of their chairs along with flowers in order to honor Gianna Bryant, who had always wanted to become a player on their team. Lebron James got a tattoo of a snake with the numbers 24 and 8 on either side of it and the words “Mamba 4 Life” underneath, to honor the legacy Bryant left behind. The Lakers game following the crash was dedicated to Kobe, Gianna, and the seven others killed in the crash. Lebron James made an emotional speech, Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa sang “See You Again”, Usher sang “Amazing Grace”, and many more tributes to honor them. Players like Neymar, Za’Darius Smith and his NFC teammates, and other players on numerous NBA teams honor him through game celebrations on the fields and courts.
Kobe’s death has impacted so many people around the world, not just basketball fans. He has made such an immense impact on the world and changed the game of basketball. Although he is gone, he will never be forgotten.