NBA Legend Kobe Bryant, Daughter Gigi, Die In Helicopter Crash

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(Edited)

In absolute heartbreaking news Kobe Bryant and his daughter GiGi have died in an accident outside Calabasas, CA this morning. They were travelling, with another player and parent, to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California for a basketball practice. All 4, along with helicopter pilot, died at the scene. Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa, and their three daughters; Natalia, Bianca and their newborn Capri.

It goes without saying but Kobe was one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. While Kobe would maintain an illustroius 20 year professional career, Bryant began as a first round selection by the Lakers straight out of Lower Merion High School. Kobe would go on to amass five NBA championships, multiple MVP awards while being as a league All Star nearly every year. Kobe became the youngest player to ever score 30,000 points and still stands as one of the top 5 point scorers in NBA history. Despite those accomplishments Kobe's successes went far beyond just the court.

Kobe subscribed to a Mamba Mentality. He drove himself to excel and that wasn't just on the court. Not only was he a phenomenal basketball player but he excelled in most things he touched. He spoke multiple languages like English, Spanish and Italian. He took those smarts and spawned success from a music record deal during his early ball days to recently winning an Academy Award for his animated short "Dear Basketball" in 2018 to authoring his own book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.

He also held amazing success in the business world. Kobe made top level endorsement deals for his brand. That led to him creating and marketing a number of brands for countless sales. That success set him up for the time he would be spending outside of the court on what many have speculated to what he considered his greatest achievements of his life, his 4 daughters. Many have memorialized Kobe to be an amazing father dedicated to his girls' success.

Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant

One of those daughters were with him on today's fateful flight. Gianna, better known as Gigi, was reportedly heading to basketball practice with her father when their Sikorsky S-76 went down. You can find tons of images of the two together. Kobe excelled at supporting his daughter and teaching her the game he loved.

In fact when Kobe left the league in 2016 he went on to coach his daughters middle school team. That coaching was paying off and Gigi had been excelling as a ball player. She could be found in leagues playing with girls already older. She was aspiring to attend the University of Connecticut to play basketball.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Bryant family. There's no words that can describe the loss they are feeling today with such a tragic series of events. The world is a darker place without Kobe and Gigi's smiles.

sportstalk - basketballbreak2png

Media References

1.) - https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-kobe-bryant-daughter-gianna-bryant-balling-out/
2.) - https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-great-kobe-bryant-dies-195450137.html
3.) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gi9y3sTrXE
4.) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6iwKGA6bEs



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19 comments
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Was Kobe Bryant murdered or was it just an accident?

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It appears to be a tragic accident. Eyewitness reports confirmed to TMZ Sports that you could hear the engine sputtering before the aircraft went down.

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Shocking. Kobe was second to Michael Jordan. I miss Kobe already. Rest in peace.

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I can't imagine many people not placing him in their top 5. Jordan made a very appropriate statement on the loss today as well.

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somehow this cartoon already knew HOW kobe is going to die way back in 2012, very strange.

LA county fireman said, there had been "fog"....

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It was a high tech helicopter which is difficult to crash.

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Really! not a joke sir! 😥😥

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It is heartbreaking news. Kobe was one of the greatest to ever play the game and seems to have been an even better human. The world will certainly miss him.

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Indeed sir, even me He is my favourite nba player. I could not imagine that it really happened for Kobe..Not Kobe..oh my God.😥

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That seems to have been a common theme among the countless reaction to today's news. Kobe was certainly loved among his fans and anyone who respected his achievements.

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Fans will surely shocked and cry for this news.

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(Edited)

💔💔💔💔 It's an heartbreaking news, so sad 😔

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I couldn't put words to it when I first heard. Losing Kobe at such a young age is beyond shocking but to be losing Gigi as well is absolutely devastating. My thoughts and prayers are with their family.

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I see you do not write often but when you do you bring something to the place.
I learned about it before 4 pm E.T.
This is really shocking
Still cannot settle for a loss like that.
I see basketball growth through Kobe years.
My condolences to the family

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It completely stunned me. My in-laws came to town to take my wife and I out for a belated birthday lunch. We had stopped in LaRosa's and someone walked by our table saying something about Kobe that didn't seem to make sense. It didn't compute in my mind it could be real that I heard him say Kobe had passed. I looked up to a TV that was on the wall and the disbelief extended to the TV screen. It was showing as clear as day that Kobe indeed had passed but I just couldn't process it for a few moments as I heard other's around me gasping at the news as they looked on.

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I am a Kobe fan since around 1998 and this news really breaks my heart, it was so unreal it was like having the baddest dream in my life. Sure the whole world is mourning for the loss of a transcendent athlete, Heroes come and go but LEGENDS are forever. He will be forever missed, hoping that the number 8 and 24 will be retired league-wide

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a sad day for all the sports lovers :(

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