Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

Just got back into LA and everyone was talking about it at lax. Feels pretty surreal and sad.

 

As a huge basketball fan, Im sort of still in denial. This is just crazy.
RIP

 

He was one of the reasons i started watching NBA again, after MJ stopped, and it's hearbreaking that at least one of his daughters was with him.

 

Looks like there were 9 people on board, not 5.

 

Wow, just stunned at this news. Even though I wouldn't really call myself a Lakers fan, I couldn't help but be a Kobe fan. In a word..."greatness."

That his daughter also lost her life in this crash is simply depressing. Anyone who has kids will understand how difficult this will be for his family. RIP Kobe...

 

What a gut punch. Terrible.

 

Where I come from, Kobe is probably the first basketball figure to become widely known to the general public. My parents, who are not into sports, and have no idea how basketball is even played, called to talk about his passing.

His young daughter being on board is horrific. But with Kobe too, you get the sense that some of his best years were still ahead. By all accounts he was very active in mentoring the current / future generation of basketball players. Then there is his basketball academy, that thing with Dear Basketball, investing in women's basketball, and all his other business ventures.

With someone as driven and competitive as Kobe, it always felt that he'd expand out into a few other things and pursue it to a very high level.

 

I never thought I'd see the competitive spirit and drive that Jordan and Bird had for a long time, but Kobe brought that back to the league much sooner than thinkable.

Based on what he was already doing post-career, it seemed like he was on a trajectory to impact many more lives in retirement than while playing. That's the unshakable thought I feel tonight.

As a Phillies fan, I've seen the public struggle Roy Halladay's wife Brandy has had since Roy's similarly premature passing, despite being an unbelievably resilient woman herself. Hopefully Vanessa can find some peace at some point in losing her husband and daughter.

 

Reports say that it was a lot people involved in youth sports. There was a coach from Orange Coast College as well as his wife and kid aboard. There also another girl's basketball coach too. Kobe was on his way to coaching his daughter's team. Really sad.

I also have an odd connection with Kobe. Back when I first moved to California for grad school I got a new phone number. On day 1 before I ever gave the number to anybody, I was already getting voicemails and phone calls from Bloomdales for someone called Vanessa Bryant. It was kind of annoying that I was getting phone calls telling me about packages being ready for some rich lady. Then randomly someone texted me asking for Lakers tickets. I made a connection and linked Bryant to Kobe Bryant. Looked him his details, which I usually don't care about, and it turns out his wife was Vanessa Bryant and they lived in Newport Beach, not too far from Irvine.

Over the years I got some pretty interesting text messages meant for Kobe. Miss America texted me once asking to be a judge. Every year when Kobe Bryant won, I would get a text from J-Mac congratulating me. One time during a championship run a morning sports radio show called me and I was live on the air for a few minutes. The guy asked me if I was a big Kobe fan and I said I was more of a Rockets fan, who the Lakers were currently playing. Weirdest coincidence was when a French journalist called me once. Not only was it because he was French, but he knew my cousin who's also a journalist.

I no longer have the phone number, but for a little while it was a cool window into Kobe's life. I wouldn't say I was a fan, but there is no denying his talent and his contribution to the game. Gone way too soon.

 

I don't know why I feel so impacted by this. I was never a fan of him in his playing days. At the height of his powers in 2001 he ripped a championship from my 76ers' hands and proved to me forever that AI was never going to be as good as him.

I think it's because I have (only) two daughters who are very much into basketball and sports and he has 4 daughters and was well on his way to becoming a major champion of young girls and likely going to change the perception of girls and women in sport.

I watched this performance this morning since it reflected my mood. Another great one we lost too early.

 

My thoughts are with all the families and children who lost their sisters, fathers, mothers, and both of their parents in this unimaginable tragedy. Lives and family ties all cut too short. #8, #24, #2.

 

On the news last night, Sheriff's press conference, he said the area was "off limits". Sounded like they have guys stationed there to keep fans and amateur investigators out of the area while NTSB does its thing.

What I don't get is why a helicopter would be flying that low if there was nothing wrong with it. Even if you can't see, you have instruments to give you altitude. I guess all of this will come out as the NTSB releases info on what happened.

 

Here's a few good links with more flight path, radio tower info, and an eye witness report from @Taverius profile post: