RIP Kobe Bryant

[meep]

Died in a helicopter crash. He was only 41, still a baby!  

[apandaaries]

Huge Lakers fan here, though I wasn’t especially fond of Kobe. Yet I’m still devastated. He was so young. His kids ARE still young. So very, very sad.

[ADoyle90815]

It's a sad day, he was too young. Now, they're saying his 13 year old daughter was killed in that crash as well.

Edited January 26, 2020 by ADoyle90815

[WiseGirl]

16 minutes ago, ADoyle90815 said:

It's a sad day, he was too young. Now, they're saying his 13 year old daughter was killed in that crash as well.

Yes she was on the flight too.  So heartbreaking.

Per People https://people.com/sports/kobe-bryant-daughter-gianna-dies-calabasas-helicopter-crash/

ESPN: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28569438/kobe-bryant-dead-helicopter-crash

 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by WiseGirl
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[meep]

I was never confident about what kind of man he was, but there is no disagreeing he was a revolutionary player in basketball. 

My heart goes out to his wife today - who lost both her young husband and her young daughter in the same moment. A pain I hope none of us will ever face.  

[apandaaries]

Can’t believe one of his daughters was with him, too. Beyond tragic. So sad for the family.

Edited January 26, 2020 by apandaaries

[meep]

There was just a press briefing by Law Enforcement. They said they will not confirm identities until the coroner has done his/her job and family is informed. The sheriff said something like, "How horrible would it be to learn your loved ones died because you heard it on TMZ?" and said commenting on identities at this early time would be very inappropriate. I'm inclined to agree with this man. I can't believe he said that but I'm glad he did. 

[OyHiOh]

Same age I am and his daughter was barely a year older than my oldest.  I'm not usually shocked or otherwise emotionally moved by reports of celebrity deaths but this one is hitting tender spots for me.

[Beermeet]

As a Los Angelean ( ?) and a laker fan, I am devastated.  Then, to hear of his 13 year old daughter, Gianna.  It's a very sad day in LA. 

In a horrible fucked up twist, I went to my local smoke shop for some cigarettes and Vitamin Water.  Everyone is talking about it.  I live in a very diverse neighborhood and this shop is run by and largely patronized by black people.  The cashier was was showing us this ( see below) on her phone to us after being sad about Kobe and Gianna,  it had just come out.  Wtaf. That woman must use the N word A LOT to slip like that.  Lakers is no where close to the N word.  LA is in mourning and I hate that in that shop we couldn't focus on this tragedy, it just immediately got fucked up by fucked up racism. I'm sure that asshole will get fired ( and probably find her a job at Fox).  I'm sad and now pissed all the way off.  Fuck that woman. Wtf.  I love my neighborhood though, we wtf'd over that noise together.  We mourned together.  It's our local shop and we "know" each other.  Instead of the usual quick chat, we all hung out for about 30 minutes being LA'ers together.  Cursing the racist. 

https://madamenoire.com/1128295/msnbc-reporter-says-n-word-reporting-kobe-bryant-death/

Edited January 26, 2020 by Beermeet

[HermioneSparrow]

I'm not from the US but this is shocking for everyone. My soon to be husband used to play college basketball and Kobe was and still is a huge sports inspiration to him, it hits home to us.

Prayers to Vanessa, I can't imagine what she's going through.

[MarblesMom]

Having lost my husband with no notice it was coming, I can only imagine his wife's heartbreak today - but to lose a child at the same time.... no words.  I am just stunned by all of this.  I hope her family rallies around... 

My Kobe stories:

Vanessa, his wife, was staying with her grandparents while she finished high school.  They lived a few streets over in a very middle class, ranch style, 1300 SF kinda house, like we all did.  When she started dating Kobe, every teenage boy in the neighborhood was "on watch" for Kobe's entourage - there would be 5 Escalades parked outside Gramma's when Kobe came a courtin'.  My sons were about 10 and 13 at the time, and would RACE OVER to sit and ogle the cars (they never did meet Kobe).

I, however, DID meet Kobe, at the Chevron station.   I pulled in behind two matching Mercedes.  What was most surprising was that an African American was in one of them (this was Orange County, folks, not that diverse!)  The clerk told me it was Kobe, so I went outside and introduced myself and told him I was a big fan.  He shook my hand.  I swear his hand was the size of a size 14 man's shoe.  He was so polite, so gracious.

The world lost a true talent.  A family lost a dad, a husband, a sister and a daughter.   And I am not even sure who else was in the accident at this point.  Sad day for the LA area, for sure.

[haroldtheyrefundies]

There's this video of Kobe on a late night show bragging about GiGi continuing his legacy (people were pressuring him and his wife to have a boy so he would continue his legacy) and that video is so eerie now because that can't happen now and it just so sad (what makes this worse was that they were going to her basketball practice and he was her coach). I've never cared about sports but this has really hit me hard for some reason. 

[WiseGirl]

It keeps getting sadder and sadder. Two children (even if they are older, one is a scout for the Red Sox) lost their parents and sister.

https://people.com/sports/college-baseball-coach-john-altobelli-his-wife-and-daughter-dead-in-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash/

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by WiseGirl
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[MarblesMom]

The Orange County baseball community is pretty tight-knit.  I am sure there are plenty of people mourning tonite.

What a crap day.

[meep]

Christina Mauser has also been named as a victim of the crash, she was a girls basketball coach. 

Edited January 27, 2020 by meep