Kobe Bryant And His Daughter Gianna Die In Tragic Helicopter Crash
Yesterday seems like it wasn't even real. The tragic news broke that Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among nine people (including the pilot) that were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California. There were no survivors. The other victims of the crash that we know about so far were John Altobelli, a longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College, as well as his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa. Alyssa and Gianna were basketball teammates. They were on their way to an academy where Kobe Bryant coached their team. Pilot Ara Zobayan, girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, and Sarah and Payton Chester were on board as well. Payton, who was Sarah’s daughter, previously attended Harbor View Elementary. The authorities in Los Angeles County said it could take several days to recover bodies from the crash site because the helicopter crashed in rough terrain. The cause of the crash is under investigation. L.A. weather was extremely foggy Sunday morning, and air support was grounded because of it. Kobe Bryant is survived by his daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months, along with his wife Vanessa, 37. Kobe Bryant was considered one of the best players in N.B.A. history. He entered the NBA straight out of high school. In 1996, he became the youngest player in NBA history. He won five NBA titles in his time with the Lakers, and two Olympic gold medals playing for the United States. He's fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 33,643 points! This week also marked the 14-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors, still the second most points ever scored in an NBA game behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100. He was 41-years-old. We are definitely thinking about all of the souls who lost their lives and their loved ones.
For Kobe Bryant, a moment of silence was held at the first NBA game of the day yesterday. Here in Memphis, the Grizzlies allowed 24 seconds to run off the clock without playing. Past and present players from Michael Jordan to Shaq paid their respects on social media. So did celebrities and the current and former Presidents. Even Kobe Bryant's final tweet was a message for fellow basketball superstar LeBron James just hours before his death. Kobe Bryant congratulated LeBron James for passing him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He tweeted, “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother ---- #33644."
Fans quickly gathered quickly at Staples Center in L.A. to pay their respects as the Grammys were hours away from taking place there.
The Grammys Honor Kobe Bryant And All Of The Individuals Who Lost Their Lives On The Flight
I don't think anyone was really in the mood to be at the Grammy Awards, and the show's host, Alicia Keys, knew it. She paid tribute to Kobe Bryant during the opening of the show by talking about it and then performing “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” with Boyz II Men. You can watch it below.
The Big Winners Of The 2020 Grammys Were...
Record of the Year - “Bad Guy” — Billie EilishAlbum of the Year - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? — Billie EilishSong of The Year - “Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)Best New Artist - Billie Eilish
Best Pop Solo Performance - “Truth Hurts” — Lizzo
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance - “Old Town Road” — Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
Best Pop Vocal Album - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? — Billie Eilish
Best Traditional R&B Performance - “Jerome” — Lizzo
Best Urban Contemporary Album - Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) — Lizzo
Best Country Duo/Group Performance - “Speechless” — Dan + Shay