One year ago, Jan. 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on their way to a youth basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy.
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The Lower Merion phenom-turned NBA legend became a global icon over his 20-year career with the Lakers. And then, through a very well-told story by ESPN anchor Elle Duncan only days after his death, he became the world’s most famous "girl dad."
To this day, many find it very difficult to believe it actually happened.
In remembrance of her husband and daughter, Vanessa Bryant posted a letter she received from Gianna’s best friend Instagram. "I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much," she wrote.
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Over the weekend, Lakers superstar LeBron James admitted that the aftermath of the tragic crash is still tough on him.
“I try not to put myself back in that headspace because it’s just too dark,” James said Saturday, “not only for myself, but for our organization and for everyone that’s involved in it.”
James took it upon himself to lead his Laker teammates in carrying on Bryant’s legacy all the way to an NBA Championship in the Disney bubble. He said they continue to find ways to honor Bryant to this day.
"It’s a lot of things that die in this world, but legends never die, and he’s exactly that, so it’s all about representing that."
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Fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis echoed that sentiment on Saturday.
“From that day on and to this day, we was ’Mamba on 3’ anytime we bring it in, because we still want to recognize that he’s a part of our organization and ever since the tragedy happened, we had a mindset that this is bigger than ourselves.”
Davis recollected that there have been signs of Bryant’s spirit through the last year. When the scoreboard read 24-8, it recalled Bryant’s numbers with the Lakers. And as he hit a buzzer beater in the bubble, Davis shouted "Kobe."
The day before Bryant’s death, James jumped Bryant on the all-time scoring list in a game against the Sixers at Wells Fargo Center.
Exactly one year after that, James dropped 46 in the Lakers' 115-108 victory at the Cavs, becoming the oldest Laker to score 40 in a game since Bryant put up 60 in his career finale.
Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers are scheduled to host the Lakers.
“Just playing back everything on that day and then you fast forward to a year later where we’re going back to Philly and on almost the same exact day. It’s just crazy to really come to the realization that he’s gone,” Davis said.
Doc Rivers: Kobe Bryant let me in
For Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, too, Bryant’s death remains difficult.
"There’s so many different times where you’re just hit with this wave of sadness at times when you think about it .... This last week there’s been so much talk about him. It’s still hard to believe for many of us. You know it’s real that he’s not here, but it’s still hard to believe that."
Rivers said Monday that he had a competitive and personal relationship with Bryant. He never coached the Lakers, but his Celtics did compete in two NBA Finals against Los Angeles — winning in 2008, and losing an epic Game 7 in 2010.
“When we beat them in 2008, and we’re celebrating on the floor, and I remember having a talk with him during the celebration, and you can look at in his eyes and I was thinking, ‘Boy, we’re gonna have to deal with this guy again.’ And obviously he exacted his revenge on us in 2010,” Rivers said.
Rivers called him the "perfect opponent, because you know he’s gonna give you his best."
Rivers revealed, during his pregame session with the media on Monday, that he credits his personal relationship with the star to a specific shift he noticed after Bryant retired.
"I thought after his retirement he started letting more people in, and I was one of those guys, actually," Rivers said.
Rivers recalled a conversation he and Bryant a few weeks before the crash. He said they were chatting about the 2008 and 2010 NBA Finals when Bryant’s interest in coaching stood out to him.
"He was so into coaching after retirement, because of his daughter, and just wanted to know to everything," Rivers said. "And I really loved those conversations."
After two decades of basketball excellence, it's clear Bryant wanted to do more. His daughter Gianna wanted to play in the WNBA.
Bryant had won an Oscar, he was a writer, and he was only scratching the surface of a post-basketball career.