Gianna and Alyssa were teammates at the Mamba Academy and were flying from Orange County to Thousand Oaks to attend a game. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, his daughter, Alyssa Altobelli, and wife, Keri Altobelli, were also killed aboard the helicopter, John's brother Tony Altobelli told CNN. TMZ stated that emergency personnel responded, but nobody else on board survived the incident in Calabasas, CA. The passengers were on their way to the Mamba Academy for basketball practice. It was reported that Bryant's 13 year old daughter Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant was with him on the aircraft and has passed away. The Los Angeles Lakers player was traveling with at least 3 other people in a private helicopter Sunday January 26th when reportedly a fire broke out. Bryant was also an advocate for women in basketball, telling CNN that “there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now.Celebrated athlete, filmmaker and entrepreneur Kobe Bryant is dead at 41 due to a helicopter crash, according to TMZ. In his post-NBA life, Bryant continued to sit courtside, often joined by Gigi. His baby girl Gigi was born on the same day as my youngest daughter Me’Arah.“ I would hug his children like they were my own, and he would embrace my kids like they were his. Shaquille O’Neal said in a tweet, “Kobe was so much more than an athlete he was a family man. It’s been fun.”īryant loved having all girls, telling People: ““It’s pretty cool for me ’cause it’s Daddy’s little princesses’.” They’ve gotten extremely, extremely good over the course of the last year and are continuing to work and get better, man. “A valuable lesson that I can teach them is what it means to pursue excellence and the commitment level that comes with that,” he told People of being a coach in a 2017 interview. Thank you for your work ethic, your inspiration and your heart.”Ī post shared by Kobe Bryant his girls’ teams was one of Bryant’s proudest roles after retiring from the Lakers. … Kobe, you meant so much to so many and we will miss you forever. The most unfair thing in life is to lose a child and husband on the same day. I am sending all of my love and praying for you, your children and the other families involved in today’s tragic turn of events. “We are all feeling sadness from this loss, but all I can think of is that it is a grain of sand compared to what Vanessa must going through right now. “As I scrolled through Kobe’s feed, and Alex and I talk memories and moments we remember about him … this is the truth that rings out the loudest … family is what matters most,” Jennifer Lopez wrote on Instagram at the time. Immediately following Bryant’s death, many big names took to social media to remember Bryant as the quintessential family man. Outside of the NBA, Bryant was a dedicated husband of Vanessa and father in addition to Gigi, his children include Capri Kobe, Natalia Diamante and Bianka Bella. In 2008, the basketball legend was named NBA’s Most Valuable Player and went on to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 after his passing.
Bryant went on to become a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team and was an 18-time All-Star. Bryant is widely considered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The athlete and dad of four spent many of his years dominating the court, showing the world just how fierce of a competitor he could be. Always paying it forward.”Ī shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. “The most patient teacher and student Always giving back. Vanessa Bryant, wife of Kobe Bryant, spoke of his kindness and patience as a coach and father in a memorial post to Instagram commemorating Kobe and Gigi’s lives. The basketball legend was also a superstar off the court, boasting the title of certified GirlDad and family man, Bryant cared deeply about the success and wellbeing of his daughters in whatever path of life they aimed for. He won five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and one league MVP before retiring from basketball in 2016.
Known as one of the NBA’s all-time greats, Bryant made the NBA All-Star Game twice over the course of his 20 years in the league. There were nine fatalities in total, according to AP.
The pair was reportedly en route to Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for one of Gigi’s travel basketball games, alongside another parent and child. Daughter Gianna “Gigi,” 13, was among those killed in the helicopter crash, according to officials. 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash at the age of 41. The basketball star died in a Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. Today marks the 2-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death.