SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
It came across the screen like a bad dream. The news kept piling up. It was shocking, stunning, something unexpected to unravel.The sports world is reeling.
That’s right, whether you were or are a basketball fan, it was a tragedy that dropped from the sky, a helicopter that including the legendary Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, six others, and the pilot. There were no survivors.
I was speechless, still am. I’m an old timer and go back to the days when Bryant’s father, Joe, played in the National Basketball Association. I was there one Sunday afternoon when Joe’s team, the Philadelphia Warriors, were playing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and sitting in back of the Philly bench was young Kobe, probably about 8 years old at the time, but not noticed until his dad introduced him to a Knick player.
He was to grow into a legend, played high school ball in the states at a private school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and instead of attending college, he was drafted at age 17 by the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets as the 13th pick right out of high school, was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and played 20 years for them.
Now at the age of 41, he is gone but will be remembered, missed, as one of the finest to ever play the game.
At 6-foot-6, he was equally adept at shooting guard and point guard. He is currently fourth all-time in scoring with 33,643 points. He first wore number 8 with LA, and then switched to number 24 with both being retired and hanging from the rafters at downtown Staples Center.
You don’t think he was a legend. He is a legend, there’s no way around it. An easy entry into the Basketball Hall of Fame since retiring after the 2015-16 season. He had all the tools, all the fans, a wife, Vanessa, and four daughters, the last being Capri, who was born in June of 2019. The oldest being Gianna.
.
They were on their way to the Mamba Academy travel basketball game at nearby Thousand Oaks. Gianna was a player coached by her dad, and the other two included another young player and a parent.
The news broke a 8:47 a.m. California time. The report said that the helicopter caught fire and crashed in Calabasas, California. The downed aircraft was said to be in flames and the fire spread smoke into the area as deputies at the crash site searched for survivors.
Leading up to the disaster, the Los Angeles County Sherrif’s Department responded to reports of a helicopter that crashed into a hillside and caught fire. At around 10:30 that morning, the flames that spread a quarter acre were put out.
The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76 that was owned by Bryant and used by him to get around, crashed under unknown circumstances with five people on board. There has been no further information on the cause of the accident.
I’ve been following basketball since the mid 50s, as a sportswriter covering the Knicks from 1968 to 1973, and also the then-New York Nets when they played in the Long Island Nassau Coliseums until merging with the NBA in 1975. But I never saw Kobe play in person, but watching him on television brought enough evidence of just how elite he was.
He was smooth, had many skills, popped in jump shots, dished out assists, brought down rebounds, and took delight in entertaining the fans of the purple and gold’s proud franchise. He won many games with shots that fell in as the clock ticked down.
He often played hurt, hated to lose, loved tossing in the key baskets, converting free throws, exciting the home fans at Staples Center, often flipping wrist and head bands into the stands, often flashing his smile and finding time for high-fives.
Hated injuries, always wanted to be on the court in the only sport he grew up with. There were times when trades for him were mentioned, but he always informed the Lakers’ front office that he likes it where he is. Thus, all his NBA days were in Lakers’ purple and gold.
Twenty years, 18 All-Star games, first team All-NBA 13 times, Player of the Year 11 times, five NBA titles, named to NBA Hall of Fame on initial ballot. Was on two championship USA Olympic teams.
Comments that filled the Internet were many. Terrible tragedy; very sad, will be missed and remembered; shocking; sad for family; unbelievable; it doesn’t take being a basketball fan to realize how elite Kobe was; condolences to family and friends; so sad, don’t know what to say, and RIP.
Yes, you never know when your time is up, which is why this sadden news snuck
up on us, why it’s beyond belief.
Here’s more from some of the best who played with him and against him, plus from President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, and former head coach Phil Jackson.
Said Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe’s teammate with the Lakers who teamed with him to win five NBA titles: “Love you Kobe, miss you already. Right now, I feel sick. It’s just an overwhelming bad feeling.”
Said Magic Johnson, also a lifetime Laker, through tears: “A time of sadness, a terrible, terrible tragedy, a loss of a great player, a class act.”
Said Scottie Pippen, a respected opponent: “Hard to believe this, and I have nothing but sadness for Vanessa and the rest of his family. RIP Kobe.
Said Bill Walton, a fellow Hall of Famer and former Laker: “He stood tall among players, was a true big-time player, a class person.”
Said Michael Jordan, another opponent with a mountain of respect: “We have lost a great player, a great individual, very very heartbreaking.”
Said Phil Jackson, his head coach in all five NBA championships: “Kobe was special, great to coach, always looking to improve, and a true fan favorite.
I check off all of these, and the tears fall.
