Kobe Bryant was an NBA star with a career that spanned over two decades. He was considered one of the best basketball players in the NBA and had become an All-Star 18 times in his career. Kobe also had a longtime sponsorship from Nike.
While speaking at Kobe’s memorial, his agent, Rob Pelinka, shared the last words of the NBA star which were to ask him to help a friend’s daughter get a job in Basketball.
A Brief Look into the NBA Legend
Kobe Bryant was well known for his ideology of having a Mamba Mentality, which meant always to portray the best version of oneself and believe that hard work brings fruitful results.
Being a superstar athlete, Kobe was able to use his fame to inspire an entire generation of fans to strive to be their best in life. Today, he is remembered as a family man devoted to his wife and their four children until death brought them apart.
After the NBA, Kobe often turned down business opportunities and instead preferred spending time with his kids. However, he still stayed involved with basketball as a coach for his daughters’ teams in the vicinity.
Reflecting on Bryant’s Life
Around ten days before he died, Kobe had his last interview with USA Today, where the reporter Mark Medina spoke to him about his post-NBA years. Kobe talked about how he spent a lot of time with his family and managed his schedule.
He was also more focused on his production company to plan the fourth sports fantasy book while also working on the third season of his Punies podcast.
On the day we lost the NBA legend, he shared his last tweet where he congratulated LeBron James for overtaking him as the third on the NBA all-time scoring list.
His Last Conversation and Words
Kobe Bryant’s last conversation was with Rob Pelinka. While talking about it, Pelinka said that on the morning of the crash, Kobe sent him a text while he was in the middle of service at church.
The text was asking if Rob knew a specific basketball scout in the southern California area. Pelinka almost didn’t respond since he was at church but ended up responding. Kobe wanted to help his friend’s daughter Lexi (Alexis) get an internship to place her first foot into the basketball world.
Kobe was asking Rob about the scout so he could help a friend’s daughter secure an internship at the agency. The friend that Kobe spoke of was none other than John Altobelli, and he was a very famous basketball coach who lost his life in the same helicopter crash.
Rob said that Kobe’s last act was heroic as even in his final moments, he wanted to help someone else achieve their goals. But, unfortunately, a few minutes after the conversation, the helicopter crashed into the hills outside of Los Angeles, and Kobe and eight other people were killed instantly.
Who Else Died with Kobe Bryant
Among the eight other people killed in the crash with Kobe was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant. Others who also tragically lost their lives were John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Peyton Chester, Ara Zobayan, and Christina Mauser.
The world mourned the loss of these talented celebrities on January 26, 2020, and they are still missed dearly by fans around the globe as their legacy prevails.
Celebrities Reaction on Kobe Bryant’s Death
Shaquille O’Neal:
The former basketball superstar and Kobe Bryant’s teammate tweeted that he was going through extreme pain that he had no words to express on the tragic death of his brother Kobe Bryant and niece Gianna Bryant.
He extended his condolences to the Bryant family and said that Kobe Bryant was more than an athlete. To Shaquille, Kobe Bryant was family, and he loved him and missed him.
Barack Obama:
Barack Obama refers to this tragedy as heartbreaking and expressed his condolences to the Bryant family. He felt highly saddened for losing Gigi Bryant at such a young age and sent love and prayers for these souls.
Barack Obama said Kobe is a legend on the basketball court, and he was going to start with a new venture in his life that could prove to be of uttermost significance in people’s lives.
The Rock:
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson posted a picture of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi Bryant on Instagram captioning it ‘Love is Forever,’ which explains the misery he feels about Kobe’s death and believes that people’s love for Kobe’s legacy will live forever.
Hugh Jackman:
Hugh Jackman tweeted that Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers team made him fall in love with the elegant Basketball game.
He mentioned in his tweet that Kobe possessed fantastic talent, professionalism, and love for the game that the whole world will remember. The death of such a legend makes everyone feel disheartened over this tragedy.
How Did Vanessa Bryant Find Out about Kobe’s Death?
While Vanessa Bryant’s exact way of finding out about the tragic crash isn’t publicly disclosed, we know of the letter that she wrote to Kobe. A year later, she posted saying that grief is a messed up cluster of emotions where at one moment you’re laughing and in the other moment you wish you weren’t alive.
Why is Kobe Bryant’s Grave Unmarked?
Kobe Bryant was buried in an unmarked grave to protect the privacy of his family. It is a necessary step considering his fame across the Basketball community. The workers at the Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary said that they would not discuss the matters with the media to protect the privacy of the Bryant family.
What Time Did Kobe Bryant Die?
At 9:45 a.m. on January 26, 2020, the pilot of the helicopter, Zobayan, spoke to the SoCal TRACON radar controller, and the aircraft went silent. It had crashed in the hills and immediately killed all eight passengers.
While Kobe Bryant is gone, the world still mourns the legend’s death and reminisces the special memories he gave us, and that’s what counts. Kobe Bryant is the NBA King whose legacy will live long enough in our hearts for his remarkable contributions to bring immense fame to the sport.