Law enforcement has proven to be no match in containing mourners from gathering at the scene of the helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others on Sunday. The influx of visitors has led to a larger patrol in the area but is not deterring them from heading to the Calabasas hillside.
So many paparazzi, mourners, and ‘looky-loos’ have swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant’s death that officers are patrolling the area on horses and ATVs https://t.co/SrJOrQeryk pic.twitter.com/1geL02gEAz
— Jairo Rodriguez (@RealtorJairo) January 28, 2020
The area remained crowded on Monday and Tuesday but not nearly as packed as it was when the swarms of stunned mourners made their way after learning of the crash on Sunday afternoon and into the evening.
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Local enforcement has had their hands filled the past few days in the aftermath of the tragedy. The city was the mecca for the music industry that Sunday evening with the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center. The influx of traffic was made worse as visitors made their way to the home of the Los Angeles Lakers to pay their respects to Bryant.
Mourners have also made their way over to the Bryant household in Newport Beach, California.
A makeshift memorial created by mourners to honor Kobe Bryant sits outside the gated Pelican Crest community in Newport Coast, where he lived with his family#kobe @ Newport Beach, California https://t.co/zJQtzKhik4
— jhay oh otamias (@jhayoh) January 29, 2020
Back in his home state of Pennsylvania, his high school, Lower Merion, also saw many flock their to pay their respects.
Bryant’s legacy has been honored in numerous ways around the NBA, as well. Many players around the league who either have worn the No. 8 or No. 24 have come out and said they’ll change their number in an effort to unofficially retire his numbers across the league.
Prior to the Philadelphia 76ers game against the Golden State Warriors, which was in his hometown, the floor was etched with a maroon circle with his high school number, 33, in it, as the members of the Sixers also wore his number with his name on their backs during pregame warmups. Joel Embiid kept on the No. 24 during the actual game, as well.
Across the league, many games in the wake of the tragedy have saw the two teams take a 24-second clock violation followed by an eight-second violation in honor of his numbers. The Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers game, scheduled for Tuesday, was also postponed.
