In the days following a tragic helicopter crash that killed nine, including NBA star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, the Los Angeles Times has now shared excerpts of its last interview with the 41-year-old former Lakers player. While Bryant talked about his love for basketball, he also spoke highly of his love for family and what he adored most about his teenage daughter, Gianna who was seemingly following in his footsteps and coached her youth basketball team at the Mamba Sports Academy.
“It’s a trip to see her move and the expressions that she makes,” Bryant said. “It’s a trip, you know, the genetics. Genetics is a real thing, man.“
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He went on to share what he loved most about “Gigi,” admitting her “curiosity about the game” was something he was in awe of.
“Even in a very heated situation in a game where it’s very competitive and back and forth, she can detach herself and come over and ask a very specific questions, which is not common,” he said. “All of our girls can do that, but the part that I think is most exciting is that it’s her curiosity and her ability to think critically in tight situations, (that’s) pretty damn cool.”
The “girl dad” went on to share that when it would come to a time when Gianna would have to move away to play ball in college, he responded like any father: “You never want to see your kids leave home, but eventually they have to.”
It’s clear in his last days, Bryant clearly valued family. When asked why he didn’t attend too many Lakers home games since retirement in 2016, Bryant stressed he loved spending time at home and that it was important to put his four daughters and wife first.
“I have gone through 20 years of the majority of my career with my kids Natalia and Gianna without being able to have that consistently,” he said. “So for me to make a trip up to the Staples Center, that means I’m missing the opportunity to spend another night with my kids, and I know how fast it goes. Natalia is 16 and Gianna is 13. So that time came and went and so I want to make sure that the days I’m away from them, are days that I absolutely have to. I’d rather just be hanging with them.”
Though the interview is from October, mere months before Bryant and Gianna died in a shocking crash on Jan. 26, the columnist for the LA Times admitted driving two hours to meet with the NBA legend for a 17-minute interview was “one of the best decisions” he had ever made in his career.
Bryant, Gianna Bryant and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash when they were reportedly traveling to a youth basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy facility. The crash has been officially ruled an accident by the L.A. County Coroner, although investigators are still attempting to determine the cause of the crash, which occurred on a particularly foggy morning.
A memorial for Bryant and Gianna will be held on Monday, Feb. 24 at the Staples Center.
Photo credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
