Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, along with seven other people, were tragically killed in a helicopter crash early Sunday morning in Calabasas, California, and now fans and celebrities alike are mourning the loss of those who lost their lives yesterday. Monday has been a difficult day for many, but Bryant had several memorable moments off the court including the time he won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for his work in the short film Dear Basketball. When the Lakers player won the honor, his speech was quick and to the point, but towards the end, he gave a sweet shoutout to his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters Natalia, Gianna and Bianka.
“To my wife Vanessa and our daughters Natalia, Gianna and Bianka, ti amo con tutto il cuore [I love you with all my heart]. You are my inspiration,” he said before walking off the stage with his award in hand.
Videos by PopCulture.com
He took the stage alongside animator Glen Keane, who also gave a sweet speech thanking several people including his wife and Bryant.
The legend was only 41 when he and 13-year-old Gigi lost their lives. They shared the flight with John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser and Sarah and Peyton Chester, as well as the pilot, Ara Zobayan. The helicopter crashed along a hillside in dense fog.
During a press conference, the Los Angeles County Sherrif, Alex Villanueva, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby and several other authorities spoke about the crash.
“All survivors were determined to have been perished,” Osby said before adding that it took authorities eight minutes to get to the crash site.
“Our firefighters on the scene indicated there was a debris-filled and steep terrain with quarter-acre brushfire,” Osby explained. “Our firefighters hiked into the accident site with medical equipment and hose lines to extinguish the stubborn fire, as it included the brushfire debris from the helicopter. The fire also included magnesium which is very hard to our firefighters to extinguish because magnesium reacts with oxygen and water.”
Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA all with the Los Angeles Lakers and is the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant. The legend was drafted straight out of high school and went on to become an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA team and 12-time All Defensive team member. 12 years ago in 2008, he was named NBA’s Most Valuable Player and lead his team to a championship in both 2009 and 2010.
