On Sunday, January 26 at around 9:45 a.m. a helicopter containing NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 others crashed in Calabasas, California. Bryant was said to be heading to a basketball game with his daughter and others to Thousand Oaks where he was supposed to coach his daughter and her teammates. 

The cause of the crash is unknown but what was known was that there were very foggy conditions where the helicopter crashed into a hillside. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that was carrying Bryant is said to be a very common use of transportation for very important people and is used by many different country’s around the world to transport their heads of state, which shows how it was an uncommon accident.

Kobe has been remembered through the NBA as having appearances in Five Championships, 15 All-Star Game appearances, four All-Star Game MVP awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, and a single regular-season MVP award, which shows just how much he impacts the game of basketball. Another astounding record that was set by Bryant is having scored the more points and free-throws than any other guard in the history of the NBA and is of course remembered by his outstanding 81 point game.  

“This is a very sensitive moment for just about everyone in the country who grew up watching Kobe Bryant. He was truly an inspiration where he helped to inspire people to work hard every day to achieve and conquer their goals,” said senior Jackson Barbier. 

Because of the loss of a Laker legend, the NBA canceled the Lakers vs Clippers game with respect for Bryant, where every game honored him with a moment of silence.

“Kobe was truly an inspiration to me throughout my career of playing basketball. I grew up watching him dominate the league on the Lakers and he will forever be remembered by everyone as one of the greatest to play the game,” said senior Jake Brazinski.

Without the amazing determination, hard work, and leadership that was displayed by Kobe Bryant, the game of basketball would never be in the spot that it is today.