Remembering 24 and 8
Today marks two years without 24 alongside the 8 victims of the Jan. 26, 2020 tragedy.
Like many, I remember the exact time and moment that I found out about Bryant’s death. It was an ordinary Sunday and I was walking back to my dorm room from church. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn’t pay much attention, because my fingers could not survive the D.C winter.
I soon felt regret for not looking at my phone earlier. It was full of texts from my sister and notifications from all the news outlets including ESPN and NBA.
“Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash, alongside 8 other passengers,” said the Washington Post headline that afternoon, a bit past 1:00 PM EST.
I truly could not believe it and immediately went to Twitter. I was not much of an NBA expert, but I did know how much Bryant meant to the league and the sports world. Soon enough after many scrolls and hashtag searches, it was confirmed.
“Kobe Bryant, alongside 8 other people, which included his daughter, Gianna Bryant, was killed in a fatal helicopter crash,” said the Twitter headline.
John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli were all a family. Alyssa was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Altobelli, and teammates with Gianna at Mamba Sports Academy. Mr. Altobelli was a passionate baseball coach at Orange Coast College. Mrs. Altobelli was there to support her daughter, as she always did.
Christina Mauser was a basketball coach at Mamba Sports Academy. She was there because she was going to coach the girls that day at their tournament.
Sarah Chester and Payton Chester were mother and daughter. Payton played with Bryant and Altobelli. Mrs. Chester was there, just like Mrs. Altobelli, supporting her daughter.
Ara Zobayan was the pilot that morning. He had flown many celebrities before this trip and had a lot of experience.
Gianna Bryant was Bryant’s second daughter and the only one that played basketball. She admired and mimicked her play to her dad. Her dream was to one day be the MVP of the WNBA, just like her dad.
Bryant was a forward/guard for the Lakers. He spent his 20-year career in LA after being drafted 13th in the 1st round of the 1996 NBA draft. He had just graduated high school and the Lakers had faith he was going to be the missing piece they needed.
The Laker star was courtside in Philadelphia, hours before he died, to see fellow Laker, Lebron James, pass him in the all-time scorers’ NBA list. Bryant was a Philly native. He was set to host the Grammy’s that night, but that ceremony instead was tribute for him. Los Angeles, California, and the entire world mourned that day, and has not stopped.
A successful star is not enough to describe the accomplishments of Bryant. He was an NBA champion five times within 10 years. The first three having been won before he was 23-years old. He led the league in scoring from 2005 until 2007 and won league MVP the following year. Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star, all in his 41 years of life.
He was dominant throughout his career and referred to himself as the Black Mamba. He never gave up, never stopped working hard, and never slowed down.
In the last game of his NBA farewell, Bryant scored 60 points and scored the game-winning shot as the clock was expiring with 31.6 seconds left. He outscored the entire Utah Jazz 23-21 in the fourth quarter, to get his last victory, 101-96.
That night the Laker had one last standing ovation. His wife, Vanessa Bryant, alongside his daughters were courtside witnessing everything. Bryant left everything on the court as his basketball days came to an end.
Off the court, Bryant was also known for his Mamba mentality motto and Mamba Sports Academy. The mamba mentality represented trusting your hard work, especially during tough times. He opened this academy for young athletes to train in any sport that they played, with the goal to provide young kids a place to perfect their craft.
"Mamba Sports Academy is a natural expansion of my commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of kids through sports,” Bryant said in an interview after the announcement of the new facility.
He was also a huge supporter of the WNBA and all female athletes across the sports world. Bryant would sit courtside with Gianna at female collegiate basketball games, supporting her dream. He mentored others with the Mamba mentality directly and indirectly.
However, his biggest accomplishment was being a girl dad. Any chance he would get, he would express how there was nothing better in the world than being a girl dad. He loved having girls and said he would never have it any other way.
Bryant was unforgettable in many aspects.
I’ll never forget that cold January afternoon walking back from church and learning about the tragedy. The victims’ families will never forget that call they received about their loved ones. The sports world will never forget Bryant, his Mamba mentality, or his impact.
Jan. 26 marks two years since the world lost John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan, Gianna Bryant, and Kobe Bryant.