The death of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant shocked the world yesterday. Kobe was flying with eight others including his daughter Gianna in his Sikorsky helicopter on the way to a basketball training camp when something happened that caused the helicopter to go down. No one knows yet what caused the accident, we do know that weather conditions in Los Angeles were not ideal for flying with low visibility and 100% humidity. In fact the LAPD had grounded their helicopters due to weather. Six others were on board, there were no survivors. Kobe was one of the most influential stars to ever play the game, a 4-time NBA champion with the Lakers, and an eighteen time All Star in his 20 seasons. He once scored 81 points in a single game, the most in the modern era, and in his final game scored 60, the oldest player to ever do that. In what he called his second chapter of life it was pretty successful too, winning an Academy Award for a animated short called “Dear Baskerball” in 2018.
Gianna, known as GiGi, Was 13, and learning the game of basketball herself, often seen attending NBA games with her dad.
Kobe leaves behind a wife, Vanessa, and three other children, one of which was just born last June. He was 41.
One of the NBA's other biggest stars of the past two decades, Dwayne Wade, was drawn to tears talking about Kobe's passing.
Coincidentally a 62nd annual Grammy awards happened the evening of the tragedy in Staples Center, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Alicia Keys opened the ceremony with a tribute, reminding everyone that this was the house that Kobe built. A spotlight was left on Kobe’s retired jerseys throughout the ceremony.
Let’s talk about the Grammys, Billie Eilish made history as she swept all four major categories she was nominated in.
Demi Lovato gave a touching performance of the song "Alone" which she wrote just days before her overdose in 2018. Emotions got the best of her and she had to restart the song. She was fantastic.
