Four Years Later We Still Miss Kobe and Gianna
On January 26, 2020, Kobe and Gianna Bryant along with seven others were taken from us. Their loss is still felt as heavy four years later
On Sunday January 26, 2020, I was at work. It was a slow Sunday so at one point I slipped into the bathroom to do what I think most employees do. I slipped into the restroom not for it's actual use but to scroll on my phone. Then I saw a post by TMZ that read in big black bold letters “Kobe Bryant Dies In A Helicopter Crash”. My initial reaction was sheer and utter disbelief. TMZ isn't exactly considered the foremost authority on news outside of celebrities and their doings. Soon however more reports came out.
The news that not only was Kobe on the flight but his 13 year old daughter Gianna, pilot Ara Zobayan, Gianna’s teammates Payton Chester and Alyssa Altobelli along with Payton’s mother Sarah and Allysa’s parents John and Keri Altobelli and coach Christina Mauser had all perished.
The sense of shock, disbelief and tremendous sadness filled every avenue of life that day and the days that followed. It filled the world. There were NBA games played that day. I saw grown men, strong men heartbroken and in tears. Figures from sports and entertainment expressed their sadness. From the NFL’s Pro Bowl and Grammy Awards held that same day the tributes continued. The shock still reigned and four years later it still feels unreal.
The NBA, the sports world and the world itself isn't the same. Kobe left an immeasurable and incalculable imprint and the loss of Gianna, Payton and Alyssa is of futures incomplete and unfulfilled. We must go on with the task of living and trying to better ourselves. That's what Kobe would want. To his widow Vanessa and daughters Natalya, Bianka and Capri we wish them nothing but peace and comforting still. To the others who perished we wish the family and friends who loved them the same.
Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest NBA players who ever stepped on an NBA court but it's the father, the husband, teammate, leader and role model that is missed the most. Kobe and Gianna are gone but they will never be forgotten.
Kobe Bryant addressing the Staples Center (now called Crypto.com Arena) on April 16, 2017 after his last NBA game. He scored 60 points.