By Mark Lindahl
The NBA lost one of its most prominent members when the fourth all-time leading scorer and five-time champion Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Sunday.
The helicopter crashed on a hillside in Calabasas while on its way to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks. All nine people on board were confirmed dead, including Bryant’s 13-year old daughter Gianna, TMZ reported.
The tragedy comes a month after Bryant and Gianna attended a Long Beach State women’s basketball game against the University of Oregon Dec. 14 at the Walter Pyramid.
“I’ve been fortunate to play golf with Michael Jordan and I got to meet LeBron James and I’ve coached NBA players like Chris Paul and James Ennis,” said men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson.
“But I never met Kobe,” he added. “Four weeks ago, I was five chairs away from him at the women’s game and it was surreal. I observed a great person. I was impressed with how he interacted not just with our players and the Oregon players but with the people who came up to him. And I was impressed by the man he had become. I think in these kinds of situations, he’s just a human. You know, you aren’t judged by how many jump shots you make, but by the person you become.”
Head coach of the women’s basketball team, Jeff Cammon also shared his thoughts.
Kobe impacted so many lives, a lot more than I think people realize, Cammon said. “His humility and his spirit to serve others [are] what made him a special person. So many times we look at the athletic talent, but Kobe gave something to [the] world more powerful than his basketball talent: kindness, humility, and love. I didn’t know him personally, but I did know many people that were touched by him. This is a sad time for many. Our prayers go out to all involved; may God give them the strength to get through this tough time.
Students at Long Beach State reacted to the passing of one of the game’s most notable icons.
“On and even off the court, how he … talk[ed], his presence in the world, was just amazing,” women’s basketball freshman forward Kristyna Jeskeova said. “It’s insane, especially when it was just a few weeks ago when we saw him. We were talking about it with the team, and we can’t believe it happened. There’s no way it can be true. It makes a lot of people think [about] how it’s important to be with your family and enjoy every moment because you can see everything can end in a second.”
Bryant spent all 20 years of his storied career for the Lakers playing only 26 miles away from CSULB.
“The first basketball game I watched when I first came here to the states was watching the 2008 finals,” first-year International business major Timmy Dinh said. “Celtics versus Lakers, and he beat Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce—he beats all of them. That’s my first experience with basketball; that’s when I really started playing because then I was playing soccer and stuff. I was like ‘Damn I wanna play basketball now.’”
Bryant was an 18-time all star, two-time league MVP, 2008 final’s MVP and the only player to have two numbers retired in the NBA.
“I grew up in Sacramento, so I was supposed to grow up a Kings fan, but being as Kobe was the main superstar that I looked up to that I saw in California growing up, I idolized him,” sixth-year marketing major Branden Furlow said. “When I heard that news, it was weird. I thought I was gonna cry. I was so shocked that I was speechless, and I thought back on all the years I watched him. I played basketball every day just practicing the moves that I watched him do when I was a child, so it’s sad. It’s sad but I’m happy at the same time. [He] and his daughter are going to be in a great place, and all of LA will always support him and his family forever.”
Bryant’s success in the NBA reached beyond Southern California and the far corners of the United States. He made a name for himself overseas with appearances in the Olympics and popular shoe-line.
“I read his book, ‘Mamba Mentality,’” first-year kinesiology major and international student Aiki Kitamoto said. “For me, he’s like my goal as a person, not like a basketball player, like as a person. He sacrificed everything for basketball, and I like that, so now I want to be a professional basketball coach … I want to do the same as Kobe.”
Long Beach Mayor Gracia voiced his support on Twitter.
“Our love and prayers go out to Vanessa Bryant’s family and friends,” he tweeted. “This is a horrific loss. We mourn all those lost in this tragic crash. Kobe has an enormous fan base here in Long Beach and we mourn with the rest of the nation.”
Bryant is survived by wife Vanessa and daughters Natalia, Bianca and Capri.
This story was updated Jan. 27, 2020 at 11:15 a.m. with a quote from women’s basketball head coach Jeff Cammon.
