On Jan. 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Maria-Onre Bryant were killed in a helicopter crash while on their way to a basketball game. There is now a statue in honor of Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the crash site.

The pilot chose to fly in poor conditions at an excessive airspeed and then lost control because of poor visibility and losing contact with the ground. The helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.

Kobe Bryant was sent to the Lakers on draft night of 1996. Over his 20-year career with the Lakers, Kobe won five championships, two finals MVPs and a league MVP in 2008.

Gianna was 13 years old when she and her father passed. Gianna, just like her dad, pursued the sport of basketball, and Kobe and his wife Vanessa supported and encouraged her dreams.  Since the crash, Vanessa Bryant has used social media to continue to honor the legacy of her family and other crash victims. 

John Altobelli, 56; his wife Keri Altobelli, 46; their daughter and teammate of Gianna’s, Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Christina Mauser, 38; Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter and teammate of Gianna’s, Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, are also victims of this crash.

Kobe Bryant had a huge impact on and off the court. Kobe helped change a lot of perspectives and inspire many people, not because he was superhuman but because he was human and unapologetically himself. Kobe also won an Oscar for writing a poem called “ Dear Basketball ” that was turned into a short animation.

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”- Kobe Bryant.