The Death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant
In a year that’s felt far longer than 365 days, it’s easy to forget the tragic loss of five-time champion and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.
On January 26th, Kobe and his daughter Gianna were traveling via helicopter to one of her games. Due to the overwhelming traffic situation in Los Angeles, Kobe and his family traveled using this method quite often.
Unfortunately due to heavy fog, this was no normal helicopter ride. At around 10 AM, Bryant, Gianna, and seven others died in a tragic accident near Calabasas.
Understandably so, the Laker faithful took the crash to heart. They took to the streets to mourn Kobe, Gianna, and others in candlelight vigils and artists around the city and the world painted murals in their memory.
In the wake of the tragic accident, LeBron James addressed the Laker crowd and vowed to dedicate the season to the late Laker legend and the others who lost their lives in the crash.
While many teams may have wavered after losing a hero and staple of their franchise, this team showed great resiliency and bonded together around Bryant’s memory to work towards what he would have wanted: a championship.
With the Western Conference Finals beginning tonight, the team hopes to continue to ride their strong chemistry and continue to look internally in an effort to win their first title in 10 years.