NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on January 27, Sunday in a helicopter crash. The helicopter crashed on a steep hillside in dense fog morning in Southern California. The sudden death of the professional basketball player outpoured the grief for him from not only his fans but everyone who came across the news of his death. There are reports that the helicopter had got special permission to fly in higher altitudes around Burbank despite the foggy weather. Right at the time when the pilot was trying to fly higher, the helicopter got crashed.
The last flight of Kobe
After leaving the house of God, Bryant and his daughter Gianna both boarded a Sikorsky S76B with 7 others ( who were also killed in the mentioned helicopter crash accident). They boarded the flight at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana at 9:06 AM. After this, in a flight of less than an hour, the helicopter crashed in the hilly region of Calabasas. Two men working at the Church in the Canyon on Las Virgenes Road immediately to the west of the crash site were the first to see the helicopter plunging into the side of the hill.
Kobe and Gianna’s final moments in the church
The former NBA player Kobe was raised Catholic. On Sunday morning at 7:00 AM, he and his daughter Gianna attended mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels in Newport beach. Father of the church in an interview told to the local news reporter that Bryant was present in the church on Sunday morning. He said, “he was here before the 7:00 AM mass and that’s our first mass of the day. He would’ve obviously been in prayer chapel before that as he was leaving 10 (minutes) after 7. Kobe and his daughter together went to the church before heading their way to a youth basketball game. Julie Hermes, a spokeswoman for the church told to a reporter that Kobe and Gianna slipped in the back of the service and left early to avoid disturbing the other parishioners at the church. She added, “He was very discreet. He would come in and stay at the back, and his family too, and then he would usually leave a little earlier prior to the very end of the service”.
NBA players were in tears
As soon as the news of the death of Kobe Bryant came to NBA players, they were in tears. During the pregame warmup, the crowd chanted, “ Kobe! Kobe!”. Tiger Woods was unaware of the news of his death till the crowd shouted, “ Do it for Mamba”. Kobe Bryant was popular as Mamba among his fans. Retired NBA great Michael Jordan said, “Words can’t describe the pain I am feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force”.