Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi Bryant, tragically died in a helicopter crash three years ago today (Jan. 26) and the moment is still heartbreaking for many. On Twitter, fans are honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter via the trending topic, RIP Bean, referencing the NBA great’s nickname.
Bryant and his daughter were en route to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif. via helicopter but foggy conditions led to the fatal accident. Also on board with the Bryant’s were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, who was a teammate of Gigi’s for the girl’s basketball team.
Coach Christina Mauser was also on board and helped coach Gigi’s team. Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, also a teammate of Gigi’s, were on board too. The pilot Ara Zobayan also perished in the crash.
The NBA rightfully celebrated the legendary player and mourned the loss of the crash victims collectively. Given that Bryant was leaning into his basketball ambassador role and being a heavy presence courtside for his daughter’s game, his passing was jarring to many of his former colleagues in the league.
Kobe Bryant and his Mamba Mentality mantra continued on via a handful of players he personally mentored such as Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, and Candace Parker, among others.
Our warmest wishes go out to
Vanessa Bryant and the rest of the Bryant family today. RIP Bean, indeed.
We’ve got the reactions from Twitter listed out below.
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Photo: Paul Bereswill / Getty
