BREAKING: Kobe Bryant Has Died In A Helicopter Crash https://t.co/42oINV9ZUU— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2020
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BREAKING: Kobe Bryant Has Died In A Helicopter Crash https://t.co/42oINV9ZUU— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2020
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Might wanna say it's only TMZ reporting this at the moment. Not confirmed by any other source.
TMZ is very credible with these things.
Just saying man. It's not confirmed yet.Sadly it has been.
Slowly watching the reports come in. Hoping and wishing it is a terrible joke but you would've heard from his camp by now.
More outlets confirming it. Geez man.
I've only seen other outlets say "TMZ is reporting". Has anyone else confirmed it?
Local ABC confirmed it, Variety confirmed it. LA times confirmed there was a helicopter crash with five fatalities. A few other independent sources confirmed it.
Wow. This is unreal.
You beat me by eight seconds. Absolutely gutting.
I used to think TMZ was a non-credible source, but I learned long ago, that they don't report anything unless it is correct (More times than not).
TMZ is often the reporting outlet for celebrity deaths. They are reputable for these things.
Woj confirmed
CNN was reporting the crash but did not indicate Kobe, but looks like Woj has confirmed
I am watching the Probowl right now, and they haven't said a thing about it yet, not even like a scrolling text.
They just announced it on the ProBowl and just cut away to ABC news.
You're watching the Pro Bowl?
We are "watching" the Pro Bowl too and that was how we heard the news. This is crazy terrible.
Also being confirmed by LA County PD.
Reported in Washington Post. Wow.
RIP, Kobe.
Wow...no words.
Conflicting reports on who else was on board. Hopefully, Vanessa and his 4 daughters were not.
Yeah I just saw that. Just terrible.
https://heavy.com/sports/2020/01/kobe-bryant-dead-dies-crash-cause/
Absolutely heartbreaking. Still can't believe it
Sounds like he might have been piloting the helicopter and he had his 4 daughters on board.
Don't think so if the New York Post wrote that.
I hope that's not true. Losing Kobe is terrible. Losing those four innocent children is tragic.
This tweet seems to have been pulled
Yeah, that seems to be the case. I posted it to refute the speculation above, but it was incorrect too.
Man this is terrible.
Edit: This has been proven incorrect.
Rick Fox is being mentioned as also being on the helicopter. Sad news for everyone involved.
This was after the ABC report. EDIT: She deleted it which does not bode well.
New info is coming out apparently Rick Fox was on there too?
Edit: This has been proven false.
RIP Black Mamba, one of the all time greats
Get your shit together, media! Let the first responders do their job without mindless speculating just to be the first to report on scoop!
ABC should've never even went with it. So much speculative journalism to get a click.
I mean, the other media outlets made it sounded like his daughters were not with him. Apparently, he is known to fly his own helicopter, and from the sound of it, it was a mechanical failure that doomed the helicopter.
Never have been an NBA fan, but this still hurts. Can't tell you how many times I've yelled KOBE before throwing up a brick.
RIP Mamba
deleted
It's ok to think it. There's probably more than a few on here who thought it. But you just don't say it.
Dude are you serious. Delete this. Piss poor
You are an asshole. Tasteless.
My godson said something along the lines of this comment and i scolded him😐
Edgelords exist everywhere. Some on this sub unfortunately.
You are a moron. Have some fucking respect
Had to downvote this to get it to 24
Damnit. So damn young. So much more to offer.
Seem there are reports that weather may have been a factor, but it doesn't explain what the witnesses said when they heard something pop prior to the helicopter crashing.
La Fire and Sheriff have only said a small flame was seen prior to the crash. But NTSB will take months to release a cause.
You are the resident first responder so I will defer to your expertise.
Confirmed that his 13 year old daughter was a passenger.
As a father that just stabs me in the heart...
😭
I'm a huge basketball fan and Kobe was my dude. I'm floored by this. And now I see that one of his daughters was killed too? This is hard. Probably the most sad I've been for a non-family member
Wow. This is so sad.
I can't begin to imagine what Vanessa and her surviving daughters are feeling right now.
Not doing well today guys. Kobe was a huge part of my childhood and created lifelong memories me and my family. Hold your loved ones tight today
I'm not sure if these two ever buried the hatchet, but I sure hope they did, and it seems like they did.
They've become extremely close again in the last decade or so. Were very involved in each other's lives
Just heard Shaq say on the radio that they hadn't spoken since Kobe's last game in 2016, but I know they had that sit down convo and Kobe was involved with Shaw's nephew at least.
*Hadn't spoken in person. Kobe frequently reached out to Shaq's kids. He sent a message to Shareef the morning of his death
The LA police department jut said that 9 people died in the crash (This includes the pilot).
They would not release the names.
Damn, 9?!
😓 RIP Mamba
Kobe All Time Court Legend
Heart goes out to the families, the fans and the world in shock and mourning
Rest In Peace, Mamba
Rest In Peace Kobe, Gianna, and the other passengers on the helicopter. Such a heartbreaking tragedy.
I'm 27 years old, and pretty much as far back as my memories go Kobe Bryant has been a part of my life. Everyone in my generation grew up saying "Kobe!" as we shot crumpled up papers into the trash can at school. It is a sobering reminder of how suddenly life can be taken from you. A very sad day for so many people.
Here is a link to a megathread on reddit that has a shit ton of twitter messages from NBA players and few others for those interested.
HERE
May he rest in Peace
Wow...I'm shocked and somewhat speechless.
Kobe was my hero growing up. I imitated him. I even chew on my jersey after watching him. It all feels surreal.
I can't imagine what his wife is going through. RIP legend, you will be missed. Let's keep the Mamba Mentality alive!!!
😓
So there's flight data and tracker on the helicopter here :
https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/kobe-bryant-believed-dead-in-helicopt...
This is one of those rare times when sports transcends culture. Kobe was an icon of a generation. I've seen someone describe this as the Princess Diana death of the sports world, and I find it hard to argue. Even my wife, who knows absolutely jack shit about the NBA was stunned when she heard the news.
God bless Vanessa and that family. To not just lose a husband and father but a daughter and sister as well, that's brutal.
I'm reading that #24 is likely to be retired league-wide by the NBA going forward. I would find that fitting for him. And August 24th going forward should be a day of remembrance for the basketball community.
Great way to describe it. Personally I wasn't a Kobe fan, as I grew up with MJ as my basketball icon. I'm a miserable Knicks fan and they have been terrible for so long I have absolutely stopped watching the NBA.
All that being said I know who Kobe is and I understand how great of a player he was. He even played against my brother in law in high school.
It's just such a tragic way to see an icon pass away, especially such a young one, along with his 14 year old daughter. Such a shame.
The All Star game is in a couple of weeks. I really think they should name the All Star MVP award after him. He himself won the award several times.
This isn't a big loss solely to the sporting world but a big loss to the world. The guy was inspirational to generations and what he will have left behind is far more good than he could have ever imagined when he started out. Life is a beautiful thing and we should always cherish our time here and not let the small things upset the apple cart.
Damn it. I might have more words tomorrow. But for tonight, all I can say is damn it. This hits me harder then I expected it would.
I have never been an NBA fan but I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times in his business life after retirement. He was extremely intelligent, engaging and respectful. RIP
My favorite athlete of all time, I can't believe he is gone. One of the major inspirations of my lifetime of playing and watching basketball, and genuinely one of the greatest competitors in any sport I have seen. Seemed like he had a lot more left to give after his basketball life, and I am so sorry about his daughter as well. A reminder that anyone can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye.
It was and honor and a privilege to be a fan of #8 AND #24.
Ugh. Woke up to this. Totally unexpected. Read an article talking about all the sporting events around the world where players, fans, and teams took moments to recognize Kobe. Touching stuff.
It's impressive to see how much an athlete can be a global presence and it's clear that Kobe touched a ton of people.
Wasn't convicted of it though.
And the winner of today's Biggest Piece of Shit Award goes to......
I thought it was amusing. Kobe isn't the deity that everybody is making him out to be today. He was a great ballplayer, and has done some good charity work, but he had his dark side, too, and it's okay to remember that.
Edit: Reading more about Kobe, I'm downgrading the amusement level from funny as hell to just amusing.
I think timeliness is important though, but its not my job to determine what people find funny or not. Boy when MV dies(knock on wood), i might just take the entire week off from social media...
That's a fair point.
It's going to be brutal, no doubt. I'm not looking forward to that, either. Hopefully, it's a long way in the future with a long life of service that can help people forget what he'd done.
A man dies at 41 with his 13 year old daughter, leaving behind a wife and 3 children. I am thankful I don't have your sense of humor.
And a sexual assault victim in Colorado.
All I'm getting at is that the hero worship is at least a little nauseating. Sure, a guy died. He was a great basketball player. But he wasn't the greatest dude.
That was never proven chief and was not malicious intent on his part. Worst case scenario it's a horrible misunderstanding but not something he deserved to have hanging over him the rest of his life
Oh?
That doesn't sound like something that "was not malicious intent". That sounds like someone that was raped and then bought off.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/27/worst-way-handle-kobe...
Yes, the source is an editorial, but it ends with something that should at least make us think:?
Yesterday it was KingJames and today it is Highty Tighty. Even if you didn't like or approve of Kobe Bryant, there were several families that were ripped apart yesterday. The lack of the smallest bit of human empathy some people show to situations like is stunning sometimes.
What did Lebron say?
Not Lebron. The user KingJames on TKP. He has since deleted his ignorant comment.
I did note that people are still downvoting it even though they can't see what it said previously (*cough* GIShokie *cough*). That seems....odd to me.
Oh, it was already claimed by Ari Shaffir, and you will struggle to find anyone able to top it.
Since when can we not make cracks at the expense of rapists? Have you not been on this site literally any time Penn State is mentioned in a thread? I make a joke and I'm today's (second) Biggest Piece of Shit, but Kobe literally raped a woman and he's lauded as an icon. I think your moral calculator might need recalibrating.
You remind me of the people constantly putting Mike Vick on blast and acting like time stopped in August 2007.
Yeah and the Penn State jokes are stupid too. It was a tragic situation and all the perpetrators are long gone and we still keep giving PSU crap for it while their football program is winning and we continue to be medicore. We should maybe put our money where our mouths are and beat them this fall before we keep yapping.
The day after Michael Vick passes, you better believe that there will be some strongly worded articles written, many by folks who didn't bother to look at Vick's actual story. Just look at the reaction when he was inducted into the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame, a place he clearly earned.
Anyone who has followed Michael Vick closely will know that after that incident he grew up, made some changes, and made a serious effort towards atonement. He chose to have a positive impact. It will all still be a part of the public record.
When a public figure/celebrity passes, the media articles usually discuss the overall impact of the person, and their public mistakes are also included.
So I went and looked up the case. He was accused of rape. He admitted to having sex with the girl while he was married, so he definitely cheated. The "victim"apparently had sex with someone else between when she had sex with Kobe and went to get her rape exam done, which apparently doesn't really happen (or at least infrequently enough that they pointed it out). She dropped the rape charge, but that could have been because of how the case was handled (someone leaked her name to the media which isn't supposed to happen apparently. There wound up being a civil suit which a Kobe settled out of court.
So at best he cheated, but the worst case (rape) can't be verified.
In terms of taking shots at him, I can get not being a fan of his, but clearly a lot of other people were fans, but the biggest thing about this situation is that a bunch of other people died. I hate when people single out celebrities that died, but 8 other people died too. They are people who also had their lives cut short. At least one other parent and kid, which to me is the tragic part, at least two families with a parent and kid that died.
Have you tried not virtue signaling? People can be a fan of somebody as an athlete apart from who they were as a person. Btw, he was never convicted, was he?
The accuser dropped the charges after an out-of-court settlement. Bryant initially denied having relations with the girl. Then, when presented with physical evidence, he admitted having relations, but said it was consensual. Then, he settled with the person, and stated that he didn't realize it wasn't consensual for her.
This was before #metoo. Now people lose lucrative careers over this stuff, and it goes on their permanent record.
I don't ever downvote people on here, but damn it, you made me do it.
As someone who was born into a purple and gold family this is rough. I grew up with a full sized Magic poster on my wall and Kobe filled the void of his early retirement and being able to watch his whole career was something special. He was the last of his breed, a cold hard killer on the court, no banana boats for this dude, the ultimate competitor. Even better are some of his stories off the court, that his life advice was great and treasured by all. The loss of his daughter and the rest of the victims is sad as well, just no good news about this story. RIP Mamba...
Some of the potential information coming out about the flight and the weather is painted a bad picture.
I've only heard that there was fog or something so far, more details emerged?
Apparently there was supposed to be 2 pilots on a helicopter that size and there was only 1.
The weather conditions were poor. They talk about fog, but honestly fog is an everyday thing there. The "Marine Layer" as they call it.
Conditions were poor enough that most helicopters were grounded.
Most agencies including LA police had grounded their units because of the fog. The flight was in a holding pattern for 12 minutes earlier and the pilot had to change what flight rules he was operating under.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7931909/Kobe-Bryant-dies-Calaba...
Wouldnt this have been advised on the ground before they lifted off? I know hindsight is 20/20, but it sounds like if you know that the fog is bad in the area, they would have been told, the weather is bad..wait for it to clear before heading in that direction.
They knew. Even LAPD grounded their choppers beforehand due to weather.
This reminds me so much of the Aaliyah crash. The pilot told them that they had too much luggage and they decided to take off anyway.
Fucking hurts just like the Aaliyah crash too.
Always shoot your shot, never be afraid to take the chance. And most importantly never stop shouting kobe as you shoot anything into a trash can or basketball hoop.
Kobe was singular. Like other great artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, doctors, scientists, musicians, and others that we admire there are very few people who ooze that singularity and become timeless.
Kobe's competitiveness and drive during his career was likely very isolating, and to see his edge soften in retirement via his involvement with his daughters while his passion/competitiveness for other things remained is a sad reminder that he was still only just beginning.
I don't know Kobe - but what he embodied - flaws and all - creates a mirror for our own limits, potential, and aspirations.
My SO doesn't watch the news because it stresses her out, but she can tell when I read something that takes it out of me. She doesn't follow a lot of sports, but, like anyone, of course she knew who Kobe was and what he means/meant to the sporting world and the world in general.
I don't know if she'll ever learn for herself, but I haven't had the heart to tell her Kobe's daughter was also in the crash.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N72EX
Here's the flight tracker information. You can see the point where the pilot drops altitude and circles around several times and then continues on at speeds of over 150 mph (you can move the cursor on the x-axis of the speed/altitude chart). I keep getting choked up thinking about how terrifying it probably was flying in that helicopter in a thick blanket of clouds at low altitude and what their thoughts might have been at the moments during and following the crash.
Tragic. RIP. Losing a your daughter is heart wrenching as well. Kobe is a top 10 player all time, no qualifiers. I respect how seriously he treated the Olympics- it meant something to him, he wanted to win every game by 50, he played defense for Coach K, he listened to him and other college coaches in the prime of his career. Respect. Contrast that with other players that won't commit to team USA, or golfers mocking the Olympics. Kobe got it. He wanted to represent team USA the right way. Respect for that. He is on the NBA mount rushmore for sure. I was thinking and I personally have:
1. MJ
2. LeBron
3. Russell
4. Magic
5. Kobe
6. West
7. Bird
8. Wilt
9. Kareem
10. Duncan
So....he's not on your NBA Mount Rushmore. ;^)
Obviously the Crazy Horse Memorial a few miles away.
I hope one day my great great great grand kids can see a half completed crazy horse monument. That thing will never get completed
Bird v magic always gets me. I got bird a hair better (I'm sure others do as well). What do folks believe was slightly better about Magic's game? Just curious.
Well, Magic proved he could play every position on the court, played at center in the 1980 championship game 6 scoring 42 points as a rookie (because Kareem was injured) to win the title, could score at will, greatest passer of all time, humongous point guard and great ball handler and point is the most important position for a team IMHO
Bird was an all time great, too, great shooter, probably better shooter than Magic, but I don't remember seeing Bird play point and he definitely didn't play point for his entire career like Magic did.
Props to Kobe, though
Kareem at 9 ?!?!?
And no Dr. J ?!?!?
Please reevaluate everything you think you know
But props to Kobe all the same, and love to all the families as they heal
Slept on it. This news hit me a lot harder than I imagined it would. I have never been a Lakers fan, but I always admired Kobe's game, but more importantly, seeing what he has been building post-retirement is really admirable. I think this is partly why it is hitting me so hard, knowing the impact he has had, and was still having on lots of lives, and thinking how that work was really just getting started, he was bound for greatness off the court.
Also a part of it is him being only 4 years older than me, back when I was playing HS ball, looking up to him breaking on to the scene, dreaming about having that kind of skill in a sport I loved so dearly.
And lastly, I think the biggest part of it is seeing how devoted of a father he was. He loved those girls and was raising them right. Now 3 girls have to grow up without their dad and big sis, and his wife has to go on having lost not only her husband, but her oldest child in one tragic moment. It is beyond heartbreaking to think about. I only have 1 child, but I cannot even begin to imagine losing both my wife and my son in the same moment.
Not to mention the kids on the flight who had their whole lives ahead of them, and the other families who lost their loved ones in a seemingly avoidable tragedy.
This one hurts. For a lot of reasons. RIP Kobe.
This all day! I didn't particularly care for Kobe on the court, but since his retirement I was starting to change my opinion with a lot of the stuff he was doing. Just listening to people talk about him since passing, he did a lot of stuff you didn't know about and he's probably one of the most misunderstood sports figures of our generation(i'm close in age to him as well)...
I feel like that was what made Kobe though, he didn't care if you liked him, he only wanted to be the best. His aggression and mad pursuit for perfection wasn't necessarily a likable personality quality, but damn was it admirable. He would be your friend off the court but when it came to basketball, he had no regard for feelings, he just wanted to win.
The saddest part is that a man who dedicated so much of his life to his craft just had the time that belonged to him and only him and his family taken from him unexpectedly. I can't remember which interviewee said this yesterday (I think it was Mike Wilbon) but Kobe was rarely not the most gravitating figure in the room. A-list celebrities would fan-girl over him.
This is just so damn sad.
TMZ.com has released all the parties who perished yesterday.
https://www.tmz.com/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-killed-dead-helicopter-crash-...
It honestly makes me feel so much worse that there were 3 girls with their entire lives ahead of them on that helicopter. Kobe lived a pretty full life for his age. I would imagine the college baseball coach had a quite fulfilling life as well. The other adults had a chance to experience life, though it ended short. The 3 girls though? That's the worst part of this.
i was blubbering wreck during Newtown...that just hurt me to my heart because my son was the same age as those kids at the time..then when i saw that they had Christmas gifts under the tree that they wouldnt get to open...kids man... :(
That, and imagine being the parents of the kids on the helicopter with them....knowing that there is a good chance you are all about to die, but having to be strong and comfort the child, the child that you brought into the world, and are about to go out of the world with, knowing they had a whole lifetime ahead of them. Must have been agonizing for them.
Has it been confirmed that they would have known? or were they all oblivious in the back having a great chat when the copter slammed into the mountainside?
An accident investigator said that the helicopter reached a climbing height of 2,300 feet to avoid a cloud layer, then in plunged 1,000 feet into the hillside.
oh wow... hadn't seen that.
I am routinely in that area when I travel to LA and I have experienced the fog in Calabasas first hand on the canyon road. It gets insanely thick and the fog is probably the coldest weather condition LA gets. I am amazed they decided to go. Could be one of those things that Kobe and the pilot had done many times before. Truly a horrible position to be in as a parent.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-last-flight-of-kobe-bryants-life-115801...
This WSJ article has a map that shows Sunday's flight did not follow similar flight paths that the helicopter has taken between the two airports in the last few months.
Since WSJ might get paywalled, I'll try a direct link to the image
The radio interview with an aviation expert I listened to made it seem like they wouldn't have known they were about to crash. He suspected the pilot got confused about where he was and tried to duck back under the cloud cover in a sharp downward turn and instead of heading down into the valley, hit the side of the mountain.
Was that a replay of the tv interview with the eyewitness? He was a sound engineer that probably had a hobby of flying or something. His account of it is remarkable. Everything he says is pretty much about what he heard. If the interview you are talking about was this guy, the later reports are telling a different story, but his was close.
https://youtu.be/28QYy8lrww8
No, it was some aviation expert being interviewed on a DC station. This was Monday morning so not a ton of info had come out.
Whatever you feel about Kobe, I challenge any of you to read this with a dry eye.
Yeah, I heard that little known story about Kobe.
Apparently there were countless times like this that Kobe did "Make A Wish" or other appearances with sick children, but his only condition was that it wasn't publicized.
And that's part of what endeared the fans to Kobe. His character arc was incredible. From the young, charismatic basketball savant, to the villain during the shaq feud and the Colorado trial, to the unapproachable on-court assassin, to the retrospective, appreciative veteran, and finally to the loveable and loving father. We all watched him grow up in a way that we have with almost no other athlete. The man that passed away on Sunday was worlds different from the man that was on trial in Colorado. It's an unmitigated tragedy that we'll never know what his next evolution would be.
Well written, all of us evolve as we mature.