obe Bean Bryant (August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020)
The SMV family was terribly saddened to hear about the death of the one and only, Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant - one of the biggest names in the history of basketball - died in a helicopter crash at 10 AM on Sunday, January 26th, in Calabasas, California.
The helicopter, which was Bryant’s private heli, crashed under “unknown circumstances” and is being investigated. There were nine people in the helicopter, one being Bryant’s 13 year old daughter, Gianna, or Gigi. There were no survivors of the crash.
When Bryant was drafted into the NBA (right out of high school) and traded to the Lakers in 1996, he was the youngest player in NBA history.
For two decades, Bryant played basketball for the LA Lakers, and was an All-Star player for 18 of these seasons. Kobe won five NBA championships with the Lakers, in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010. He was also named All-Star MVP in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011. He also won two gold medals at the Olympics for USA in basketball (one in Beijing, China in 2008, and the other in London, England in 2012).
Bryant’s support, dedication and commitment to the game and to his team was undeniable.
Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa Laine and his three daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri.
Regardless of what your spiritual beliefs are, I ask you to say a ‘prayer’ or blessing for Bryant, Gigi, the others on the helicopter, and all of their loved ones.
May their souls rest peacefully.
Some Highlights from one of the Greatest!
