Source: MediaNews Group/San Gabriel Valley Tribune via Getty Images / Getty
He died alongside his daughter and seven other people — pilot Ara Zobayan, coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton– aboard the
helicopter when it crashed en route to a basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California.
Bryant leaves behind his wife, Vanessa and three daughters, Natalia Diamante Bryant, Capri Kobe Bryant, and Bianka Bella Bryant. Vanessa took to
Instagram after the tragedy in 2020 to express her feelings of loss.
“I’ve been reluctant to put my feelings into words. My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone. I can’t process both at the same time. It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me. It feels wrong. Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn’t being able to have that opportunity?! I’m so mad. She had so much life to live,” she wrote on Instagram.
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“Then I realize I need to be strong and be here for my 3 daughters. Mad I’m not with Kobe and Gigi but thankful I’m here with Natalia, Bianka and Capri. I know what I’m feeling is normal.”
As his family continues to mourn Kobe’s untimely passing, fans worldwide are still coming to terms with his absence in the culture of basketball. He was an inspiration for an entire generation, and his nature of play can be seen in many of the young players dominating the league today who idolized him.
Anytime basketball fans get a chance to praise Bryant for his fiercely competitive edge, they do, and on the third anniversary of his death, it’s never been more apparent. So
Twitter is celebrating the life and times of Kobe Bean Bryant and got #RIPBean trending.
See how social media is celebrating Kobe Bryant below:
