Kobe Bryant remembered 4 years after deadly helicopter crash
Tony Kurzweil
Friday marks four years since a helicopter crash in the Calabasas area resulted in the tragic deaths of nine people, including Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
The group was on their way to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in nearby Thousand Oaks when the pilot crashed into a hillside shortly before 10 a.m.
A view of the screen during a tribute to victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant during the BET Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at the James L. Knight Center on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)
Also on the flight were Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa; Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton; assistant coach Christina Mauser and the pilot Ara Zobayan.
As news of the crash spread, thousands of people began to gather at the L.A. Live complex adjacent to Staples Center, where Kobe played for the Lakers.
People gather around a makeshift memorial for former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant after learning of his death at L.A. Live plaza in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
By nightfall, fans were still arriving with flowers, cards, letters and basketballs that grew into a massive memorial for the legendary player.
The crowd would often break into chants of “Kobe, Kobe.”
Numerous murals of Kobe now exist from downtown Los Angeles to Orange County, where he lived.
A mural depicting deceased NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, painted by @sloe_motions, is displayed on a building on February 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Fans leave condolence message on boards to pay their respects to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, 13, at a memorial set up outside of Staples Center on January 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
A statue showing Kobe and Gianna Bryant was erected on Jan. 26, 2022, at the Calabasas helicopter crash site where they died. (KTLA)
Kobe and Gianna Bryant. (Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Vanessa Bryant speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant at Staples Center on February 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
In this July 26, 2018, file photo, former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, file)
A view of the screen during a tribute to victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant during the BET Super Bowl Gospel Celebration at the James L. Knight Center on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 2, 2015, in an image that was converted to black and white. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
People gather around a makeshift memorial for former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant after learning of his death at L.A. Live plaza in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
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A full list of locations can be found at kobemural.com for fans who would like to pay their respects.
The Hall of Famer played 20 seasons with the Lakers, helping to guide the team to 5 NBA titles (2000, ’01, ’02, ’09, ’10).
A bronze statue in honor of Bryant will be unveiled by the Lakers outside Crypto.com Arena before their game against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 8.
