LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers address the media during the post game news conference after scoring 60 point in his final NBA game at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday. The group was reportedly on their way to a basketball tournament in Southern California.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star was known for his helicopter travel. He often traveled by helicopter from his home in Orange County to Staples Center, where the Lakers play.
About a year ago, Bryant explained the reasoning for his helicopter use in an interview with Alex Rodriguez and Dan Katz’s “The Corp” podcast.
That video clip, which has been shared tens of thousands of times on social media, is heartbreaking to watch now.
“Traffic (in Los Angeles) started getting really bad. I was sitting in traffic and I ended up missing, like, the school play because I was sitting in traffic. And it just kept mounting,” Bryant said.
“So that’s when I looked into helicopters, and I was able to get down and back in 15 minutes.”
“My routine was always the same. Weights early in the morning, take the kids to school, fly down, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media, everything I needed to do, fly back, get back in carpool line, pick the kids up.”
The story behind why Kobe flew in a private helicopters in LA 💔 pic.twitter.com/0jeB9qCpHd
— Tequila Taze (@TazerBlack) January 27, 2020
Kobe and Vanessa Bryant had four children together – Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri. The former Lakers star routinely said that being a father was his greatest accomplishment.
Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by Sunday’s tragedy.
Kobe’s full interview on “The Corp” can be watched here.
