Photo: getty
He was trying to help a young athlete just before he died.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Feb 25, 2020
On January 26, 2020, the world was shocked at the news that NBA great Kobe Bryant had perished in a helicopter crash. The 41-year-old Bryant was with his daughter Gigi and seven others when the helicopter they were in crashed into a hillside. There were no survivors.
In the weeks since the fatal accident, we have been able to learn more about what happened and what the passengers on the helicopter might have been doing in their final moments. Yesterday, during the memorial service for Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Perlinka shared that he had been texting with Bryant just before he died.
What was Bryant texting about in his last moments? Read on to learn what Kobe Bryan's final texts revealed.
1. The cause of the crash still hasn't been explained.
The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-76B owned by the charter company Island Express Holding Corporation. On the day of the crash, there were cloudy weather conditions that might have contributed to the fatal accident. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was certified and licensed to fly Visual Flight Rules, or VFR, conditions. The aircraft was evidently equipped to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, or IFR, and Zoboyan had earned his instrument rating, but the company wasn't authorized to offer charter flights that operated under IFR rules. Despite this, Zoboyan took off and even told air traffic control that he was trying to get above the clouds. That was his last transmission before the crash.
2. Yesterday was Bryant's memorial service.
On February 25, 2020, friends, family, and fans gathered in persona and via livestream to bid farewell to the beloved player. The event was at the Staples Center in LA, where Bryant played during his incredible basketball career. The memorial was nothing less than star-studded. Beyoncé and Alicia Keys both performed and NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal spoke. Widow Vanessa Bryant spoke, making her first public remarks since the death of her husband and daughter. After telling the crowd that she believed Gigi would have been the greatest basketball player ever, she remembered Bryant, saying "He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was mine. He was my everything. Kobe loved me more than I could ever put into words. We balanced each other out. I have no idea how I deserved a man that loved and wanted me more than Kobe."
Vanessa Bryant spoke about her husband.
3. Rob Perlinka shared a memory of Bryant's last moments.
When Lakers General Manager Rob Perlinka started texting Bryant the day of the crash, he didn't know that he was becoming part of the player's last day of life. In his comments at the memorial, he shared that they had been talking about one of Bryant's favorite topics: encouraging a young person to work in the world of sports. Bryant was trying to find an internship for a young woman who wanted to work at an agency that represented baseball players. "I grabbed my phone and text Kobe back that I had seen the baseball agent at a Lakers game just the other night and was happy to help him with whatever he wanted,” Pelinka recollected. “It was now just past 9:30. Kobe texted back explaining his desire to help a friend of his secure a baseball agency internship for one of his young daughters. Kobe vouched for the girl’s character, intellect and work ethic. He clearly wanted to champion a bright future for her.”
“I text Kobe right back and said I would put a plan in motion to help get that done,” Perlinka continued. “A handful of minutes later, Kobe and Gianna and seven other beautiful souls ascended into heaven. Kobe had been texting me from the helicopter.”
Pelinka concluded: “Kobe’s last human act was heroic. He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl’s future. Hasn’t Kobe done that for all of us?”
4. Bryant was passionate about helping young people.
One of Bryant's passions in the years since he retired from the NBA was finding ways for kids to be involved with sports, particularly young women. “In terms of youth sports, Kobe treated it as something that we need to pay attention to,” said Tom Farrey, founder of Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program aimed at keeping youth connected with sports. Bryant has been assisting and promoting the endeavor. “We launched the whole campaign through his Twitter account. With him having over 14 million followers, that really mattered.”
Bryant was also known for his work with the Black Mamba Sports Academy and The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which were focused on bring training to sports to athletes at various levels.
5. Vanessa Bryant is suing the charter company.
After the warm memories, there's still the business of investigating the cause of the crash. Because of the irregularities in taking the helicopter up even though the charter company wasn't allowed to do so, Vanessa Bryant is bringing a wrongful death suit against Island Express Holding Corporation. The complaint alleges that the pilot failed to maintain proper control of the helicopter, failed to avoid obstacles, and failed to cancel the flight when he learned of cloudy and low visibility conditions.
6. The resolution on this matter will take a long time.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash in detail. Investigators have reportedly moved the wreckage from the crash site to Phoenix for further analysis. They say it could be up to a year before they issue a final report.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. She is the creator of the blog FeminXer and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.