Kobe Bryant 's legendary Lakers career was behind him, the stats safely secured for his eventual inclusion in the NBA Hall of Fame, his two numbers retired, his five championship rings under lock and key. All that was squared away. But he was still coming into his own as a family man when he was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan.
26, 2020, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant and seven others. A statue immortalizing the pair was installed outside Crypto.com Arena‘s 11th Street entrance earlier this month, the iron tableau an homage to an instant-classic shot of father and daughter sitting courtside at the Dec.
29, 2019, Los Angeles Lakers game, forever sharing a moment. The piece, designed by Karon Davis and crafted by the artists of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, is called "Girl Dad." A plaque next to it boasts a quote from Kobe, identified there not as a five-time NBA champion, but as "Most Valuable Girl Dad," that reads, "Gianna is a beast.
She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it. Girls are amazing.
I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad." Such has been one of the most memorable takeaways from that tragedy, the emphasis on Kobe's dedication to—yes, basketball, during the 20 seasons he spent in the NBA, all with the Lakers—but really to his role as dad to four daughters.
For years, Kobe had traveled via helicopter the way most people hop into their cars and drive, the superstar athlete turned entrepreneur, author, produce.