Translate

Pages

Pages

Pages

Intro Video

Monday, January 27, 2020

WATCH: How LA basketball fans mourned the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant

Shock. Disbelief. Sadness. Those were the feelings most people shared as they tried to process the unthinkable. NBA icon, Kobe Bryant, a hero to many Los Angelenos and fans around the globe, died in a helicopter crash early Sunday morning.
TMZ first broke the news that Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others had passed away on the same day the Grammys were held, right outside the stadium where Kobe built his basketball kingdom.

READ MORE: BREAKING NEWS: Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash

“I was on Instagram and saw a picture with RIP on it and I didn’t believe it but when I got to the Staples Center I realized it was real,” said Rakeem Chatman, a fan.
In the immediate aftermath of the news breaking, the Staples Center wasn’t very packed. Soon afterward thousands of fans wearing Kobe’s number 8 and 24 packed the arena. What was supposed to be a celebration of music’s biggest stars quickly became a memorial for one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: Fans grieve the loss of former NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, at L.A. Live, near the Staples Center on January 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Nine people perished in the crash. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

THE HOUSE THAT KOBE BUILT

Outside of the Staples Center was the tale of two cities. People either wore tuxes and dress clothes or Kobe Bryant’s jersey.
“As far as any other event going on in L.A. right now? It’s nonexistent. Everybody’s thoughts are with Kobe, his daughter Gigi and all the other victims,” said Erika Nai, a fan. For comedian, Mr. Commodore, who was attending his first-ever Grammy event, the show was over before it even really began.
Many people in attendance cried tears while others tried to force a smile by telling old Kobe stories. Others played songs that had Kobe references and chants broke out of “KOBE KOBE” and “GIGI GIGI.”

READ MORE: Lebron James reacts to death of Kobe Bryant: “I’m heartbroken and devastated”

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 27: Fans grieve the loss of former NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, at L.A. Live, near the Staples Center on January 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Nine people perished in the crash. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
One of the most stunning takeaways was the diversity of the crowd. Little children, elders, white, black, it didn’t matter. Many people in attendance were Mexican. Kobe united people on the court, he untied the fans and even in his death, he continues to unite people.
That was the one ray of sunshine in what otherwise was a dark day. Fans cried but vowed to press on because that’s Mamba mentality. No matter what you keep going. Keep pushing. That’s what Kobe would have wanted the fans to do. And they will. But on this day, all we could do was cry in the house that Kobe built.

Tony Anderson is an on-air talent, writer and producer. He can be reached at @tonyandersonTV on Instagram for a good debate. 

 

The post WATCH: How LA basketball fans mourned the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant appeared first on TheGrio.



from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2uDkRCe
via