Thursday marks three years since the world received the heartbreaking news that beloved Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash.
The legendary Laker was 41 and his daughter was 13 when they died in the Calabasas crash on Jan. 26, 2020.
The group was flying a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to a basketball tournament at Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. But they never arrived.
Zobayan, the Bryants, and their friends — John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Christina Mauser — all perished when the helicopter crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, just 14 miles away from their Thousand Oaks destination.
Since then, the NBA has honored the late basketball superstar with a trophy in his name. The league now awards the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy.
Now three years later, the shock still reverberates with fans, friends and family on the somber anniversary.
His legacy remains, not only in Los Angeles, but around the world.
