The news of Kobe Bryant‘s death in a helicopter crash, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, shocked the world. There were reports of people staring at each other in disbelief in public as the notification came through on their phones, scarcely able to believe it was true. The news was so unexpected, in fact, that many hoped it was a hoax or a mistake.
One such person was Bryant’s close friend Ice Cube. The musician and actor opened up on ESPN about his reaction to the news, and who the first person he texted was, saying:
“[It was] Kobe. To see if he would hit me back. And when I didn’t get it back, you don’t immediately start to worry because he’s Kobe and he always gets back sooner or later. It’s just true. I just toss and turn all night thinking about Vanessa. And his daughters. Thinking about his mother and his father. His sisters. Thinking about Vanessa’s parents. Just everyone in his immediate life that loved him. What they lost. I know what we lost as fans.”
Ice Cube says that after he heard the news, he hit up Kobe to see if he would text him back ? pic.twitter.com/sQBMyckpcy
— ESPN (@espn) January 27, 2020
Ice Cube went on to explain that he doesn’t have too many heroes that are younger than him, but Bryant was one of them. It’s a sobering watch to see him so sad in this clip, as he’s obviously and understandably shaken up by the news and still processing what’s happened.
The same can also be said for the city of Los Angeles as a whole, which is in mourning for one of its most-loved sporting heroes. Hundreds of fans have gathered outside the Staples Centre to hold vigil, with flowers, candles and tributes forming a large makeshift memorial.
Meanwhile, the crash itself is still under investigation. Right now, it seems that fog and severe weather played more of a part in the incident than mechanical failure of the helicopter, but we should have a better picture fairly soon.
In the meantime, expect further moving tributes from Kobe Bryant‘s friends and associates as they deal with his and his daughter’s tragic deaths.
