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January 26, 2020 marks the tragic anniversary and death of Kobe Bean Bryant

Squarehard

Squarehard

Member
Oct 27, 2017
25,832
It's been almost one year since the tragic events that led to the loss of Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and many others who were on board the helicopter that infamous day.

For those unfamiliar with the events,

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant dies at 41 in helicopter crash | NBA.com

www.nba.com www.nba.com

www.nytimes.com

Helicopter Dropped Quickly in Kobe Bryant Crash, Official Says (Published 2020)

Photographs published by investigators showed several heaps of obliterated metal on a hillside near Calabasas, Calif.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

ktla.com

No Survivors in Fiery Helicopter Crash That Killed Kobe Bryant, Daughter in Calabasas: Officials

NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others were killed Sunday when their helicopter plunged into a steep hillside in dense morning fog in Southern California, his sudden death at age 41 …
ktla.com ktla.com

What were you doing when you found out about the news that day? How did you react to the news?

RIP Mamba.

 
jwhit28

jwhit28

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,048
My dad was a huge Lakers fan so it made me think of how many Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Christmases we spent watching his games together. I also don't know how many mornings started on the school bus with "Did you see what Kobe did last night". It was probably only 2nd to "Did you watch DBZ yesterday".
 
Pein

Pein

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,221
NYC
I don't even like basketball as an active fan but this hurt me so bad.

his dear basketball short makes me tear up now.
 
loneliestwizard

loneliestwizard

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,268
His middle name was Bean? You learn something new every day...

EDIT: I was getting coffee at my local cafe just down the street from my house here in LA, and it felt like everyone's phones were pinging at the same time. It was weird to see a room full of people getting the same news at the same time.
 
MisterMrMister

MisterMrMister

Member
Dec 7, 2017
185
RS1984 said:
I live near where is all happened. I remember it was very foggy the day before. That morning it was all over the news.
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I was on vacation in LA from the Netherlands at the time and I was just getting ready to go out after having a long breakfast and I remember it was sooo foggy and just general bad weather. I got a text message from my brother in the Netherlands saying that Kobe died. I checked and it he was right, his helicopter crashed just 20 miles from where I was staying. Unbelievable. The whole vibe those days in LA was so sad.

RIP Kobe
 
Hero_of_the_Day

Hero_of_the_Day

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
17,327
Not a sports guy. So, I have a funny memory of the day. I was at a friend's house playing Mario Party with him and his kids when the news broke. But, we were also talking casually about this virus thing in China. Didn't realize it was about to flip our fucking world upside down.
 
bionic77

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,888
I think it was the weekend and I found out via a text message from multiple friends.

It honestly did not hit me until a few days later.

I never really felt any emotion for a celebrity passing away. But this was kind of traumatic for me,. Seeing the other players and celebrities grieve and then celebrate Kobe was really cathartic. I will never forget seeing Shaq, Jordan, etc. open up. That was really touching.

The worst is still that his daughter and some of her friends and their family were on board. He was just trying to take her to another basketball game. That is still what hits the hardest because most parents can relate to that and how fragile life is.
 
MIMIC

MIMIC

Member
Dec 18, 2017
8,316
I was playing tennis with some friends and during the change over, a friend was checking his phone and told us the news. I thought he was joking. >_<
 
RROCKMAN

RROCKMAN

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,821
I remember exactly where I was when I heard. Made me think of the fragility of life and how things can go from "0 to oh crap" lighting fast.

He and his daughter had their whole lives ahead of them and then gone just like that.


Little did I know the entirety of 2020 would continue to remind me of this.
 
Blader

Blader

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,606
One of the most surreal, shocking celebrity deaths I've experienced. The most since Bowie I think. I don't normally get that shook up over celebs dying but this one got under my skin a bit. Especially so, I think, because it involved his daughter too.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
Didn't Kobe have a credible sexual assault case against him?

i think it's weird that people choose to ignore that.
 
Professor RAWR

Professor RAWR

Member
Jul 26, 2018
2,386
It was my 2nd day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. My Discord blew up and my friend told me that Kobe died. I thought he was joking or fell into a fake rumor until I goggled it and I was like "omg..." really loud.

Later that day everybody was looking at their phones in ride lines and many just look so sad. SO many convos about the accident and such. Will never forget that day.
 
SaN1ty24

SaN1ty24

Member
Nov 15, 2017
767
870509b560ec15bbd0e8122793829831b583a37b.gif

It still hurts :(
 
Caddywompus

Caddywompus

Member
Mar 10, 2018
910
I remember running errands that day and connecting the dots by hearing pieces of random conversations in the grocery store like "... it's so sad, his daughter too" and "... yeah I was a helicopter" it felt like it was on everyone's mind I passed. Very eerie
 
Powdered Egg

Powdered Egg

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
17,070
"Kobe Bryant when we speakin', very best (Lord)
I pray for Gigi, wonder if she'll get to see me next"-- Rick Ross

Honestly, I wasn't a Kobe fan. When I heard the news early on I assumed he was actually flying solo, so it was just a matter of fact "40? Damn that sucks.". Didn't cry till I learned that kids were killed in the crash and a whole team of kids was waiting on their arrival. That's just terrible.
 
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nilbog

nilbog

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,049
HotHamBoy said:
Didn't Kobe have a credible sexual assault case against him?

i think it's weird that people choose to ignore that.
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I think it's weird that people choose to mention this in a celebrity remembrance thread.

Listen, I am all against sexual misconduct. There were inconsistencies in Kobe's case, which were dropped after the woman refused to testify. Kobe maintained it was a consensual affair. Only two people know the truth, Kobe and the woman. Most people believe the woman consented to sex, but had a change of heart after the encounter. Read the details of the case and make your own conclusion.
 
Truckondo

Truckondo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,290
Garden Grove, CA
That event set off a chain reaction to 2020. Was so sad that day and the days after. I remember being at Staples for the memorial and hearing Jimmy Kimmel talk about him and making everyone laugh and cry.
 
Yasuke

Yasuke

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,817
Can't believe it's been a year.

If I hadn't gotten my heart broken a few weeks beforehand, this would've been the harbinger of doom for the year for me. What a surreal moment hearing the news was. I was walking by a pickup game as it happened and everything, niggas was crying on the court that day.
 
Garlador

Garlador

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
14,131
subrosa said:
I think it's weird that people choose to mention this in a celebrity remembrance thread.

Listen, I am all against sexual misconduct. There were inconsistencies in Kobe's case, which were dropped after the woman refused to testify. Kobe maintained it was a consensual affair. Only two people know the truth, Kobe and the woman. Most people believe the woman consented to sex, but had a change of heart after the encounter. Read the details of the case and make your own conclusion.
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I have and this is not accurate. The witness was harassed and bullied into silence. Anything trying to twist this to not be the case is precisely the reason why sex crimes like this so rarely result in convictions - before you even factor the fame and power side of it into events.

I mourn the loss of life, but I will also chime in that I will forever be creeped out by the galvanized affection people give towards towards him because he was an incredible athlete, but one with extremely credible accusations of sexual assault and rape.

When he was alive, many people rightly asked why he wasn't considered a pariah. A year after his death, that question should remain part of his legacy and discussion. Uncomfortable? It's small potatoes compared to what the victim went through.
 
Dre3001

Dre3001

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,853
I remember my friend texting me asking if Kobe died because TMZ I believe was the first outlet reporting and it sounded too crazy to be true.

One of the most shocking celebrity deaths for me.
 
LakeEarth

LakeEarth

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Oct 27, 2017
8,174
Ontario
I ran into a friend at a coffee shop who broke the news to me. It literally took 10 seconds for me to absorb what he said, because the words he said made no sense. I actually had to grab my phone to see it on Era to make it real.
 
Malleymal

Malleymal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,283
I associate this with conference championship football and the Super Bowl. I was hopping on a flight after a work trip and excited that my chiefs were going to be in the big game. The news came across my phone and then we lifted off. I just remember the news being all over about who was in the plane, who wasn't, and just at a loss.

I still feel bad whenever I see Vanessa and his remaining daughters. Shout out to Pau Gasol who seems to be a great figure in their life.
 
SuperBoss

SuperBoss

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,521
I grew up watching this legend. His post career revelations, the books and stories he wrote, his relationship with his family and daughters (#girldad), his charity and community support work, his pro women sports work, etc...it was beautiful. Then news of his death hit and it hit hard. He had so much more to give and so did everyone else on that helicopter. The guy was a global icon. Immortal in a way few are.

RIP to a GOAT.
 
Falchion

Falchion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
40,918
Boise
I remember Twitter blowing up and didn't believe it at first. Such a sad day, pretty much kicked off the shitty 2020.
 
Jiraiya

Jiraiya

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,279
Playing video games. I was starting my vacation from work...so all i could do was sit at home and watch. I have two celebrities that i truly enjoy. Alanis Morissette and Kobe.

Huge Laker fan and he was my favorite athlete. Sucks...but nowadays i don't get too down when i think of it. I mainly tune into player stories about him now and i dig how candid players are about his play.
 
Feep

Feep

Lead Designer, Iridium Studios
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,596
subrosa said:
I think it's weird that people choose to mention this in a celebrity remembrance thread.

Listen, I am all against sexual misconduct. There were inconsistencies in Kobe's case, which were dropped after the woman refused to testify. Kobe maintained it was a consensual affair. Only two people know the truth, Kobe and the woman. Most people believe the woman consented to sex, but had a change of heart after the encounter. Read the details of the case and make your own conclusion.
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Sorry, but any reasonable reading of the events and situation around the case makes it fairly obvious that Kobe Bryant raped a woman.

Look, I get why people are mourning. He *was* an icon, after all, and his daughter's death was absolutely tragic. But Kobe Bryant had a horrific stain on him, and I would rather spare my sympathy for the other people in that helicopter, and their families.

The continued lionization of Kobe Bryant, to me, is just telling women that society doesn't give a shit if men rape them.
 
fracas

fracas

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,637
He died on my birthday so I won't forget.

It's absolutely tragic that his daughter died and I feel for his family but that dude was pretty damn likely to have been a rapist so I can't say I feel much for him.
 
captmcblack

captmcblack

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,060
This was terrible...can't believe it's been a year.

Lakers winning the quarantitle this past season for Kobe was pretty cool, though.
 
Keyser S

Keyser S

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
8,480
This feels so long ago. If I did not know that date I would guess this is the second anniversary
 
WrenchNinja

WrenchNinja

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,733
Canada
subrosa said:
I think it's weird that people choose to mention this in a celebrity remembrance thread.

Listen, I am all against sexual misconduct. There were inconsistencies in Kobe's case, which were dropped after the woman refused to testify. Kobe maintained it was a consensual affair. Only two people know the truth, Kobe and the woman. Most people believe the woman consented to sex, but had a change of heart after the encounter. Read the details of the case and make your own conclusion.
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Nope. Noooooope.

"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. "

This is not consent.
 
Darksol

Darksol

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,704
Japan
subrosa said:
I think it's weird that people choose to mention this in a celebrity remembrance thread.

Listen, I am all against sexual misconduct. There were inconsistencies in Kobe's case, which were dropped after the woman refused to testify. Kobe maintained it was a consensual affair. Only two people know the truth, Kobe and the woman. Most people believe the woman consented to sex, but had a change of heart after the encounter. Read the details of the case and make your own conclusion.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I mean, I can just read his words.

"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.""

Dude was a great basketball player and dad. Also an admitted rapist. He may not have thought he was a rapist, but rapist he was.
 
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