LOS ANGELES - The world knew him as Kobe Bryant, a brilliant and relentless competitor and an aspiring entertainment mogul. But there were sides of him most could never see.

The “little brother” who texted Michael Jordan at odd hours to talk about footwork and the triangle offense. The “best friend” who played tireless rounds of tennis with Rob Pelinka and greeted his children with a loving embrace. The “soulmate” who made extravagant grand gestures for his wife including buying the movie prop notebook from the romantic film, “The Notebook.” And the “girl dad” who consulted the best minds in basketball as he set to coach his daughter’s team.

These were the sides of Kobe Bryant, and by extension his daughter Gianna Bryant, that were revealed even to some of his most ardent fans on Monday as both were memorialized in a “Celebration of Life” ceremony at Staples Center. It was the most intimate look the many millions of mourners across the world have ever gotten at the Lakers legend and his family, whose larger-than-life public image was brought to life with detailed stories by those who knew him closely.

There were no words more powerful than those of Vanessa Bryant, the grieving wife and mother who spoke publicly for the first time since Kobe, Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas a month ago. She described her daughter as “pure joy,” a bright pupil who knew multiple languages and a goofy, caring sister to her three surviving siblings, Natalia, Bianka and Capri. She called Kobe a doting husband who had plans to travel the world with her and become “fun grandparents.”

She lingered, painfully, on the future moments that she will never get to see with either of them, but took whatever small measure of comfort she could that they were together at the end.

“God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other,” she said. “He had to bring them home to have them together.”

The event featured moving addresses from some of Bryant’s most accomplished peers, like Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. There were also speeches from WNBA star Diana Taurasi, Oregon phenom Sabrina Ionescu and UConn coach Geno Auriemma, representing some of the brightest luminaries in women’s basketball where Gianna hoped to make her mark.

An event attended by both basketball stars and high-wattage entertainment figures also featured musical numbers by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera, representing the scope of Bryant’s impact and the depth of his loss.

“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said. “And looking around the globe, a piece of you died.”

Vanessa Bryant sues helicopter firm over death of Kobe, daughter

On the day her husband and 13-year-old daughter are being memorialized at Staples Center, Kobe Bryant’s widow filed a lawsuit against the operators of the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, killing the Laker legend, his daughter and seven others.

Vanessa Bryant’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit names Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp. and the estate of the helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, who also died in the Jan. 26 crash.

Island Express officials could not be reached for immediate comment. In the days after the crash, the company issued a statement expressing sorrow and noting that Zobayan was the company’s chief pilot.

The suit faults the company for allowing the helicopter to fly in “heavy fog and low clouds” that prompted “law enforcement agencies and tour companies” to ground their helicopters.

“On information and belief, Island Express Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration operating certificate limited its pilots to flying only under visual flight rules,” according to the lawsuit. “The subject helicopter was not licensed or certified to be flown into instrument conditions. On information and belief, the pilot-in-command, Ara George Zobayan, was required to fly only in conditions that he could navigate visually.

“Ara George Zobayan attempted to maneuver the helicopter up and forward to clear the clouds, then entered a turn sending the helicopter into steep terrain at approximately 180 mph,” according to the suit. “Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the helicopter flying through a layer of clouds and fog before the helicopter crashed.”

The suit notes that in 2015 Zobayan was cited by the FAA for violating the visual flight rules minimums by “flying into an airspace of reduced visibility from weather conditions” near Los Angeles International Airport.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. (Source: Los Angeles Daily News)

Story Date: February 25, 2020