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Basketball icon Kobe Bryant, daughter Gigi and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA on Sunday morning January 26.

Kobe Bryant. My hero. Gone too soon.

There are no words. 

It’s supposed to be a beautiful day. My birthday fell on January 26, Australia Day. I had a quiet family dinner in Sydney City the night before. Unfortunately, I slept in because it’s a public holiday.

I woke up at 8:30am on Monday morning and received the most gruesome news – Kobe Bryant has died. What the hell!

I thought I was dreaming. It turned out to be a nightmare I could not shake off.

I cannot even process what had happened. Kobe Bean Bryant is invincible. He is the Black Mamba. He is unstoppable. 

Snap out of it. Yes, great idea. Kobe is all good. I got up, grabbed my iPhone but I felt anxiety. I checked Facebook, Instagram and confirmed it again on Twitter and TMZ. I was in utter shock.

I soon learnt that his daughter Gianna  was also in the helicopter with seven other people. She was only 13, she had a life ahead of her!

I tried to hold back the tears, but they rolled down uncontrollably.

The news travelled fast in real time. Post after post, video after video. It’s all over television and the Internet. Tributes from fans, celebrities and NBA stars were retweeted and shared across social media. The media circus has begun.

Facts.

Kobe, 41, left John Wayne Airport on Sunday morning 9:06am (PST) with daughter GiGi. They were heading to the Mamba Academy onboard his Sikorsky S-76B helicopter. They never made it back.

A helicopter malfunction or pilot error may have been facilitated by the terrible weather conditions near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas, California.

The horrific crash that soon ignited a brush fire was captured on video by local residents. Eight passengers and one pilot, zero survivors.

Questions filled my head that no one had any answers to.

Who gave them the go-ahead to travel in foggy conditions? Why did they have to fly when there was low visibility? What did Kobe instruct the pilot to do? Was there a problem with the helicopter? What was Kobe’s last thoughts? Who do you blame? Find that black box. 

What can go wrong in Cali on a Sunday morning? Everything and anything.

Perhaps they rushed to make it in time so as not to disappoint the kids who waited at the academy.  Based on public record of the flight path and the wide debris field, Kobe’s former pilot Kurt Deetz said they were traveling at 160 m/ph (LA Times). It seemed the basketball practice was important to him and his daughter.

The world lost a basketball superstar, a global icon, a leader, a mentor, an emerging mogul, a family man, a loving husband and father to four beautiful children.

Kobe’s family must now pick up the pieces. His wife Vanessa will carry the burden of raising their surviving children, Natalia, Bianka and Capri. She is a strong woman, and she needs to be for her young family.

I met her back in March 2009 inside the New Jersey (Brooklyn) Nets VIP area just outside the Lakers locker room. She stood next to Jay-Z and Damon Dash. I was starstruck, but somehow I found the courage to politely introduce myself to her.

Mrs. Bryant was gracious and approachable. That night, I watched from court side with glee as Kobe and co. demolished Vince Carter’s Nets. It was a memorable night, one that I would cherish even more. 

Like many of my fellow Los Angeles Lakers diehards, we lost one of our own.

Kobe was a Laker for life. Twenty years. Through thick and thin, he stuck by the only club he ever knew. 18-time All Star, 12-time All Defensive, five-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medallist, MVP. He was family.

It took another decade before I could see Kobe again. 

I had the privilege of meeting Kobe last March 2019. The Hour Group organised a special event in Melbourne. One night with Kobe. He was promoting his new book Mamba Mentality. I got myself a ticket just to be in his presence.

The fan boy in me came out – it was truly the highlight of my 2019. Bucket list # 1, check. Little did I know, it would be the last time I would get to see him. 

He took on the business world post-retirement by storm. 

Kobe had so many business interests, including venture capital firm Bryant Stibel, which currently has $2 billion worth of investments, Kobe, Inc., Body Armor, Mamba Sports Academy and Granity Studios. 

His legacy is far reaching beyond sports and business. He is a model of relentlessness, hard work, self-belief, consistency, unselfishness and dedication to your craft.

Kobe’s passion was to share his knowledge to the rest of the world. He mentored NBA stars left, right and centre. He created a short film called “Dear Basketball” that garnered an Academy Award.

However his passion project was his daughter GiGi. She was the heir apparent who followed her father’s footsteps. Kobe’s love for basketball was passed on to GiGi and he took pride in her. 

Last night, Kobe congratulated LeBron James after the King overtook him on the all-time NBA scoring list. Real recognise real. 

For all of this, he has earned the love and respect of millions of fans and foes around the world. 

Kobe’s death hurts and cuts deeply through my soul. A lot of this doesn’t make sense. Through our faith, I know he is in good hands with our Creator.

We mourn your loss, Mamba. Things will never be the same again.

From today, we will carry all the cherished memories that he bestowed upon us.

Rest in power. Vale, Kobe Bryant.