We’ve all lived through moments that stay with us forever. Whether tragic or not, there are incidents and events that will forever be etched in our memories.
On January 26, the basketball community had one such tragic moment when it was first reported by TMZ and later confirmed by multiple media outlets that Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among those that died in a tragic helicopter crash in Southern California.
From mainstream media outlets including CNN and The Weather Channel, news of Bryant’s death spread like wildfire. There are some figures — whether they be professional athletes, artists or politicians — whose fame and existence manage to ascend their field.
Kobe Bryant, obviously, was one such figure.
Among those who took the time out to express sorrow and send condolences to the Bryant family was President Barack Obama.
President Obama, who served as President of the United States from 2008 to 2016, was in office when the Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2009 and 2010 and hosted Bryant and his teammates in Washington, D.C. in 2010. The two also overlapped on various community service projects over the past few years
“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day,” the former President tweeted.
The NBA community mourned the death of Bryant on Sunday. The Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young was seen tearfully embracing his mother prior to the Hawks hosting the Washington Wizards, while the Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving — who was known to be extremely close to Bryant — was seen leaving Madison Square Garden prior to the Nets’ doing battle with the New York Knicks. Irving, according to reports, will not play.
Especially on the heels of the untimely death of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, the NBA community is hurting.
As President Obama’s tweet illustrates, however, the tragic passing of Bryant is something that has reverberated far beyond the hardwood of the league’s 30 arenas.
