Lebron James On Learning Of Kobe Bryant’s Death on Team Plane
During the early hours of Sunday, January 26, the Los Angeles Lakers were in the middle of a flight headed back home from Philadelphia when they received the devastating news about Kobe Bryant’s death.
Nearly a month to date, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Anthony Davis opened up to ESPN on how they all reacted to the NBA legend’s untimely passing during what many felt was the longest flight in Laker history.
The Lakers director of media relations Alison Bolgi was reportedly the first to break the news to head coach Frank Vogel.
“There was that uncomfortable time, feeling like, “This is a crazy report,” he said. “Like, This is not true. There’s no way. My expectation was to hear that it was a false report.”
Davis was watching Avengers: Endgame on his iPad when he noticed some of his teammates trying to get this attention.
“So I remove one of my headphones, and I look,” the center and power forward said. “And Dwight tells me, ‘Man, Kobe died.’ And me thinking as invincible as Kobe Bryants is, I’m like, ‘Kobe who?’ Because I’m like, that’s not -- it’s not Kobe Bryant.”
The 26-year-old woke up Lebron James to break the news that Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter along with seven others.
He wouldn’t first accept the news.
“I remember the first thing Bron said to me was, ‘Man, y’all stop playin -- like, stop playing with me,” Davis said.
Dwight Howard’s emotions came abruptly.
“It was like a movie scene when it happened,” he said. “I was extremely hurt.”
Howard would later find himself in the nearest bathroom stall crying.
“Everybody was crying,” Davis remembered. “It was just like something that we didn’t believe, something that was shocking to all of us. Because Kobe, he’s touched so many, you know -- players on his team, staff members … He touched so many people.”
James then pulled the team together for prayer.
“Even though at times we question him and question why he do some of the things that he do, know that he’s never made a mistake,” he said. “Just hope that he has his hands on top of Vanessa and the kids at that time, and hope that he continues to watch over all of us.”
A public memorial to honor the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven others. Held at the Staples Center on Monday, February 24, paid their respects to one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Vanessa Bryant, Shaq, Michael Jordan, Beyonce, and Alicia Keys brought the crowd to tears with their heartfelt speeches and moving musical performances.
