Kobe Bryant and Daughter Gianna Did 1 Important Thing On Their Last Morning
The world is still reeling from the loss of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. From celebrities to everyday fans, it seems like everyone has been affected in significant ways by the tragedy of Bryant’s shocking and avoidable death.
Fans can’t help but ponder how Bryant had so many inspiring post-retirement plans before they all got cut short in one tragic moment. The worst part was that the 41-year-old father of four was traveling with his teenage daughter, Gianna, who also died in the crash.
If there can be any silver lining in this tragedy, besides the reminder that life is precious and fleeting, it’s that Bryant and Gianna made one important stop on the morning of their accident.
Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna attended church before the helicopter accident
There’s almost zero chance that Bryant knew Jan. 26, 2020 would be his last day on earth. But the NBA champion behaved as if it could be when he rose early on that Sunday morning to head to church.
A church spokesperson confirmed that Kobe and Gianna attended 7 a.m. mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach. They fit this important ritual into their schedule even though they had a busy day ahead.
At the time of the crash, Bryant, Giana, and seven other passengers were headed to a teen basketball tournament. The helicopter accident occurred shortly after take-off because of thick fog in the area.
The basketball star was a devout Catholic
Bishop Timothy Freyer from Kobe’s diocese shared his condolences on Facebook in the days after the accident. Freyer called Bryant, “a committed Catholic who loved his family and loved his faith.”
The bishop went on to say that Kobe usually sat in the back of church so other churchgoers wouldn’t be distracted by his presence during mass. “Kobe was an icon who inspired us through his words and actions to set our goals, work hard and achieve our dreams,” Freyer shared.
Bryant and Gianna’s decision to attend church on that morning is really resonating with their entire faith community.
Kobe Bryant was fiercely committed to his family
It wasn’t just church that inspired Kobe to be a better person. He was also a devoted father and husband who treasured family time more than anything. In fact, Bryant preferred traveling via helicopter because it reduced the time he wasted sitting in traffic.
“Traffic started getting really, really bad,” Bryant explained. “And I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic and these things kept mounting. I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time.”
“So that’s when I looked into helicopters, to be able to get down and back in 15 minutes and that’s when it started,” he said.
Bryant leaves behind his wife of almost two decades, Vanessa, plus three other daughters besides Gianna.
