Kean reacts to the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant

By Harold Carias | Published by January 30, 2020

Shock waves were felt across the world as the news of Los Angeles Lakers icon and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash was reported in Calabasas, California on Jan. 26.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Bryant, 41, was on board with eight other passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, as they were making their way to one of Bryant’s basketball camps. 

“My first reaction was that I didn’t want to believe it,” said senior business major Garfield Hylton. “I thought it was fake news. Unreliable news outlets want to report things first and I did not accept his death until I finally saw it on CNN and ESPN.”

Many students across campus felt this same sentiment in not believing the initial reports from certain news sources. 

“I saw it from the Instagram perspective so I didn’t believe at first,” said Justin Brown, a Communications major. “I called my suitemate and asked if this was real, then it was on ABC News.”

The Los Angeles Police Department condemned the actions of tabloid celebrity news website TMZ, as they broke the news before the officials even had a chance to notify the families of the victims.

“There has to be a moral barrier for breaking news and allowing the families to hear about the incident first,” said junior biology major Nicholas Soares. “It shouldn’t have happened that way but I guess it’s part of the business.”

The other victims in the accident were Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, and Alyssa Altobelli.

Across all levels of competitive and recreational basketball, Kobe Bryant has been honored and remembered. Former NBA players have told stories of when they used to play and mentioned his work ethic.

“I admire his work ethic, but I appreciate it even more,” said Kean Men’s basketball coach Adam Hutchinson. “He [Kobe] showed up every day, even when he struggled.” 

Kobe Bryant will forever be remembered as a loving husband and father of four daughters, who played the sport he loved at the highest level. He showed his team and counterparts what it took to be the best and how pushing yourself will only lead to more opportunities for success.

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