Kobe Bryant: Killed in Helicopter crash (update: NTSB prelim. report)

[Hapless Bills Fan]

15 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

We don't know. That much is true. But there is a TREMENDOUS amount of evidence that the allegation was false. I FULLY believe it was false and beyond initial evidence, subsequent behavior and occurrences have only strengthened my PERSONAL belief.

 

I wasn't there, so I'll never know anything with certainty just as not a single person can claim to KNOW that OJ Simpson murdered Goldman/Brown.

 

Point: we have had folks here who have processed the publically available evidence (as expounded in the media) expressing very much the opposite view.

 

IMO, it's just not the right time for either.  It's one incident in the life of a man who died in a heli crash today, along with his young daughter and 7 other souls.  "Send not to ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee"

[Teddy KGB]

8 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

The entire sports world then, which is very much a global community.

Kobe is huge in China, my lady works for VIPKID before teaching public school at the buttcrack of dawn every day. 
 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160823005760/en/Kobe-Bryant-Announces-Investment-Chinese-Education-Company

Edited January 27, 2020 by Teddy KGB

[GoBills808]

7 minutes ago, SDS said:

perhaps I’m a cynic, but I find the athlete responses are more out of perceived obligation than out of true emotion. 
 

regardless, 9 people died in that crash. 

Above my pay grade but I think Tyson Chandler and Doc Rivers would disagree. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, RocCityRoller said:

I appreciate the reply. No where in my post did I sugar coat or ignore that Kobe, like Felicia, and all of us are all flawed. I think it is vile to bring this up as soon as his death is announced, if not for Kobe, then for his family and friends. What was the motive?

 

The tweet was sent out today, within hours of the reported death, with a link to the article from the past. Why feel the need to drudge up the past as soon as the death is reported?

 

I can absolutely go with that.  On the other hand it is part of his past.

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, SDS said:

perhaps I’m a cynic, but I find the athlete responses are more out of perceived obligation than out of true emotion. 
 

regardless, 9 people died in that crash. 

 

I don’t see it as being a cynic. I see it as viewing the entire picture,  I’m more upset that a dad and his daughter died than I am a former NBA star died. I’m equally upset that all the others died. This is a tragedy, but it’s not just a “Kobe tragedy”.  It’s FAR more than that. 

[SDS]

1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

Above my pay grade but I think Tyson Chandler and Doc Rivers would disagree. 

You know what I meant. Clearly there are people who were close to him that are affected. But there is the vast majority that never met the guy, who play another sport, never really followed his career, yet went to Instagram and Twitter today and posted about it. Most of them post out of obligation because their own followers expect them to say something. I try not to confuse obligation with heartfelt sincerity.

[Nelius]

23 minutes ago, SDS said:

The *entire world* is not mourning. This is exactly what I just posted about - you are projecting your feelings on to everyone else. Believe it or not, the vast vast vast majority of the world doesn’t give a ***** about the NBA. 

 

Dude I'm on two separate UK forums right now and they are absolutely mourning. Go ahead and move the goal posts if necessary because it's just the UK, but I guarantee this is being discussed everywhere

[Bermuda Triangle]

2 minutes ago, SDS said:

You know what I meant. Clearly there are people who were close to him that are affected. But there is the vast majority that never met the guy, who play another sport, never really followed his career, yet went to Instagram and Twitter today and posted about it. Most of them post out of obligation because their own followers expect them to say something. I try not to confuse obligation with heartfelt sincerity.

 

Neymar?

 

Novak Djokovic?

 

Sabrina Ionescu?

[GG]

25 minutes ago, SDS said:

The *entire world* is not mourning. This is exactly what I just posted about - you are projecting your feelings on to everyone else. Believe it or not, the vast vast vast majority of the world doesn’t give a ***** about the NBA. 

 

You’d be surprised.  His fame exceeds that of just the NBA.  As others mentioned, he’s a big star in China, as well as Europe and Latin America.    That’s a pretty big chunk of the world.   

[Bermuda Triangle]

1 minute ago, GG said:

 

You’d be surprised.  His fame exceeds that of just the NBA.  As others mentioned, he’s a big star in China, as well as Europe and Latin America.    That’s a pretty big chunk of the world.   

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-join-world-nba-in-mourning-death-of-kobe-bryant/

[SDS]

7 minutes ago, Nelius said:

 

Dude I'm on two separate UK forums right now and they are absolutely mourning. Go ahead and move the goal posts if necessary because it's just the UK, but I guarantee this is being discussed everywhere

There are 7 billion people in the world. I’ll leave it at that.

[GoBills808]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

You know what I meant. Clearly there are people who were close to him that are affected. But there is the vast majority that never met the guy, who play another sport, never really followed his career, yet went to Instagram and Twitter today and posted about it. Most of them post out of obligation because their own followers expect them to say something. I try not to confuse obligation with heartfelt sincerity.

And I often see little distinction between the two.

 

You point isn’t lost on me. But I see no reason to downplay the context, it’s still a massive story.

[Nelius]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

There are 7 billion people in the world. I’ll leave it at that.

 

Quite the cynical argument you're backpedaling toward. C'mon man. People are affected by this. It's okay to respect that.

[GoBills808]

6 minutes ago, GG said:

 

You’d be surprised.  His fame exceeds that of just the NBA.  As others mentioned, he’s a big star in China, as well as Europe and Latin America.    That’s a pretty big chunk of the world.   

Breen was commentating today, told a story about taking a taxicab in the Philippines I believe. The cabby recognized him and asked ‘NBA? NBA?’...Breen says yes, he works for the NBA. Cabby asks him if he knows Kobe Bryant and he says yeah, he knows him. Breen said the guy just parked his cab and started sobbing because he was driving a guy in his cab who knew Kobe Bryant. 

[Kirby Jackson]

10 minutes ago, GG said:

 

You’d be surprised.  His fame exceeds that of just the NBA.  As others mentioned, he’s a big star in China, as well as Europe and Latin America.    That’s a pretty big chunk of the world.   

Kobe was the top 20 trending topics on twitter today!! This was similar to John Lennon. This was one of the biggest stars in the world because of the international nature of the NBA, he is different. Kobe is the most recognized athlete in China. China has billions of people. He’s a different kind of famous.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Kirby Jackson

[SDS]

24 minutes ago, Nelius said:

 

Quite the cynical argument you're backpedaling toward. C'mon man. People are affected by this. It's okay to respect that.

Backpedaled? ?

[Bermuda Triangle]

4 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Kobe was the top 20 trending topics on twitter today!! This was similar to John Lennon. This was one of the biggest stars in the world because of the international nature of the NBA, he is different. Kobe is the most recognized athlete in China. China has billions of people. He’s a different kind of famous.

 

He's beloved in Italy as well.

[Teddy KGB]

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

There are so many angles to it that just wreck me. Seeing the pictures of his young daughter looking so happy with him at all those basketball games, trying to follow in his footsteps. He was so proud to coach her team. He and his wife got engaged when she was 18 and been together all this time. I know they had their issues through the years , but they seemed to  be in a good place and the family looked so happy. Now left to raise a newborn and the two other girls after losing her husband and daughter. Devastating.  Money can’t fix everything. 

BUT... It sure can help.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, GoBills808 said:

Breen was commentating today, told a story about taking a taxicab in the Philippines I believe. The cabby recognized him and asked ‘NBA? NBA?’...Breen says yes, he works for the NBA. Cabby asks him if he knows Kobe Bryant and he says yeah, he knows him. Breen said the guy just parked his cab and started sobbing because he was driving a guy in his cab who knew Kobe Bryant. 

 

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Kobe was the top 20 trending topics on twitter today!! This was similar to John Lennon. This was one of the biggest stars in the world because of the international nature of the NBA, he is different. Kobe is the most recognized athlete in China. China has billions of people. He’s a different kind of famous.

Anybody dumb or naive enough to think the world is not mourning is just plain stupid. He's as internationally iconic as Ali was. 

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, SDS said:

The *entire world* is not mourning. This is exactly what I just posted about - you are projecting your feelings on to everyone else. Believe it or not, the vast vast vast majority of the world doesn’t give a ***** about the NBA. 

I mean no personal offense man, but you’re wrong about this.  Very wrong.  You seem to be the one projecting your personal feelings about not giving a crap about the NBA.  Meanwhile, fans of every sport in the world are devastated and mourning his loss.  People of all walks of life are carrying a heavy heart over this today.  He was a huge icon and inspiration across the globe.  
 

It’s your message board, so obviously do what you want.  But like I said, you’re honestly doing what you are accusing him of right now and projecting what appears to be your disdain for the NBA onto everyone else even though this sad story isn’t really about the NBA.  
 

This is as big if not bigger than when people like Michael Jackson, Payne Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Prince, Tupac, Biggie, etc does.  It transcends across the whole landscape, not just to NBA fans...which by the way is one of the biggest global sports in the world, bigger than football.  

 

Especially with his daughter and the 7 other people on board.

 

PS:  We have had endless AB threads on the main board dedicated to that POS...so I find it weird that this one isn’t capable of being there to show appreciation and respect to one of the greatest competitors the sports world has ever known, his daughter and the other 7 souls lost.

[John from Riverside]

A big thanks to Chandler for closing down that thread on the main boeard before I saw it and did something that was gonna get me banned.  It was definately going to happen.

 

I am a Kobe Bryant fan and forever will be (not just because I am a Laker fan for life..but just because the mentality for which he lived his life was truth to me.....and he lived it.......the work eithic.....the ability to take pain.....the abillity to just make it happen....yes....laker fan.

 

I mourn for him and I mourn for his familly who also lost a beautiful daughter.....so much ahead of her.  I also mourn for the others that were on that helicopter today.

 

Kobe Bryant did not live a perfect life....he made some mistakes when he was younger.....I truly dont think he forced himself on the girl...what he did do was have sex out of wedlock which I also think is bad.   I lived through a horrible marriage and never ONCE cheated on my then wife.

 

But I also believe in second chances....and while I did not know Kobe personally I truly believe he was being sincere on the father/husband thing  as he as getting on in life.

 

The world is not a brighter place now that they are gone......

[John from Riverside]

5 hours ago, Chef Jim said:

Magic averaged over 11 per game and was a consummate team player.  Kobe doesn’t even break the top 50 all time I assists. Living in SoCal I saw Kobe play a lot. He was a ball hog and it really turned me off the game.  Don’t get me wrong he was one of the best to play the game it just wasn’t my style. 

He was definately the guy you wanted taking the final shot to win the game.....

 

Anyway your point is valid....he was not a sharer of the ball....he was the guy that would put a team on his back and go win it for you.   He was a pure scorer who would defend the other teams best player.   He played on both ends of the court.

[Doc Brown]

4 hours ago, GG said:

 

You’d be surprised.  His fame exceeds that of just the NBA.  As others mentioned, he’s a big star in China, as well as Europe and Latin America.    That’s a pretty big chunk of the world.   

Just the young people making his Nike sneakers from those countries must know who he is.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

By Edmund DeMarche | Fox News

 

“The weather conditions did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Josh Rubenstein, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, told the paper. He pointed out that the department’s Air Support Division did not fly helicopters early on due to the conditions.

 

Around the time of the crash, L.A. Times reporter Richard Winton reported that the mountains were “fogged in.”

 

“It [didn’t] sound right and it was real low. I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as It was so foggy,” Jerry Kocharain told the Los Angeles Times.

 

"You could hear it – thump, thump, thump – and then a loud thud," Pastor Bob Bjerkaas, who was teaching Sunday school at the Church in the Canyons, told USA Today. His wife ran out and saw a cloud of gray billowing from the mountains,  the report said. Bjerkaas said it was “dense."

 

"My guess is he was flying low," he said.

[H2o]

I'm still in shock over what happened yesterday. Nine people lost their lives. Children have to go on without father's, wives have to go on without husband's, family's have to go on without loved ones, and friend's have to go on without ones they held near to their hearts. It's a sad situation for all involved. I hope all of their family and friends can find some sense of peace in all of this, in some way, in some form, and live on with the memories that made their time spent together so special. 

[Doc Brown]

9 hours ago, Chef Jim said:

Magic averaged over 11 per game and was a consummate team player.  Kobe doesn’t even break the top 50 all time I assists. Living in SoCal I saw Kobe play a lot. He was a ball hog and it really turned me off the game.  Don’t get me wrong he was one of the best to play the game it just wasn’t my style. 

You must hate shooting guards then.  Even so, Kobe's #31 in assists ahead of Jordan.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

Very tragic news.

 

RIP and prayers to his family 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

the news of this tragedy is sad. yes, feeling sad about a celebrity athlete and his daughter as well as others dying is okay. those that seem to push their reasons as to why it is not is pretty pathetic. I was never a real big fan of the nba but back it the late 80's living in orlando I started watching the new team in town, orlando magic. I actually enjoyed watching some good basketball and kobe was a hell of a  basketball player and I enjoyed watching him play.

 

what's even more sad, are some of the comments in this thread. but what can one expect from those who sit high on that pedestal of perfection. you know, those who never do wrong but are sure to come and chastise those not so perfect in life.

Edited January 27, 2020 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[stony]

Favorite Kobe stories were his impact on the Lebron/Wade generation after playing with him on the Olympic teams.  Christ, he even got MELO to play defense and rebound on those teams.  His pregame routines and training methods had a big impact on the careers of some of the young guys.  

 

Wade might've had the best overall Olympics on the '08 team, but Kobe was the closer.  The gold medal game vs Spain is still a decent rewatch.

[Chef Jim]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

You must hate shooting guards then.  Even so, Kobe's #31 in assists ahead of Jordan.

There are shooting guards and guards who drive to the net and draw double and triple teams and not kick out to the two to three open guys standing around.  And he’s number #31 in total assists but #147 in average assists per game. 
 

Again a great player but not my kind of player. 

[The Jokeman]

I never realized that Kobe and I were so close in age, as I was born in 1977. I always thought as him as younger maybe because of him coming out of high school to play in the NBA etc. It's definitely sad news and was shocked when my wife told me last night. I feel bad for his family as lost him and his daughter. To me he was always a good player similar to LeBron in that never will live up to the legend that was Michael Jordan who was the best player of my generation of following the NBA. 

[RochesterRob]

10 hours ago, GoBills808 said:

And I often see little distinction between the two.

 

You point isn’t lost on me. But I see no reason to downplay the context, it’s still a massive story.

  Massive story yes.  Impact on the world really hard to determine.  Extremely important to some people and a name barely known to others.  Trying to put this on the level of when JFK was shot or the World Trade Center buildings collapsed is just being melodramatic in my mind.  Quite a number will feel a sense of loss but for most people the world will keep on winding the clock forward.

Edited January 27, 2020 by RochesterRob

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Ugh, looking like our dear old friend Pilot Error may be at cause

 

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/xandr/federal-authorities-tackle-difficult-terrain-073624089.html

 

Flingwing pilots are notorious for pushing the low VFR because point-to-point speed and convenience is their selling point.  Having to fly a prescribed route and approach under IFR cancels that, even if they're instrument-trained and equipped.

[Bermuda Triangle]

59 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

There are shooting guards and guards who drive to the net and draw double and triple teams and not kick out to the two to three open guys standing around.  And he’s number #31 in total assists but #147 in average assists per game. 
 

Again a great player but not my kind of player. 

I can think of no better place than this thread for you to share your perceived shortcomings of Kobe Bryant as a player, others to share their feelings about Kobe Bryant as a person, and for others to essentially say "who cares"?

 

Makes sense.  

[T&C]

17 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Ugh, looking like our dear old friend Pilot Error may be at cause

 

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/xandr/federal-authorities-tackle-difficult-terrain-073624089.html

 

Flingwing pilots are notorious for pushing the low VFR because point-to-point speed and convenience is their selling point.  Having to fly a prescribed route and approach under IFR cancels that, even if they're instrument-trained and equipped.

From looking at the article you supplied I'm surprised that the helicopter was built in 1991... I know nothing about this kind of stuff but it is/was going on 30 years old, that seems like a long lifespan to me.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 minutes ago, T&C said:

From looking at the article you supplied I'm surprised that the helicopter was built in 1991... I know nothing about this kind of stuff but it is/was going on 30 years old, that seems like a long lifespan to me.

 

Nah, it's a baby for a helicopter or plane.  Most have long lifespans, where the airframe stays the same but all the other components get continually replaced and upgraded.  Somebody's private baby, it doesn't get used that hard.

 

The base design of that heli has been around since 1979.

 

The exception would be commercial airliners, especially short-haul ones, which get beaten up quickly with # duty cycles and with pressurization/depressurization cycles.  But even there, some 30 yrs 747s are still flying.

[GG]

26 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Ugh, looking like our dear old friend Pilot Error may be at cause

 

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/xandr/federal-authorities-tackle-difficult-terrain-073624089.html

 

Flingwing pilots are notorious for pushing the low VFR because point-to-point speed and convenience is their selling point.  Having to fly a prescribed route and approach under IFR cancels that, even if they're instrument-trained and equipped.

Could be a little early for this conjecture based on the story.   Witnesses said that the helicopter was coming down fast BEFORE impact. Another oddity is that the debris field looked to be very widespread.  Is that common for this type of an accident?

[row_33]

He was a great player in the style of MJ and LeBron, and and hopefully Zion can continue it.

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

17 minutes ago, GG said:

Could be a little early for this conjecture based on the story.   Witnesses said that the helicopter was coming down fast BEFORE impact. Another oddity is that the debris field looked to be very widespread.  Is that common for this type of an accident?

 

So I'm no fling-wing expert, but any aircraft has a flight envelope (engine power, angle of attack for the wings) where the wings produce lift, and outside this, the wings will stall (stop producing lift).  Once the wings stall, Mr Gravity takes over and a high rate of descent followed by a big-ass debris field is the inevitable result.

 

In low visibility, it's not an uncommon "gotcha" for a pilot to get the aircraft into a situation where CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) is imminent, then try to get out of it by pushing the flight envelope and stall the plane, turning a bad situation into a cluster *****

 

In contrast, if there were a genuine mechanical problem, for most of them the pilot would auto-rotate and the descent would be more controlled - the outcome might still be poor depending upon the terrain and his skill, but generally slower descent, more contained debris field.  There are a few mechanicals where this wouldn't be true.