"I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time"
Kobe Bryant's death came as a massive shock to the entire world this week. The former NBA star was travelling with his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers when it tragically crashed and all passengers passed away. The Helicopter was taking the passengers to a junior basketball tournament.
Family, friends and fans in Calabasas, California have paid tribute to the family man and athlete following the shocking news on Sunday. As a mark of respect, The Lakers have postponed their next game and Bryant's former teammates are completely devastated by the news.
Reports have begun to circulate about the reasons why Kobe Bryant regularly travelled by helicopter. In a 2018 interview, Bryant spoke about the fact that the Los Angeles traffic was causing problems for him making it to his kids' activities on time. He spoke about wanting to perfect his craft, respect his career as an athlete but "not compromise family time". A typical day would involve seeing the kids off to school, spending the day training and fulfilling media commitments and making it back in time to collect the kids from school. Kobe Bryant was a devoted family man. You can watch the full interview below.
When you become a parent you are suddenly connected to millions of people around the world. Where you live, what language you speak and what pays your bills is irrelevant because parenthood unites us all. When news broke that Bryant was travelling with his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna, the level of devastation became insurmountable. As parents, our worst nightmare is to be in a situation where we cannot keep our children safe. For this reason, Bryant's passing has had a profound effect on parents in particular.
It is so easy to make assumptions when we look at a life that is very different from our own. Something as lavish as travelling by helicopter might appear to be nothing but superficial but Bryant's 2018 interview has taught us to never assume. While Bryant was an incredibly wealthy and successful athlete, his priority was his family.
Bryant's Instagram is awash with photographs of his beautiful family. It is so clear that he was the epitome of a doting father and husband. A recent post gushed about meeting his wife twenty years previous and celebrating their anniversary with a visit to Disney Land.
Another photo shows Bryant's family dressed as all of the characters from The Wizard Of Oz. Bryant devastatingly leaves behind his wife Vanessa and their three daughters.
