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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Kobe Bryant’s impact on and off the basketball court

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday morning.

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By Madeleine Brand • Jan 28, 2020 • 1 min read

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Onore Bryant, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday morning. Hundreds gathered at a vigil outside of LA Live.

The same evening at the adjacent Staples Center, musicians gathered for the Grammy Awards, where Alicia Keys paid tribute to Kobe Bryant. She said, “We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now. Because earlier today Los Angeles, America, and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.”

Outside the Staples Center, Lakers fan Bob Jimenez told KCRW, “Lakers -- it’s a family. It’s not just a team. It’s not just a sport. And Lakers kept me off the street as a kid. I’d run home to watch Kobe play instead of going out doing something I shouldn't. It’s just hard to take in honestly.”

We discuss how Kobe Bryant transcended basketball, and the legacy he leaves behind.

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

  • KCRW placeholder

    Michell Eloy

    Line Editor, Press Play

  • KCRW placeholder

    Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

    Associate producer

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    Dave McMenamin

    ESPN

    CultureSportsLos Angeles
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand