Kobe Bryant goes up for a dunk during a 2007 game against the Utah Jazz. Bryant went on to score 28 points. Photo by former Sports Media Student Chris Neal

On Sunday, Jan. 26, around 10 a.m., long-time Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant were in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California that killed them both, along with seven others. This news shocked the basketball community and the world.

Bryant was with the Lakers’ organization for 20 years before his retirement in 2016. Gianna was an up-and-coming basketball player who was well known for her skills on the court. She was just starting to come into her own.
Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant and three daughters, Natalia, Bianka and Capri. This news also shocked many, including those at Butler Community College.

“It seemed like the whole world stopped for a second and slowly started spinning again,” Chase Wagnor, a sophomore from Allen, Texas, said.

Many students had feelings on the matter.

“As a fan, it hurt to the heart bad,” Hunter Lee, a freshman from Melbourne, Florida, said. “Kobe was like a superhero to the world.”