Tag: Kobe Bryant
Vanessa Bryant reveals tattoos in honor of Kobe and Gianna
Vanessa Bryant is going to carry words from her late husband and daughter with her forever.
The widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant revealed through Instagram on Wednesday that she got a pair of new tattoos. The ink carries messages from Kobe and their 14-year-old daughter Gianna.
The message from Kobe was placed in a line along her right shoulder and neck.
The message from Gianna was placed on Bryant’s right wrist.
The tattoos are Vanessa Bryant’s latest tribute to her husband and daughter, as she has consistently kept their memory going since their tragic death in a helicopter crash in January. Whether it’s Gianna’s 14th birthday or the anniversary of Kobe’s 60-point sendoff, Bryant has consistently posted tributes to them. She has also used Kobe’s memory to speak out against racial injustice.
For her own birthday, Bryant revealed she had found an unopened love letter from Kobe, but didn’t disclose its message. She is currently working on the release of a young adult novel written by Kobe before his death, called “Geese Are Never Swans.”
Article via YahooNews
The Sports World Is In Shock After The News Of kobe Bryant Passing away in a Helicopter crash?
Kobe Bryant’s pilot had been disciplined by FAA over weather-related flight violation
The pilot of the helicopter that crashed into a Calabasas hillside last month, killing NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others, violated federal flight rules in 2015 when he flew into busy airspace near Los Angeles International Airport despite being ordered not to by air traffic control, according to records from the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Times.
Ara Zobayan was flying northbound in an AS350 chopper when he was denied clearance to traverse the airspace because weather conditions had reduced visibility below what is known as visual flight rules (VFR), according to the enforcement action records obtained through a freedom of information act request.
The FAA said Zobayan took responsibility for the violation and underwent counseling, but faulted him for his lack of preparation. “Had Mr. Zobayan properly planned and reviewed current weather at LAX, he would have been able to anticipate the required action to transit … resulting in proper coordination,” the report says.
Federal authorities are investigating Zobayan’s actions during last month’s flight when he veered out of control after flying into heavy clouds. Zobayan also died in the flight.
On the May 2015 flight, Zobayan was flying for Island Express Helicopters, the same charter company where he worked for years leading up to the crash. It is not clear where Zobayan was traveling that day or whether he had any passengers.
Near the Hawthorne Airport and the 105 Freeway, he contacted a tower at LAX to gain clearance to fly through the airspace. The tower told Zobayan that the airfield was reporting less than three miles of visibility and a cloud ceiling at least 1,000 feet above the ground.
Zobayan, who was relying on his sight to guide him, responded with a request to continue under special VFR, which would grant him clearance to fly in weather conditions with less than the minimum visibility for regular visual flying. When the tower denied that request and told him to navigate around the airspace, Zobayan backtracked and said that he could actually maintain VFR.
During the conversation, Zobayan continued flying northbound and entered the airspace without approval, violating FAA rules, according to the enforcement report.
An FAA investigator, who was not named in the document, did not recommend remedial training and instead opted to counsel Zobayan in several areas including operating in airspace around large airports, special VFR weather minimums, proper planning and reviewing weather.
“There are no indications that this is a repeated incident and there are no signs that this incident is a trend with Mr. Zobayan or any other [Island Express Helicopter] personnel,” the investigator wrote.
Opinions among pilots and experts are split on the severity of the violation.
Shawn Coyle, a longtime helicopter pilot, said the violation is considered relatively minor.
“I don’t know a single pilot out there who hasn’t violated a rule,” he said. “If that’s the only violation he’s ever had then I would say he’s pretty safe.”
The report comes as investigators continue to try to determine the cause of the deadly chopper crash on Jan. 26, a process that will likely take months. However, investigators have said Zobayan was struggling with poor visibility in the moments before the aircraft slammed into the hillside.
But Zoey Tur, a veteran Los Angeles news chopper pilot, noted that both the Hawthorne incident and the Bryant flight involved a case when the pilot found himself struggling with poor weather conditions.
“As a pilot you’re supposed to check the weather conditions along the route of flight,” Tur said.
A representative for Island Express Helicopters could not be reached for comment. An attorney representing the company did not respond to a phone call from a reporter on Friday.
Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters, said navigating around the controlled airspace near LAX would have added only five to ten minutes to the flight.
He contends the pilot also should have known that LAX rarely allows helicopters to fly under special flight rules in the airspace around the airport. Entering the airspace without approval, he added, can be dangerous because of potential conflicts with commercial jets.
“You can’t request special VFR and then they deny you and you say, ‘Oh wait a minute, actually I’m VFR’,” he said. “That’s not how it works. It shows that perhaps his understanding of special VFR as opposed to VFR was cloudy.”
Zobayan reported the incident to his employer and the FAA. Island Express Helicopters told federal investigators that they conducted additional ground and flight training with Zobayan in response to the situation.
Helicopter pilots and aviation experts say less-than-ideal weather is not uncommon for experienced pilots, but flying when visibility is decreasing poses an extreme danger.
Article via LATimes
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The Sports World Is In Shock After The News Of kobe Bryant Passing away in a Helicopter crash?
Rose McGowan tells Snoop Dogg to ‘grow the f–k up’ amid Kobe Bryant outrage
Rose McGowan on Sunday called Kobe Bryant a “hero” for apologizing to his sex accuser — but told Snoop Dogg to “grow the f–k up” and stop attacking anyone who raises the late hoop star’s troubled past.
“You want to know why Kobe Bryant is a hero? He apologized to a hurt young woman,” the #MeToo pioneer wrote on Twitter early Sunday, referring to Bryant’s mea culpa to a 19-year-old hotel employee who accused him of rape in 2003.
While praising Bryant, 41, McGowan also sent a message to Snoop Dogg to “stop terrorizing” CBS’ Gayle King following his wild attack on her for bringing up Bryant’s past during an interview.
“Truth hurts. Death hurts. Grow the f–k up. Kobe stopped hurting women, so can you,” McGowan wrote.
The “Charmed” star also mentioned Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez — who received death threats and was suspended after linking to stories about Bryant’s case — as one of those unfairly attacked. Oprah Winfrey also claimed that Snoop’s viral interview clip led to King receiving death threats.
McGowan — whose accusations against Harvey Weinstein helped form the #MeToo movement — previously mentioned the “complex” nature of grieving someone with troubling accusations against them.
“Put an * next to a hero’s name if they have sexual assault in their past,” she wrote last week, saying the symbol, “says investigate further.”
“It’s okay to hold space for the dead & their victims simultaneously. It’s complex,” she wrote.
Photo Credit: pagesix.com
Disneyland Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant in More Ways Than One
Disneyland paid tribute to their frequent guest, the late Kobe Bryant, and his daughter Gianna this week, days after their passing.
Disney’s Fab 5 — Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto — all joined in on a huddle and did Bryant’s iconic jump shot pose together. Fans looked on in amazement and captured the moment on video.
Aside from the characters’ sweet tribute, a Disney fan edited a photo of Space Mountain to seem like it was lit with the Los Angeles Lakers’ signature purple and yellow colors.
To signify his legacy even more, the park also turned off the No. 8 vehicle on Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Fantasyland, which was reportedly one of Bryant’s family’s favorite rides. Cast members at the park reportedly put a cover over the vehicle to honor Kobe and Gianna.
Disney CEO Bob Iger shared two tweets to honor the fallen legend. “Our company @Disney mourns the tragic loss of @kobebryant… one of the most respected & popular athletes of our time… a friend and a fan of ours, full of life and taken from us too soon,” he wrote in a statement.
Aside from the company’s sweet tributes, a Disney fan edited a photo of Space Mountain to seem like it was lit with the Los Angeles Lakers’ signature purple and yellow colors.
Bryant previously spoke about his love for the park during a fan Q&A session where one guest asked what his favorite ride was.”I enjoy Soarin’ Over California,” Bryant replied.
He added that he recently took his family to Disney’s California Adventure. “You see that big ferris wheel they have? We didn’t realize how big the thing was, so we took our kids on that thing … we thought child services was gonna be waiting for us when we got off!”
Bryant and his wife Vanessa previously celebrated their 20th anniversary at the theme park. Most recently, they attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
The NBA icon frequently attended Disney events and participated in parades at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Orlando.
The Sports World Is In Shock After The News Of Kobe Bryant Passing away in a Helicopter crash?
Husband of woman who died in crash that killed Kobe Bryant speaks out about tragedy
“I got three small kids and am trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom,” Matt Mauser said of the death of his wife, Christina.
The husband of a woman who died Sunday along with Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash said there are “no words” to describe the tragedy.
“It’s horrible,” Matt Mauser said, holding back tears while talking about the death of his wife, Christina Mauser.
“I got three small kids and am trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom,” he said during an interview Monday on the “TODAY” show.
Christina Mauser, 38, was one of seven people, in addition to Bryant, 41, and his daughter, 13, who died Sunday morning in the Calabasas crash. She was the assistant coach for Gianna Bryant’s Mamba Academy basketball team, a job for which Mauser said Bryant personally selected her.
“He picked her because she was amazing,” Mauser said. “I was so proud of her and she was so happy.”
Matt and Christina Mauser, whose three kids are ages 11, 9 and 3, were both teachers working at a small private school that Bryant’s daughters attended. Mauser said he was the basketball coach and his wife was the assistant coach when Bryant noticed “what an amazing mind” Christina Mauser had for the game and brought her on his coaching team.
“He asked her to teach the kids defense,” Mauser said of his wife, adding Bryant said that wasn’t his specialty. “They called her the mother of defense.”
“She was beautiful, smart, funny,” he said of Christina Mauser. “She was incredibly deep … just an amazing person.”
Other victims included John Altobelli, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa. The college, in confirming the deaths, said in a statement that Altobelli had coached there for 27 years.
“John meant so much to not only Orange Coast College, but to baseball,” the school’s athletic director Jason Kehler said in a statement. “He truly personified what it means to be a baseball coach.”
Altobelli led his team to four state championships during his career, and was named the National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2019.
Kehler said Altobelli, who people called “Coach Alto,” treated his players like family and offered the school’s deepest condolences to the whole family.
Payton Chester, a 13-year-old basketball player, and her mother, Sarah, were also passengers on the helicopter. Calling the crash a “freak accident,” Payton’s grandmother Catherine George told NBC News that “they had to get on the helicopter as a convenience today, they usually drove by car.”
Mauser said he and his family have been trying to avoid watching the news, but when he briefly turned on SportsCenter last night, one of his daughters turned to him and said it was “nice to know everyone was hurting along with us.“
“I’m scared, I think more than anything, I’m a little scared about the future,” Mauser said of his life without his wife.
Article via NBC