Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sadly Kobe Bryant Dead!

I'm not going to hear it.

Three daughters left behind. One died with him in the crash.

Leave it to God to judge

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Kobe Bryant Dead at 41: How Scandal Turned Him to Catholic Faith and Divine Mercy
“His most inspiring trait,” said singer Cristina Ballestero, “was his decision to turn to his faith in God and receive God’s mercy and to be a better man after a regretful decision.”
Catholic News Agency
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Southern California. Bryant, the father of four, was 41.

Bryant's daughter Gianna, 13, was reportedly killed in the helicopter crash as well, along with another teen and her parent, and the helicopter's pilot. They were reportedly traveling to a basketball game.

Bryant is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He retired in 2016 after a 20 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, in which the shooting guard won five NBA championships, a league MVP award, two scoring championships, and myriad other distinctions.

Beyond basketball, Bryant was a husband and a father who in 2015 attributed his Catholic faith with helping him move past a challenging period in his own life and the life of his family.

Bryant was raised in a Catholic family, and spent much of his childhood living in Italy. He married in 2001 in a Southern California parish.

In 2003, Bryant was arrested after he was accused of raping a woman in a Colorado hotel room.

Bryant admitted a sexual encounter with the woman, but denied that he had committed sexual assault. When the allegation became public, Bryant lost sponsors and faced criminal charges, which were eventually dropped.

Bryant issued an apology to his accuser, with whom he also reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit.

“Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter,” Bryant said in his 2004 apology.

In 2015, the basketball player told GQ that after the matter was resolved, he decided to shed some superficiality he felt he had built up in his public persona.

“What I came to understand, coming out of Colorado, is that I had to be me, in the place where I was at that moment.”

Bryant said it was a priest who helped him to make some important personal realizations during the ordeal.

Describing his fear of being sent to prison for a crime he believed he had not committed, Bryant told GQ that “The one thing that really helped me during that process—I’m Catholic, I grew up Catholic, my kids are Catholic—was talking to a priest.”

“It was actually kind of funny: He looks at me and says, ’Did you do it?’ And I say, ’Of course not.’ Then he asks, ’Do you have a good lawyer?’ And I’m like, ’Uh, yeah, he’s phenomenal.’ So then he just said, ’Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So let it go.’ And that was the turning point,” Bryant said.

A 2004 decision to place deeper trust in God did not mean the basketball star’s life was thereafter without difficulties, or defined by virtue.

In 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce from Kobe, citing irreconcilable differences. But Bryant said he decided not to give up on his marriage, and two years later, his wife withdrew her divorce petition.

“I’m not going to say our marriage is perfect, by any stretch of the imagination,” Bryant told GQ in 2015.

“We still fight, just like every married couple. But you know, my reputation as an athlete is that I’m extremely determined, and that I will work my ass off. How could I do that in my professional life if I wasn’t like that in my personal life, when it affects my kids? It wouldn’t make any sense.”

Bryant and his wife have been reported to be regular parishioners at an Orange County, California parish.

Singer Cristina Ballestero posted on Instagram Jan. 26 a story of her encounter with Bryant at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, California at a weekday Mass.

“As we went up to communion, [Bryant] waited for me to go. If you grew up in the Catholic Church, you understand this is a respectful thing men do in church as a sign of respect to women. He said I have a beautiful voice.”

“His most inspiring trait was his decision to turn to his faith in God and receive God’s mercy and to be a better man after a regretful decision,” Ballestero added.

I feel sorry for his rape victims that’ll have to see his face everywhere for the next year. That and this unattributed ribald comment made at the time of his continuing indiscretions: "The first 8 inches were consensual!"

He knew something about Hillary ......

I'm not a basketball fan but the guy was one of the greatest players of all time. That's a pretty good accomplishment which I can respect. Sad time for his family, friends, and fans. RIP...

Bb

Somebody cue up Queen's another one bites the dust. Great ball player terrible human being.

Me too whilst sipping an Old Fashioned and smelling my pot of pasta sauce on its fourth hour simmering...[/b]

Fixed it for ya

Rip.

Thanks for this, DVD. That's great news. PTL.

There is video of crash that will likely be out in a few days...I don't imagine something like this doesn't get out. Friend was working in the area and one of his crew took video of the helicopter as it was going down and crashing. He's trying to get it to FAA now. Looks like tail rotor failure among other things. It went down spinning, roughly 1 rotation every second or so, spiraled in, dropping pretty damn fast. No sign of fire until it exploded upon impact.

I think it's already out,my son was talking about it a few mins ago.
I did not watch it.

Crazy and why I like to stay close to Earth.


Heard on the radio when I was pulling up to the parts store about 1PM this afternoon to buy a 1 3/16's impact socket.



The ol' F350 landed safely.

Outlaw helicopters. if it saves only one child.

And a few rock stars and famous athletes.

+1

+1

You left out predatory. All pro sports athletes are at risk for this kind of accusation.

Well that was quick.