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January 27, 2020

Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant, 13 Year-Old Daughter Gianna Die in Helicopter Crash
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Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash near
Los Angeles at the age of 41. The crash killed all nine people on board,
including Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna and beloved college
baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their 13-year-old
daughter Alyssa. Officials say the cause of the crash is being
investigated but could take months to determine.

Bryant won five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals and was
crowned an All-Star 18 times. He played for the L.A. Lakers for 20 years
before retiring in 2016. He was also known for being an ardent supporter
of women's basketball. Gianna Bryant reportedly hoped to one day play
for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team.

Tributes continue to pour in on social media from fans, athletes and
other public figures. Musicians Alicia Keys, Lizzo, Run-DMC and others
remembered Bryant at the Grammys in Los Angeles Sunday night, and
thousands gathered outside the Staples Center overnight to mourn his
passing. But some are also calling on the media and supporters not to
forget a sexual assault allegation from early in his career. In 2003, a
19-year-old woman who worked at a hotel where Bryant was staying accused
him of rape. Bryant denied the charge, saying they had a consensual
sexual encounter. The case was dropped after the woman decided not to
testify and a civil suit was settled out of court. Many have called out
his accuser's treatment by the media and Bryant's defense team. The
sexual assault allegation resurfaced in 2018 when his film "Dear
Basketball" won an Oscar for Best Animated Short at the 2018 Academy
Awards. We'll have more on Kobe Bryant later in the broadcast with
author and sports journalist Dave Zirin.


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