Kobe Bryant had been traveling by private helicopter for years. It was how he got around from his home in Orange County to the Lakers’ games and practices in Los Angeles. It was a way to avoid the notorious Los Angeles traffic.
It was also a transportation method that helped him spend more time with his family.
Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, Calif. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also among the nine victims as they were on their way to a travel basketball game.
Back in a 2018 interview with Barstool Sports, Kobe detailed why he chose to travel by helicopter, explaining that the time saved enabled him to be around his wife and daughters more often — something he valued during the grind of a travel-heavy NBA season.
A clip of Kobe explaining why he took helicopters to places that were not necessarily extremely far driving distances. He started doing so when LA traffic got so bad that it caused him to miss time w/ his family. Video from @BarstoolBigCat and @AROD. RIP to a great family man. pic.twitter.com/feocU5LsYy
— Lim (@Lim_Burner) January 27, 2020
He said:
“But then, traffic started getting really, really bad, right? And I was sitting in traffic and I wind up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic. This thing just kept mounting. I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time. So that’s when I looked into helicopters and be able to get down and back in 15 minutes. And that’s when it started. And so my routine was always the same. Weights early in the morning, kids to school, fly down, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media, everything I needed to do, fly back, get back in carpool line, pick the kids up. And my wife was like, ‘Listen, I can pick them up.’ I’m like, ‘No, no, no. I want to do that.’ Because like you have road trips and times where you don’t see your kids, man. So every chance I get to see them and spend time with them — even if it’s 20 minutes in your car — like, I want that.”
In a 2010 interview with GQ, the then-31-year-old Bryant credited the helicopter commute as a means of maintaining his body and focus.
He takes a private helicopter from Orange County, where he lives with his wife and two children, to every home game. It’s a nice dash of glitz, a touch of showbiz that goes well with the Hollywood sign in the hazy distance. But sexy as it might seem, Bryant says the helicopter is just another tool for maintaining his body. It’s no different than his weights or his whirlpool tubs or his custom-made Nikes. Given his broken finger, his fragile knees, his sore back and achy feet, not to mention his chronic agita, Bryant can’t sit in a car for two hours. The helicopter, therefore, ensures that he gets to Staples Center feeling fresh, that his body is warm and loose and fluid as mercury when he steps onto the court.
According to USA TODAY Sports, authorities are investigating whether the foggy conditions played a role in the crash that killed nine people.
You can read more from USA TODAY Sports.
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