From the moment that I saw the video of Kobe and his daughter GiGi sitting court side, with Kobe pointing out on to the floor explaining something to her, I wonder what was the advice he was giving her at the time.
On January 26, 2020 Kobe Bryant and his daughter, as well as a few parents and teammates of her’s were tragically lost in a helicopter accident. Kobe who’s attention to detail had him accustomed to being prepared for every scenario ahead, sent shock waves through the world upon the news of his passing. We were so use to him being ready for anything, it just felt like it wasn’t real and at any moment he would crawl from out of the rubbish with his daughter in his arms. But it didn’t happen.
I wonder what Kobe said to his daughter in their final moments? What was his leadership like? He was known for taking his helicopter often to avoid traffic, so what precautions had he taken and prepared for in the event that his helicopter went down? One of the silver linings after his death was the hashtag #GirlDad where men around the world celebrated Kobe’s dedication to his daughters by showing off our own princesses. As a father of 2 daughters myself, I was proud to join that trend.
Whatever that specific lesson that Kobe gave GiGi court side, even though in the video I can’t hear what he was saying to her, I can see her smile, nod her head, and seem as if she got the message he was sending. I think the message was ‘be prepared’. Be as ready as you can be for whatever is up ahead. I like to think he was prepared; they were prepared. Every living thing must die and ultimately our lives are all in preparation for that moment. We prepare our children to face the world and hope that they’ll understand our lessons the way GiGi understood her dad’s lesson.
RIP Kobe Brant, GiGi Bryant, and all the lives tragically lost in that accident. May your families find peace on this day and strength to carry on.
RIP John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Ara Zobayan.