AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT KOBE BRYANT YET.
>> Jon: OH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: I KNOW YESTERDAY YOU WERE COMING BACK FROM
LOS ANGELES, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A SHOW.
YOU WERE AT THE GRAMMYS WHERE-- IT WAS AT THE STAPLE CENTER,
RIGHT.
>> Jon: ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS WHERE THE LAKERS PLAYED, AND OF THE
MOURNERS SHOWED UP.
WHAT THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?
TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU FELT THERE IN THE ROOM?
>> Jon: WELL, THAT MORNING I WAS IN CALABASAS, AS FATE WOULD
HAVE IT.
AND I WAS... YOU KNOW, IT REMINDS YOU OF HOW... MUCH OF
THIS LIFE IS JUST A VAPOR.
WE'RE HERE, AND EVEN THE MIGHTY AMONG US, THOSE WHO SEEM LIKE
THEY'LL LIVE FOREVER, THE MORTAL ONES CAN BE GONE, JUST LIKE
THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE GREATNESS THAT HE LEFT IN THE
WORLD, IT SEEMED LIKE HE HAD SO MUCH MORE TO GO, AND ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE PLANE-- ON THE HELICOPTER, AND HIS
DAUGHTER, WHO HAS SO MUCH PROMISE SIT JUST KIND OF ALL HIT
US AT ONE TIME.
AND IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO CELEBRATE AT THE GRAMMYS, TO BE
HONEST.
EVERYBODY WAS IN A VERY MOURNFUL, REFLECTIVE MOOD, EVEN
AMONGST THE GREAT CELEBRATION.
IT JUST FELT... IT FELT AS IF WE LOST SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT
AND HAD BEEN REMINDED, COLLECTIVELY, OF SOMETHING, ALSO
VERY IMPORTANT, THAT WE ALL HAVE TO FACE.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO MEET HIM?
>> Jon: I DID.
WHEN I WAS-- I WAS A YOUNG BALL AT ONE TIME, AND I GOT THE HONOR
OF PLAYING AT THE N.B.A.
ALL-STAR GAME IN 2008.
AND I WAS ON HALF-COURT EXPIRVETION GETTING READY TO
PLAY THE PIANO AND SOUND CHECK, AND KOBE-- ALL THE PLAYERS WALK
ON, BUT KOBE WAS, I MEAN, '08, THIS IS PRIME, PRIME KOBE.
AND I REMEMBER JUST LOOKING AT HIM-- HE WAS A GIANT TO ME.
I HAD NEVER SEEN HIM IN PERSON.
HE WAS SO TALL.
AND HE CAME OVER TO ME AND HE WAS SO WARM TO ME AND EVERYBODY
THAT WAS PERFORMING.
AND IT FELT LIKE HE WAS JUST AS GREAT A PERSON, AS PERSONABLE AS
HE WAS GREAT ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.
SO I REMEMBER THAT MOMENT VIVIDLY.
AND, OF COURSE, FOLLOWED HIM SINCE THEN, AND FOLLOWED HIM AS
HE CONTINUED TO BREAK RECORDS AND WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
>> Stephen: WELL, I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO MEET HIM.
BUT I-- I DO FEEL A STRANGE CONNECTION IN THIS MOMENT, ONE
THEY WOULDN'T WISH ON ANYBODY, BUT I FEEL A STRANGE CONNECTION
TO HIS FAMILY, AND HIS FRIENDS, AND THOSE WHO LOVED HIM, AND
THOSE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR TRAGEDY, INCLUDING
NOT ONLY THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF KOBE BRYANT AND GIANA.
JOHN ALTOBELLI, LISA, SARA PESTER, PEYTON CHESTER, AND ARA
ZOBAYAN.
BECAUSE I... LOST MY FATHER AND TWO OF MY BROTHERS WHEN I WAS A
BOY TO A PLANE CRASH THAT WAS ALSO IN HEAVY FOG.
AND ONE OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS ABOUT THAT SHOCK AND THE-- THE
HEARTBREAKING UNREALITY, NIGHTMARE QUALITY OF SOMEONE
HUGE IN YOUR LIFE WHO JUST DISAPPEARS, THE CENTER OF YOUR
LOVE DISAPPEARING IN THAT MOMENT, IS NOT KNOWING WHAT
HAPPENED.
NOW, THE STRANGE THING ABOUT HELICOPTER FLIGHT THAT I LEARNED
FROM A WOMAN NAMED "CHOPPY" PATTERSON.
THIS IS CHOPPY.
SHE WAS OUR PILOT DOWN IN NEW ZEALAND.
AND AFTER WE FLEW WITH EACH OTHER FOR TWO DAYS, CHOPPY ASKED
TO TALK TO ME AFTER MY LAST FLIGHT.
AND SHE-- SHE GAVE ME SOMETHING ON THE FLIGHT, AND SHE GAVE ME
THIS, IT'S A PUNAMA JADE WHISTLE.
AND I WASN'T SURE WHY SHE GAVE ME THIS WHISTLE WHICH I LOVE AND
I THINK OF HER WHEN I HAVE IT.
BUT SHE GAVE IT TO ME BECAUSE WE HAD A CONNECTION.
LIKE ME, SHE LOST HER FATHER IN A PLANE CRASH WHEN SHE WAS 10
YEARS OLD.
AND SHE LOST HER SON NAY HELICOPTER CRASH.
AND SHE WANTED ME TO KNOW, UNLIKE A PLANE, HELICOPTERS
DON'T HAVE BLACK BOXES.
AND WHEN A HELICOPTER GOES DOWN, WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHY IT
DID.
IT HAS TO BE INVESTIGATE ONLY AT THE CRASH SITE.
NOW, IN THE CRASH THAT KILLED MY FATHER AND MY BROTHERS, WHICH
WAS FLIGHT 212, EASTERN AIRLINES, SEPTEMBER 11, 1974, WE
HAD A FLIGHT RECORDER.
AND BECAUSE INVESTIGATORS KNEW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT COCKPIT,
NEW RULES WERE CREATED TO SAVE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES.
IT'S CALLED THE "STERILE COCKPIT RULE," SO FLIGHT SAFETY COULD BE
IMPROVED.
AND I THINK IT'S CRAZY THAT HELICOPTERS DON'T HAVE BLACK BOX
RECORDERS, BECAUSE AS CHOPPER EXPLAINED TO ME, WHEN A
HELICOPTER GOES DOWN, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THE
HELICOPTER.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THE FLYING OF THE PILOT SO THIS
WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
AND I HOPE THAT... WELL, NOTHING WILL POSSIBLY IMPROVE THIS
TRAGEDY, WHILE NOTHING WILL TAKE AWAY THIS HEARTACHE AND THIS
PAIN FROM THIS FAMILY THAT WILL BE LIVING WITH IT FOR THE REST
OF THEIR LIVES, AND ALL THESE PEOPLE'S FAMILIES WHO WILL BE
LIVING WITH A HEARTBREAK AND IN THE NEED OF LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR
THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, FOR A PAIN THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY,
THAT PERHAPS SOMEONE COULD TAKE ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE
ARE SOME WAYS TO RECORD WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE HELICOPTERS,
SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS OFTEN.
CHOPPY HAS ONE.
SHE HAS A NONPROFIT THAT CREATED ONE CALLED "EYE IN THE SKY.
THAT.
MIGHT BE A GOOD ANSWER.
THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE OUT THERE.
BUT TO DO NOTHING AFTER HELICOPTERS GO DOWN LIKE THIS,
AND WE LOSE GREATS LIKE THIS, OR WE LOSE ANY PERSON WHOSE FAMILY
IS NOW IN AGONY AND IN IGNORANCE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR LOVED
ONE, I THINK IS UNCONSCIONABLE.
SO I HOPE THE N.T.S.B. WILL DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE THE
CONDITIONS FOR HELICOPTER PILOTS AND THE INFORMATION THEY CAN GET
IF A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS HAPPENS.
BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE NOW IN MISERY.
WHY CONFOUND THEIR MISERY ABOUT MYSTERY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO
THEIR LOVED ONES.
IT'S BETTER TO KNOW THAN TO NOT TO KNOW BECAUSE IF WE KNOW, WE
COULD POSSIBLY STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THE
FUTURE.
AND PERSONALLY, I WANT TO SEND MY LOVE AND MY PRAYERS TO KOBE'S
FAMILY AND TO ALL THESE FAMILIES, AND KNOW THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS GRIEF.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.