LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS THAT
COULD TAKE WEEKS MAYBE MORE.
TONIGHT ALONG WITH MANY OF
YOU OUR HEARTS ARE STILL
BREAKING OVER THE SUDDEN LOSS
OF LEGEND KOB E BRYANT AND HIS
DAUGHTER GIGI AND THE OTHERS
THAT WERE ON BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I
DIDN'T THINK IT WAS REAL AT
FIRST.
I WAS THINKING IT HAS TO BE A
HOAX.
THIS HAS TO BE A HOAX.
KOBE HIS DAUGHTER AND SEVEN
OTHERS WERE HEADED TO KOBE'S
MAMBA SPORTS ACADEMY.
THE HELICOPTER CRASHED SEVEN
MINUTES LATER IN THE HILLS OF
CALABASAS NORTH OF L. A. THERE
WAS A LOT OF FOG THERE AT THE
TIME.
L.A.P.D.
HAD GROUNDED ALL THEIR
HELICOPTERS BECAUSE OF IT.
BUT ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL THE PILOT OF KOBE'S
HELICOPTER DID GET A SPECIAL
CLEARANCE TO FLY IN WHAT THEY
CALL A LESS THAN WORSE OR WORSE
THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS.
NOW ABC NEWS IS REPORTING THERE
WAS AN UNUSUAL RAPID LOSS OF
ALTITUDE AND A QUICK SPEED
INCREASE.
WE'RE COVERING THE WRECKAGE.
IT COULD TAKE DAYS BECAUSE IT'S
ON THAT HILLSIDE.
LOOK AT THAT CROWD.
THOUSANDS OF FANS HONORING THE
BASKETBALL LEGEND AT THE HOME
OF THE L.A.
LAKERS.
THE TEAM KOBE PLAYED FOR FOR
HIS ENTIRE 20 YEAR NBA CAREER.
WHAT SOME MIGHT NOT REMEMBER IS
KOBE WAS FIRST DRAFTED BY THE
CHARLOTTE HORNETS.
WITH THE 13th PICK IN THE
1996 NBA DRAFT, THE CHARLOTTE
HORNETS SELECT KOBE BRYANT FROM
LOWER MARION HIGH SCHOOL IN
PENNSYLVANIA.
Reporter: WELL RIGHT OUT OF
HIGH SCHOOL.
AND CHANNEL 9'S ANCHOR MATT
HARRIS IS LIVE INSIDE THE
SPECTRUM CENTER WHERE THE
HORNETS ARE PAYING THEIR OWN
TRIBUTE TO HIM.
MATT.
Reporter: YEAH ERICA THERE
WAS A SOMBER MOOD AT HORNETS
PRACTICE TODAY.
PLAYERS SAID THEY STARTED JUST
BY TALKING.
SHARING MEMORIES OR PERSONAL
EXPERIENCES THAT THEY HAD WITH
KOBE BRYANT.
AN ICON, A LEGEND.
MARVIN WILLIAMS IS THE OLDEST
PLAYER ON THIS HORNETS ROSTER
AND HE OFFERED THIS ON KOBE.
YOU KNOW HE WAS A HERO TO
ALL OF US.
ESPECIALLY MY GENERATION.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT
MICHAEL JORDAN WAS.
I THINK KOBE IS THE CLOSEST
THING TO JORDAN WE WILL EVER
SEE.
I THINK ALL OF US AT SOME
POINT COMPETED AGAINST HIM, YOU
WERE HIS PEER OR SOMEONE
YOUNGER THAN HIM WATCHING HIM,
ALL OF US TOOK SOMETHING FROM
PHEUPL.
WHETHER IT WAS A MOVE OR HIS
WORK ETHIC.
Reporter: LIKE 21-YEAR-OLD
MILES BRIDGES WHO RECALLS FIRST
MEETING KOBE AT A BASKET BALE ,
BASKETBALL CAMP WHEN HE WAS 16.
ONCE KOBE WALKED INTO THE
GYM, EVERYBODY JUST WATCHED
HIM.
JUST FROZE, OH THAT'S KOBE.
IT WAS GREAT FOR ME TO BE
ABLE TO MEET HIM.
IT'S A TOUGH LOSS FOR THE NBA
AND THE WORLD.
Reporter: NOT JUST BECAUSE
OF WHAT KOBE MEANT TO THE
BASKETBALL WORLD.
IT HURTS ME THE MOST BECAUSE
OF THE FATHER HE WAS.
Reporter: YOU GOT THE SENSE
TALKING TO PLAYERS THEY WERE
STILL GRIEVING AND TRING TO,
TRYING TO PROCESS THE LOSS.
NICK BATHUNE TELLS US THEY'RE
STILL DECIDING HOW TO HONOR
KOBE BRYANT AT THE NEXT GAME.
IT'S STILL TAKING A LOT OF
TIME TO SINK IN.
ON AND OFF THE COURT THE 41-
YEAR-OLD WASN'T JUST A
BASKETBALL STAR BUT HE REALLY
AN INSPIRATION TO MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE.
JUST STARTING THAT
RETIREMENT PHASE OF LIFE AT
SUCH A YOUNG AGE.
HE WAS JUST 17 YEARS OLD WHEN
HE WAS DRAFT INTO THE LEAGUE.
A YOUNG MAN.
I DECIDED TO GO TO THE NBA.
AND IT PAID OFF.
TWICE NAMED FINALS MVP.
NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
THIS IDEA?
CHANGING THE NBA LOGO TO AN
IMAGINE OF KOBE BRYANT.
SOME HAVE STARTED THE PETITION
ASKING THE NBA TO REPLACE THE
IMAGINE YOU SEE THERE TO THE
SILHOUETTE OF KOBE BRYANT.
SOME HAVE ASKED TO CHANGE THE