SC Documentary "Continuing the Legacy of Kobe Bryant" (2024), contributed by Logan Ip (2025)
This short documentary by ESPN presents the tragic story of the death of Payton and Sarah Chester, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, and the others in their helicopter crash.
On January 26, 2020, several members of the Mambacitas, a youth AAU girls’ basketball team coached by Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The news was devastating and I still remember the day. It was a foggy morning with very little visibility, and when the news broke I was in shock and disbelief. Instantly, my social media feed was covered with memories of Kobe, videos portraying individuals’ grief, and breaking news posts. Kobe Bryant being one of the most beloved basketball players of all time, the sports world grieved over this shocking news. The Los Angeles Lakers hosted a special night honoring Kobe for their first game back after his death and ESPN broadcast Kobe’s funeral hosted at Staples Center, where key figures of the game and his life came and spoke, such as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. Everything seemed as though it revolved around Kobe, while the other victims of the crash were not celebrated as much.
I grew up playing lacrosse with the two Chester boys and would always go over to their home after practice or games. The sudden event was shocking and the lingering memories of the day still flash from time to time. The death of Payton and Sarah was overshadowed by the loss of Kobe Bryant in the public arena, but at a community level people grieved in their own intimate ways that the public was not able to see.
The scene at 7:26 of the documentary shows a beautiful remembrance of the ones who were lost in the crash. It shows how loss can be a moment to celebrate and catch up with those who have left us—to gather with our loved ones and remember how much those who have passed mean to us.