Eagles Remember Kobe Bryant

The sports world came to a screeching and sorrowful halt on Sunday when news trickled out of Calabasas, Calif., that legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash around 10 a.m. west coast time.

Seven others also reportedly perished in the crash.

Born in Philadelphia to then-76ers player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, Kobe spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he transcended the sport that made him a star.

Tweets of condolences and memories came from players in all four major sports, including the NHL.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux tweeted: “I’ve always wanted to be like you. Not only as a player but also as a person. You represent everything that is great about sports. #RIPKobe”

Even President Barack Obama tweeted a message: “Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”

Kobe Bryant is gone but not forgotten.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories ❤️ pic.twitter.com/z409cgfpz0
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 27, 2020

In 2018, two years after he had retired, Kobe won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his movie title, “Dear Basketball: The Legend of Kobe Bryant.”

Prior to the NFL’s Pro Bowl game on Sunday afternoon, there was a moment of silence, during which chants of “Kobe, Kobe” broke out.

The Grammy's also paid tribute throughout their ceremony to Kobe.

Kobe never forgot where he came from. He played high school ball just outside the city limits, at Lower Merion in Ardmore, and was a man playing among boys, leading the Aces to a state championship in 1996 then turned pro.

He was 17 when he was drafted with the 13 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Never did Kobe abandon the team he loved growing up – the Philadelphia Eagles.

No doubt Kobe would have been delighted by the 60-yard touchdown run by Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox after taking a lateral from an NFC teammate during the Pro Bowl.

In an excellent excerpt from the book “Underdogs: The Philadelphia Eagles’ Emotional Road to Super Bowl Victory” by Eagles beat writer Zach Berman of The Athletic, Kobe paid a visit to the Eagles’ team hotel in Southern California on a 2017 road trip that brought them to Seattle then Los Angeles to play the Rams.

The Eagles never returned to Philly after playing the Seahawks one week and the Chargers the following week, choosing to stay on the west coast.

Head coach Doug Pederson brought in Kobe to talk to the team on the Friday before playing the Rams. Kobe entered the room wearing a green No. 8 jersey over a black T-shirt.

Berman wrote that Kobe spoke to the Eagles about his “Mamba Mentality,” which instructed the team to have a killer mentality and make the opponent wish they had become an accountant instead of professional football player.

Berman quoted Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks about that visit: “To hear the Mamba Mentality in real life was crazy. To be in the presence of one of the greatest to ever play the sport, it was just incredible.”

Kobe Bryant came to the Eagles’ team hotel in S. California in 2017 to speak to the team.

The players were awestruck that day in a way you seldom see from professional athletes: pic.twitter.com/59ZrrODPwO
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) January 26, 2020

The Eagles released a statement on Kobe’s passing:

“The Eagles are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. He was a champion for the ages, a fearless competitor, and an outstanding ambassador for the city. Our hearts go out to all of today’s victims and their families.”

When the Eagles won the Super Bowl later that season, Kobe's wife, Vanessa, posted a video of him euphorically celebrating the victory while holding his daughter, Bianka.

Several Eagles players Tweeted their reaction to the sudden and tragic passing of a legend.

Cornerback Sidney Jones, in all capital letters: “MY FAVORITE ATHLETE EVER MAN…MY INSPIRATION!!! I AM SICK RIGHT NOW!!! I CANT EVEN EXPRESS IT…SO HEARTBROKEN”

Safety Rodney McLeod: “There will never be another like you. R.I.P. Kobe #MambaMentality"

Running back Jordam Howard: “The impact you had on many lives can never be measured. RIP Black Mamba (with an image of a snake) 24.8. Prayers for your family and the families of the others who lost their lives as well”