On Sunday, 41-year-old NBA legend Kobe Bryant tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in California. He was a five-time NBA champion. https://t.co/LPxx7t2rTq
Kobe's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, and seven others were also killed in the crash. They were on their way to a girls basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy.
Teenage girls and their family members, beloved coaches, and a pilot. These were some of the victims of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant. https://t.co/0Mfbqmqrds
And, in a now-viral TikTok, user @rogermrojas shared a clip of Kobe explaining why he chose to regularly fly via helicopter: So he could spend more time with his family.
The video clip currently has more than 2.3 million views.
The TikTok clip is from a 2018 interview Kobe did with Barstool Sports' The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat. During the interview, Kobe said:
"...You know, after-school activities, all that fun stuff — even on weekends. But, then, traffic started getting really, really bad. Right? And I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing, like, the school play because I was sitting in traffic. And these things kept mounting and I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft, but still not compromise family time. So, that's when I looked into helicopters...to be able to get down and back in 15 minutes, and that's when it started. The routine was always the same. Weights early in the morning, kids to school, fly down, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media, everything I needed to do, fly back, get back in the carpool line, and pick the kids up. And my wife was like, 'Listen, I can pick them up...' and I'm like, 'No, no, no, I want to do that,' because you know you have road trips and times where you don't see your kids, you know? So, like, every chance I get to see them and spend time with them — even if it's 20 minutes in the car — like, I want that."
The TikTok was also shared on Twitter, where it now has more than 5.5 million views.
The story behind why Kobe flew in a private helicopters in LA 💔
People are admiring Kobe for being such a dedicated father.
@TazerBlack @CastlesWay True definition of Dedication. Kobe didn’t utilize the ‘free pass’ he could’ve used to excuse his absence in his children’s lives. He implemented a strategy with his wife to make sure he fulfilled his obligations as a father. This just makes it even harder to accept what happened
And their hearts were breaking after his life was taken too soon.
@TazerBlack He died right when he was starting to live his life as a dad and watching his kids grow and that’s what hurts the most
Even those who never followed basketball were truly devastated by the tragedy.
@BGeneus @TazerBlack Saw this come across as I was being my 13 year daughter back from her swim meet. I don’t even follow basketball... and I went into the men’s room and cried.
You can watch the full 2018 interview by The Corp below.
