Koby Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant, ah professional basketball player, won 5 NBA championships and was an 18 time All-Star among numerous other awards. The youngest of three children and the only son, his father and uncle played professional basketball. Kobe and his family moved to Italy for 6 years so his father could continue his basketball career overseas. After moving back to the U.S., Kobe Bryant quickly became a standout basketball player who was drafted directly from high school. During his 20 year career with the L.A. Lakers, he led the team to 5 NBA championships. In 2006 he scored an amazing 81 points in a single game. Raised a Catholic, Bryant maintained his Christian faith throughout his life, crediting the conversations with a priest, for helping him navigate life's challenges, especially during the 2003 sexual assault accusation, which were eventually dismissed. He later stated: “You can know it all you want, but until you have to pick up that cross that you can’t carry and he picks it up for you and carries you and the cross, then you know". Bryant and his family were regular attendees at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, California. In January 2020, Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. While they had no idea what tragedy lay ahead, as Christians Kobe and his daughter Gianna were well prepared for this unplanned event in their lives.