latimes--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant fans and Grammy attendees mourn together at Staples Center

They arrived in glitzy gold gowns and tailored tuxedos , silk suits and cheetah-patterned stilettos that would pop on the red carpet .
But they were outnumbered by fans dressed in purple and yellow and white jerseys with the numbers 8 and 24 across their chests and his name — BRYANT — emblazoned across their backs .
As the sun set Sunday , a surreal scene unfolded outside Staples Center , where celebrities who had gathered for the 62nd Grammy Awards mourned alongside devastated fans who flocked to the arena where Lakers legend Kobe Bryant — who died in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jerseys hanging from the rafters .
During a dress rehearsal for the Grammys , people had started to whisper and check their phones .
Did you see the news , they asked one another .
It ’ s Kobe .
TMZ is saying he ’ s dead .
Ariana Grande was finishing a practice run of her lavish performance and Billie Eilish was getting ready to perform an acoustic song with her brother as a deep sadness settled over the arena .
Before long , it was certain : Bryant and his 13-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people had died in the crash in Calabasas when their helicopter went down in heavy fog .
Crews went up into the massive arena ’ s rafters and rearranged Bryant ’ s two retired jerseys — No .
8 and No .
24 — putting them side by side and illuminating them with a floodlight .
Reporters dressed in sequined gowns , who had come to Staples to cover the Grammys , rushed outside to interview fans , who were crying , clapping and chanting .
Before long , an elaborate memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Purple candles and a worn basketball .
A pair of yellow sneakers and a poster board with Bryant ’ s picture and a pair of angel wings .
A bouquet of white and purple daisies with a ribbon reading “ KOBE WE LOVE YOU R.I.P.
” A poster with a child ’ s handwriting in Sharpie .
“ Mamba Lives 24 Forever , ” another sign said , using Bryant ’ s nickname .
Across from Staples Center at L.A. Live , a photo of Bryant beamed down from a Jumbotron screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the message : “ In Loving Memory of Kobe Bryant 1978-2020.
” A family of five ate in silence as two boys stared at a phone , watching old highlights of Bryant on the court .
Monty Brianton , 54 , glanced at the growing memorial and wiped tears from his eyes .
He was headed into work at the Grammy event later , Brianton said , but first he wanted to take a moment to remember Bryant and mourn him .
Moments later , a group of people headed into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pictures , as if oblivious to the grieving masses .
One group of fans turned to look at people dressed for the Grammys and started to chant , “ Kobe !
Kobe !
Kobe !
” Some wanted to go into the arena , if only to stare up at the jerseys and walk the hardwood floors where Bryant and his teammates had won five NBA championships .
For many , though , it was enough to just be around other fans .
Herman Pech , 26 , said he showed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d worshiped as a child .
He dreamed of one day growing as tall as Bryant — at 6 foot 5 , he missed by an inch — and he spent hours in the backyard shooting hundreds of baskets .
If he had the same stop-at-nothing work ethic , he had told himself , then maybe he could be as good as Bryant .
“ He was first on the court and the last one off , ” he said .
When USC student Ryan Apfel heard the news , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He started sobbing and searching frantically for his Bryant jersey .
He threw it on and headed downtown .
“ I have to go down there , ” he thought .
“ I ’ m too restless .
I have to pay my respects.
” Growing up in L.A. , the city felt so big and spread out , Apfel said , but there was one thing that brought everyone together : the Lakers .
And above all , he said , it was Bryant .
He was like a mentor from afar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not just about basketball , ” he said .
“ This is a Kobe town.
” And many of the celebrities arriving for the event Sunday evening felt the same way .
“ Downtown right now , ” Chrissy Teigen tweeted , “ and nothing feels more unimportant than what we are doing today .
This is absolutely terrible .
Everyone is numb.
” On the red carpet , reporters often prefaced their questions by offering artists a quick congratulations on their nomination but then pivoted to another question : Did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began , Lizzo , who was nominated for eight awards , proclaimed that the show was for Bryant .
“ This whole week , ” she told the crowd , “ I ’ ve been lost in my problems , stressed out , and then in an instant , all of that can go away and your priorities really shift.
” “ We ’ re literally standing here , heartbroken , in the house that Kobe Bryant built , ” Keys said .
“ Right now , Kobe and his daughter Gianna and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost today are in our spirit , and our hearts and our prayers.
” Then , as Keys and Boyz II Men sang a tribute to Bryant , the spotlight shifted inside the arena until it stopped in the rafters .
His two jerseys , side by side .
Times staff writers Steve Saldivar and Jack Harris contributed to this report .

Ruben Vives, Gale Holland, Marisa Gerber, Chris Erskine

Fans gather around a makeshift memorial outside Staples Center to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant on Sunday.
They arrived in glitzy gold gowns and tailored tuxedos, silk suits and cheetah-patterned stilettos that would pop on the red carpet.
But they were outnumbered by fans dressed in purple and yellow and white jerseys with the numbers 8 and 24 across their chests and his name — BRYANT — emblazoned across their backs.
As the sun set Sunday, a surreal scene unfolded outside Staples Center, where celebrities who had gathered for the 62nd Grammy Awards mourned alongside devastated fans who flocked to the arena where Lakers legend Kobe Bryant — who died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning — has two jerseys hanging from the rafters.
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During a dress rehearsal for the Grammys, people had started to whisper and check their phones. Did you see the news, they asked one another. It’s Kobe. TMZ is saying he’s dead.
Ariana Grande was finishing a practice run of her lavish performance and Billie Eilish was getting ready to perform an acoustic song with her brother as a deep sadness settled over the arena.
Before long, it was certain: Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, along with seven other people had died in the crash in Calabasas when their helicopter went down in heavy fog.
Crews went up into the massive arena’s rafters and rearranged Bryant’s two retired jerseys — No. 8 and No. 24 — putting them side by side and illuminating them with a floodlight. Reporters dressed in sequined gowns, who had come to Staples to cover the Grammys, rushed outside to interview fans, who were crying, clapping and chanting.
“Thank you, Kobe!”
“We love you, Kobe!”
“MVP!”
Before long, an elaborate memorial had spread across the concrete around Staples: Purple candles and a worn basketball. A pair of yellow sneakers and a poster board with Bryant’s picture and a pair of angel wings. A bouquet of white and purple daisies with a ribbon reading “KOBE WE LOVE YOU R.I.P.” A poster with a child’s handwriting in Sharpie.
“I will miss u FOREVER,” it read.
“Mamba Lives 24 Forever,” another sign said, using Bryant’s nickname.
Across from Staples Center at L.A. Live, a photo of Bryant beamed down from a Jumbotron screen and fans sobbed as they looked up at the message: “In Loving Memory of Kobe Bryant 1978-2020.” A family of five ate in silence as two boys stared at a phone, watching old highlights of Bryant on the court.
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Monty Brianton, 54, glanced at the growing memorial and wiped tears from his eyes. He was headed into work at the Grammy event later, Brianton said, but first he wanted to take a moment to remember Bryant and mourn him.
Moments later, a group of people headed into the Grammys, laughing, cheering and posing for pictures, as if oblivious to the grieving masses.
One group of fans turned to look at people dressed for the Grammys and started to chant, “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” Some wanted to go into the arena, if only to stare up at the jerseys and walk the hardwood floors where Bryant and his teammates had won five NBA championships.
“We deserve to be inside!” a fan yelled.
For many, though, it was enough to just be around other fans.
Herman Pech, 26, said he showed up outside the arena to honor the man he’d worshiped as a child. He dreamed of one day growing as tall as Bryant — at 6 foot 5, he missed by an inch — and he spent hours in the backyard shooting hundreds of baskets. If he had the same stop-at-nothing work ethic, he had told himself, then maybe he could be as good as Bryant.
“He was first on the court and the last one off,” he said.
When USC student Ryan Apfel heard the news, he was sitting alone in his apartment. He started sobbing and searching frantically for his Bryant jersey. He threw it on and headed downtown.
“I have to go down there,” he thought. “I’m too restless. I have to pay my respects.”
Growing up in L.A., the city felt so big and spread out, Apfel said, but there was one thing that brought everyone together: the Lakers. And above all, he said, it was Bryant. He was like a mentor from afar for a whole city.
“It’s not just about basketball,” he said. “This is a Kobe town.”
And many of the celebrities arriving for the event Sunday evening felt the same way.
“Downtown right now,” Chrissy Teigen tweeted, “and nothing feels more unimportant than what we are doing today. This is absolutely terrible. Everyone is numb.”
On the red carpet, reporters often prefaced their questions by offering artists a quick congratulations on their nomination but then pivoted to another question: Did you know Bryant?
When the Grammys began, Lizzo, who was nominated for eight awards, proclaimed that the show was for Bryant.
“This whole week,” she told the crowd, “I’ve been lost in my problems, stressed out, and then in an instant, all of that can go away and your priorities really shift.”
Host Alicia Keys also offered a somber tribute.
“We’re literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” Keys said. “Right now, Kobe and his daughter Gianna and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit, and our hearts and our prayers.”
Then, as Keys and Boyz II Men sang a tribute to Bryant, the spotlight shifted inside the arena until it stopped in the rafters.
His two jerseys, side by side.
Times staff writers Steve Saldivar and Jack Harris contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant's death in helicopter crash prompts worldwide mourning

Helicopter rotors chopped through the foggy canyon Sunday morning , too loud , too low .
Scott Daehlin was taking a smoke break while setting up the sound at his church in Calabasas .
It was 9:44 a.m .
He tracked the sound in the sky toward an empty hill across Las Virgenes Road .
The helicopter hit the slope in a violent crush of metal , followed by the boom of an explosion that reverberated across the canyon — and soon enough , around the world .
Kobe Bryant , one of the greatest basketball players of all time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star who mesmerized Los Angeles for his 20 legendary years as a Laker — was killed in the wreckage at age 41 .
His 13-year-old daughter , Gianna , died alongside him , as did seven others — everyone on board .
Bryant appears to have been headed to Thousand Oaks to coach his daughter ’ s basketball team in a travel tournament .
He leaves behind his wife , Vanessa , and three daughters — Natalia , 17 , Bianka , 3 , and Capri , seven months .
Officials did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Orange Coast College confirmed that its baseball coach , John Altobelli , his wife , Keri , and daughter , Alyssa , were among them .
Christina Mauser , an assistant coach of a girls basketball team at the Mamba Sports Academy , also died , her husband said on Facebook .
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said firefighters responding to a 911 call at 9:47 a.m. found a debris field in steep terrain amid a quarter-acre brush fire .
Paramedics arriving by helicopter searched the area but found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes in Newport Beach and Los Angeles , was known to keep a chartered helicopter at Orange County ’ s John Wayne Airport .
A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter , built in 1991 , departed John Wayne at 9:06 a.m. Sunday , according to publicly available flight records .
The National Transportation Safety Board database shows no prior incidents or accidents for the mid-size helicopter .
Around the city and far beyond , people gasped and struggled to accept the news .
Friends texted friends : Are you OK ?
They cried in bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf courses and basketball courts .
Restaurants closed Sunday night to honor his memory , and people placed basketballs outside their front doors , like flags at half staff .
“ Did you hear ?
” a cashier at the Trader Joe ’ s in the Fairfax district asked quietly to another staffer just after noon on Sunday .
“ Yeah , but is it for real ?
” the other man replied .
Shoppers came to a halt in the aisles , staring gravely at their smartphones as news alerts pinged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shopper spoke aloud to himself .
At an East Hollywood Metro station , a man wearing earphones watched a YouTube video on his phone — “ Kobe Bryant ’ s TOP 40 Plays of His NBA Career !
” Two other men walked up behind him to see .
He nodded and unplugged his earphones so everyone could hear the audio .
They watched in silence , as a clip of Bryant , in his Laker purple , jumping toward the backboard and dunking in his own missed shot .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man said .
Many fans drifted toward Staples Center , even as final preparations were underway inside for Sunday night ’ s Grammy Awards .
They formed a makeshift memorial .
On it , Sam Krutonog , 19 , of Studio City , placed a painting of Bryant he bought when he was 13 and had hung in his bedroom .
“ This is a day I ’ ll never forget … It ’ s bigger than basketball .
I called my grandpa .
My grandpa is 82 and just had two heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone .
It ’ s just so terrible , ” Krutonog said .
Giselle Mejia , 33 , placed her hand over her mouth , her face red and eyes watery .
She was thinking of his family .
They had lost a father and sister .
“ That hits home — I have a daughter , ” she said .
Mejia was having breakfast with her friend Marcela Vasquez , 33 .
They grew up together playing basketball and watching Bryant , seeing him as a role model .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Vasquez said .
“ He was so inspiring.
” Mejia even took on the nickname “ Kobe.
” “ I still have her name saved on my phone as Kobe , ” Vasquez said .
Around the world , political leaders , athletes and celebrities registered their grief and condolences on social media : Presidents Obama and Trump , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Kareem Abdul Jabbar , Trevor Noah and Tom Brady , among many .
“ Kobe Bryant , despite being one of the truly great basketball players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started in life , ” Trump wrote .
“ He loved his family so much , and had such strong passion for the future .
The loss of his beautiful daughter , Gianna , makes this moment even more devastating.
” “ Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired , amazed , and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father , husband , creative genius , and ambassador for the game he loved , ” Mayor Eric Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles , and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes.
” Those who knew him best grappled with how to express the shock of the loss .
“ To have been such , particularly when he was young , to be a part of his life and to watch his career grow , watch him grow , this is one of the most tragic days of my life , ” Jerry West , who as general manager of the Lakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Times .
“ I know somewhere along the way I guess I ’ ll come to grips with it .
...
This is going to take a long time for me.
” Magic Johnson told KCBS ’ s Jim Hill : “ It ’ s just amazing that we were blessed to have a chance to know him , but also to see him play .
But to me , his greatest joy was really after basketball , was being a husband and a father and being a coach of his daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city needs heroes , Jim .
We need our heroes to be here .
And this is not a good day for the city of Los Angeles because we needed Kobe to still be around our kids who idolized him , the fan base who idolized him.
” Shaquille O ’ Neal , who led the Lakers to three championships with Bryant , tweeted that he was “ SICK.
” “ There ’ s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of [ losing ] my neice Gigi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ u and u will be missed.
” With Bryant as shooting guard and O ’ Neal as center , the Lakers won three consecutive NBA championships — in 2000 , 2001 and 2002 .
But he bickered with O ’ Neal , who was ultimately traded , possibly costing the team additional titles .
He still racked up records , and scored 81 points against Toronto on Jan. 22 , 2006 — second in NBA history only to the 100 scored by Wilt Chamberlain in a 1962 game .
The Lakers returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team to championships that year and the next and securing his legacy as one of the sport ’ s best ever .
He won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 .
He was an All-Star 18 times , second most in NBA history , and was the fourth highest all-time scorer with 33,643 points — surpassed for third place the night before his death by LeBron James .
“ Continuing to move the game forward @ KingJames.
” Bryant wrote in his final tweet .
“ Much respect my brother.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28-year-old audio engineer , rode with his girlfriend downtown Sunday afternoon to watch the Atlanta Hawks play the Washington Wizards at the State Farm Arena .
“ Kobe was my idol growing up , ” he said .
“ I ’ m sick right now.
” Mitchell nearly didn ’ t go to the Hawks game .
But he imagined Bryant calling him soft , remembering his famous interactions with his Lakers teammate Dwight Howard .
“ He would have been , “ Dude , go to the game !
” So Mitchell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , put on his purple and gold jersey .
“ I had to represent somehow , ” he said , putting a hand to the Lakers logo on his chest as a stream of basketball fans in red filed past him .
Although Bryant ’ s exact destination was not released , he was scheduled to coach a tournament game in Thousand Oaks at the Mamba Sports Academy , which bears his nickname .
Anthony Nolen , a boys coach from Victorville , said he saw Bryant coach a girls game on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , ” Nolen said .
“ Kobe being Kobe , he wasn ’ t screaming at the refs , he wasn ’ t screaming at the players .
He was poised .
Him being down by 10 , he was upset but as usual , he gave the other coach a Kobe stare to ensure him , you could beat me now as a team but not one on one.
” The tournament was canceled upon the news of Bryant ’ s death .
“ There were no players that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bryant ’ s death also cast a pall over preparations for the Grammys .
Crews worked quickly to place Bryant ’ s rafter jerseys — Nos .
8 and 24 — side by side , illuminated by floodlights .
News of the crash dominated the rehearsal .
Ariana Grande had just finished a lavish performance , and Billie Eilish was about to perform an acoustic song with her brother .
But all eyes were on the jerseys at the other end of the floor , as staff and observers watched in disbelief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceremony , host Alicia Keys spoke about Bryant : “ We ’ re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today Los Angeles , America and the whole wide world lost a hero .
And we ’ re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.
” Bryant ’ s fame and popularity spanned many cultures and locales — from Los Angeles to Italy , where he grew up , to Philadelphia , where he went to high school , to China , where he was beloved .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Kobe dies ” shot to the top of trending posts , along with a hashtag “ Can we restart 2020 ?
” Many combined posts mourning Bryant ’ s death with grief about the growing Wuhan coronavirus epidemic .
The hashtag “ eternal 4 a.m. ” went viral , reflecting the time when news of the death came out in China as well as Bryant ’ s famed predawn workouts .
He once answered a reporters here about the secret of his success : “ Have you ever seen Los Angeles at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve never seen Los Angeles at 4 a.m. , but I heard the news of your death at 4 a.m. , ” thousands of fans posted , many adding stories of staying up crying all night .
The Lakers were the first NBA team to broadcast in Korean , in 2013 , prompting crowds in Seoul and Los Angeles to swarm karaoke bars and restaurants to catch Kobe in action — and to learn more about the sport through the intimacy of their native language .
“ He ’ s one of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” recalled Alex Kim , 47 , a public relations executive in L.A. “ The fact that the team participated in outreach to our community only made them more popular.
” Jesse Hiram , spinning rock en español hits Sunday at a restaurant in downtown Santa Ana , said he was “ devastated.
” “ Kobe represented the Southland and brought such positivity to us , ” Hiram said .
Hiram said he worked for a couple of months as a security guard at Bryant ’ s gated community in Newport Coast in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were sad or bored , so Kobe would usually bring us Jack-in-the-Box tacos , or leave us big tips .
He was just so nice.
” At El Camino Real in Fullerton , the staff was “ really sad , ” said manager Rodolfo Garcia .
Bryant patronized the Mexican restaurant for 20 years , a favorite of his and of his wife , a Fullerton native .
If he couldn ’ t come in person , Bryant would have friends get big orders to take back to his Newport Coast mansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flan , ” Garcia said .
“ He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person .
Kobe would just stand in line , like anyone else .
He ’ d tell us , ‘ Don ’ t treat me like a star ; I ’ m just a customer here.
’ ” Ryan Apfel , a USC student from Redondo Beach , broke down crying in his apartment .
He put on his Kobe jersey , thought to himself , I have to pay my respects , and went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in LA , it ’ s such a big diverse spread out city .
One of the things that I realized growing up here that brought us together was the Lakers and Kobe , ” Apfel said .
“ Even after he retired , this is a Kobe town.
” In Redondo Beach , Al Beck stood at the busy intersection of Grant Avenue and Aviation Boulevard , holding a neon-orange sign with one word he had written in black marker : “ KOBE.
” Beck stands on the corner often , normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at him .
On Sunday , he said , pausing for several seconds to choke back tears , ” It ’ s been nothing but good vibes.
” Beck was watching golf Sunday morning and flipped over to the news to check for the latest on President Trump ’ s impeachment trial when Bryant had died .
He immediately covered up his political sign with the “ KOBE ” sign and rushed to the street corner .
Beck , originally from Philadelphia just like Bryant , initially didn ’ t like watching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was too big of a ball hog .
It took Beck a few years to realize that was part of Bryant ’ s brilliance on the court .
“ I don ’ t care what anybody says .
If anybody ’ s got the ball , it ’ s going to be him .
… He knew he had the ability to score whenever it was needed.
” Beck said he still couldn ’ t believe he would never watch Bryant play again .
He was inspired by the amount of work Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , no one will ever replicate .
Times staff writers Sonali Kohli , Jenny Jarvie , Broderick Turner , Tania Ganguli , Gale Holland , Joel Rubin , Dan Woike , Matthew Ormseth , Ruben Vives , Max Lu , Alice Su , Anh Do , Luke Money , Hailey Branson-Potts , Brittny Mejia , Cindy Carcamo , Hillary Davis , Mike DiGiovanna , David Carrillo , Eric Sondheimer , Nathan Fenno , Phil Willon , Emmanuel Morgan , Priscella Vega , Patrick McDonnell , Ben Poston , Seema Mehta , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arellano , Erin B. Logan , Marisa Gerber , Molly O ’ Toole and special correspondent Tom Kington contributed to this report .

Richard Winton, Jack Harris, Joe Mozingo

Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 Lakers jerseys hang in the rafters at Staples Center during preparations for the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather at a makeshift memorial outside Staples Center to mourn Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Fans post sticky notes paying tribute to Kobe Bryant on a mural of the former NBA superstar outside Shoe Palace on Melrose Avenue in L.A. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Large Kobe Bryant memorial signs are illuminated at L.A. Live as fans Aldo Luna and his son Ethan of Pomona gather with others paying their respects outside Staples Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Jianing Zhang, right, and his girlfriend Cathy Xiao gather with others near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Amanda Gordon and her husband, Philip, mourn the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant near the site of a helicopter crash Calabasas that claimed the lives of the Lakers legend, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
People gather on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas near the site of a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Bryant Hirshman is hugged by his father, Craig, and mother, Elena, near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
A screen at L.A. Live on Sunday displays an image of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Fans stand near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Naima Smith, 37, center, and other fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Fans stand near a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Naima Smith, 37, lays flowers at a makeshift memorial during a vigil for Kobe Bryant in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Mourners gather at the corner of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas near the site of the helicopter crash. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
A Lakers fan touches a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Naima Smith, 37, and Swania Hogue, 48, both of Los Angeles, mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
A man kisses the ground as Lakers fans gather at a memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A woman kneels at the makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Mourners huddle at L.A. Live, across from Staples Center, site of the home court of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Nancy Fernandez of Van Nuys lights a candle at a memorial for Kobe Bryant at De Anza Park in Calabasas on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
From left, Christopher Pena, 33, and his wife Lizbeth, 30, of Pacoima, mourn with Jose Gutierrez, 33, of La Puente, near the site of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Emergency responders cover remains at the site of the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday in Calabasas. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Fans gather outside Staples Center in Los Angeles to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant after news spread that Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Kinzo Beachem writes on the cement next to a makeshift memorial for former Lakers player Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live plaza in front of Staples Center. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
People pay tribute to Kobe Bryant outside the gated community in Newport Coast where his family lives. (Don Leach / Los Angeles Times)
Uziel Colon takes a photo of his wife, Maria Home, and daughter Lena with a mural created to honor Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The mural is by Art Gozukuchikyan on the side of VEM Exotic Rentals on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A couple pay their respects at a memorial at home plate in honor of Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, who perished with wife Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, in Sunday’s helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
The pilot was identified by colleagues as Ara Zobayan, 50, of Huntington Beach. (Bernadette McKeever)
The investigation continues Tuesday at the crash site in Calabasas where a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others crashed, killing all aboard. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Martin Yan, 35, of Diamond Bar stands beside of a mural depicting Kobe Bryant on Lebanon Street northeast of Staples Center. Fans are flocking to the area and having photos taken with the mural. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Fans (from left) Alex Fultz, Eddy Rivas and Rene Alfaro gather with others near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
A Lakers fan sobs at a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Helicopter rotors chopped through the foggy canyon Sunday morning, too loud, too low.
Scott Daehlin was taking a smoke break while setting up the sound at his church in Calabasas. It was 9:44 a.m. He tracked the sound in the sky toward an empty hill across Las Virgenes Road.
The helicopter hit the slope in a violent crush of metal, followed by the boom of an explosion that reverberated across the canyon — and soon enough, around the world.
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Emergency responders cover remains at the site of the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday in Calabasas. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time — a beloved, at times frustrating star who mesmerized Los Angeles for his 20 legendary years as a Laker — was killed in the wreckage at age 41.
His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died alongside him, as did seven others — everyone on board. Bryant appears to have been headed to Thousand Oaks to coach his daughter’s basketball team in a travel tournament. He leaves behind his wife, Vanessa, and three daughters — Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, seven months.
Officials did not release the names of the other victims, but Orange Coast College confirmed that its baseball coach, John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, were among them. Christina Mauser, an assistant coach of a girls basketball team at the Mamba Sports Academy, also died, her husband said on Facebook.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said firefighters responding to a 911 call at 9:47 a.m. found a debris field in steep terrain amid a quarter-acre brush fire. Paramedics arriving by helicopter searched the area but found no survivors.
Bryant, who had homes in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, was known to keep a chartered helicopter at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.
A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, built in 1991, departed John Wayne at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The National Transportation Safety Board database shows no prior incidents or accidents for the mid-size helicopter.
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People gather on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas near the scene of the deadly helicopter crash Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Around the city and far beyond, people gasped and struggled to accept the news. Friends texted friends: Are you OK? They cried in bars and churches, on street corners and golf courses and basketball courts. Restaurants closed Sunday night to honor his memory, and people placed basketballs outside their front doors, like flags at half staff.
“Did you hear?” a cashier at the Trader Joe’s in the Fairfax district asked quietly to another staffer just after noon on Sunday.
“Yeah, but is it for real?” the other man replied.
“Yeah, just confirmed. Unbelievable.”
Shoppers came to a halt in the aisles, staring gravely at their smartphones as news alerts pinged.
“He was the best,” a shopper spoke aloud to himself.
At an East Hollywood Metro station, a man wearing earphones watched a YouTube video on his phone — “Kobe Bryant’s TOP 40 Plays of His NBA Career!” Two other men walked up behind him to see. He nodded and unplugged his earphones so everyone could hear the audio.
Fans gather at a memorial for Kobe Bryant at De Anza Park in Calabasas on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
They watched in silence, as a clip of Bryant, in his Laker purple, jumping toward the backboard and dunking in his own missed shot. “The greatest who ever lived,” one man said.
Many fans drifted toward Staples Center, even as final preparations were underway inside for Sunday night’s Grammy Awards. They formed a makeshift memorial.
On it, Sam Krutonog, 19, of Studio City, placed a painting of Bryant he bought when he was 13 and had hung in his bedroom.
“This is a day I’ll never forget … It’s bigger than basketball. I called my grandpa. My grandpa is 82 and just had two heart attacks, and he was crying on the phone. It’s just so terrible,” Krutonog said.
Giselle Mejia, 33, placed her hand over her mouth, her face red and eyes watery. She was thinking of his family. They had lost a father and sister. “That hits home — I have a daughter,” she said.
Mejia was having breakfast with her friend Marcela Vasquez, 33. They grew up together playing basketball and watching Bryant, seeing him as a role model.
“It was his drive. His work ethic,” Vasquez said. “He was so inspiring.”
Mejia even took on the nickname “Kobe.”
“I still have her name saved on my phone as Kobe,” Vasquez said.
Around the world, political leaders, athletes and celebrities registered their grief and condolences on social media: Presidents Obama and Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Trevor Noah and Tom Brady, among many.
“Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life,” Trump wrote. “He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating.”
“Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired, amazed, and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father, husband, creative genius, and ambassador for the game he loved,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes.”
Those who knew him best grappled with how to express the shock of the loss.
“To have been such, particularly when he was young, to be a part of his life and to watch his career grow, watch him grow, this is one of the most tragic days of my life,” Jerry West, who as general manager of the Lakers first signed Bryant in 1996, told The Times. “I know somewhere along the way I guess I’ll come to grips with it. ... This is going to take a long time for me.”
Magic Johnson told KCBS’s Jim Hill: “It’s just amazing that we were blessed to have a chance to know him, but also to see him play. But to me, his greatest joy was really after basketball, was being a husband and a father and being a coach of his daughter’s basketball team.
“The city needs heroes, Jim. We need our heroes to be here. And this is not a good day for the city of Los Angeles because we needed Kobe to still be around our kids who idolized him, the fan base who idolized him.”
Shaquille O’Neal, who led the Lakers to three championships with Bryant, tweeted that he was “SICK.” “There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of [losing] my neice Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed.”
With Bryant as shooting guard and O’Neal as center, the Lakers won three consecutive NBA championships — in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
But he bickered with O’Neal, who was ultimately traded, possibly costing the team additional titles. He still racked up records, and scored 81 points against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006 — second in NBA history only to the 100 scored by Wilt Chamberlain in a 1962 game. The Lakers returned to form in 2009, with Bryant leading the team to championships that year and the next and securing his legacy as one of the sport’s best ever.
He won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. He was an All-Star 18 times, second most in NBA history, and was the fourth highest all-time scorer with 33,643 points — surpassed for third place the night before his death by LeBron James.
“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames.” Bryant wrote in his final tweet. “Much respect my brother.”
In Atlanta, Jay Mitchell, a 28-year-old audio engineer, rode with his girlfriend downtown Sunday afternoon to watch the Atlanta Hawks play the Washington Wizards at the State Farm Arena.
“Kobe was my idol growing up,” he said. “I’m sick right now.”
Mitchell nearly didn’t go to the Hawks game. But he imagined Bryant calling him soft, remembering his famous interactions with his Lakers teammate Dwight Howard.
“He would have been, “Dude, go to the game!”
So Mitchell, a Knicks fan from New York, put on his purple and gold jersey. “I had to represent somehow,” he said, putting a hand to the Lakers logo on his chest as a stream of basketball fans in red filed past him.
Although Bryant’s exact destination was not released, he was scheduled to coach a tournament game in Thousand Oaks at the Mamba Sports Academy, which bears his nickname.
Anthony Nolen, a boys coach from Victorville, said he saw Bryant coach a girls game on Saturday.
“They were down by 10 at the time,” Nolen said. “Kobe being Kobe, he wasn’t screaming at the refs, he wasn’t screaming at the players. He was poised. Him being down by 10, he was upset but as usual, he gave the other coach a Kobe stare to ensure him, you could beat me now as a team but not one on one.”
The tournament was canceled upon the news of Bryant’s death. “There were no players that wanted to continue,” Nolen said.
Bryant’s death also cast a pall over preparations for the Grammys.
Crews worked quickly to place Bryant’s rafter jerseys — Nos. 8 and 24 — side by side, illuminated by floodlights.
News of the crash dominated the rehearsal. Ariana Grande had just finished a lavish performance, and Billie Eilish was about to perform an acoustic song with her brother. But all eyes were on the jerseys at the other end of the floor, as staff and observers watched in disbelief.
Early in the evening’s ceremony, host Alicia Keys spoke about Bryant: “We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.”
Bryant’s fame and popularity spanned many cultures and locales — from Los Angeles to Italy, where he grew up, to Philadelphia, where he went to high school, to China, where he was beloved.
On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, “Kobe dies” shot to the top of trending posts, along with a hashtag “Can we restart 2020?” Many combined posts mourning Bryant’s death with grief about the growing Wuhan coronavirus epidemic.
The hashtag “eternal 4 a.m.” went viral, reflecting the time when news of the death came out in China as well as Bryant’s famed predawn workouts. He once answered a reporters here about the secret of his success: “Have you ever seen Los Angeles at 4 a.m.?”
“I’ve never seen Los Angeles at 4 a.m., but I heard the news of your death at 4 a.m.,” thousands of fans posted, many adding stories of staying up crying all night.
The Lakers were the first NBA team to broadcast in Korean, in 2013, prompting crowds in Seoul and Los Angeles to swarm karaoke bars and restaurants to catch Kobe in action — and to learn more about the sport through the intimacy of their native language.
“He’s one of these athletes that transcend race and nationality,” recalled Alex Kim, 47, a public relations executive in L.A. “The fact that the team participated in outreach to our community only made them more popular.”
Jesse Hiram, spinning rock en español hits Sunday at a restaurant in downtown Santa Ana, said he was “devastated.”
“Kobe represented the Southland and brought such positivity to us,” Hiram said.
Hiram said he worked for a couple of months as a security guard at Bryant’s gated community in Newport Coast in 2007. “He’d see we were sad or bored, so Kobe would usually bring us Jack-in-the-Box tacos, or leave us big tips. He was just so nice.”
At El Camino Real in Fullerton, the staff was “really sad,” said manager Rodolfo Garcia. Bryant patronized the Mexican restaurant for 20 years, a favorite of his and of his wife, a Fullerton native. If he couldn’t come in person, Bryant would have friends get big orders to take back to his Newport Coast mansion.
“He liked the carnitas and flan,” Garcia said. “He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person. Kobe would just stand in line, like anyone else. He’d tell us, ‘Don’t treat me like a star; I’m just a customer here.’”
Ryan Apfel, a USC student from Redondo Beach, broke down crying in his apartment. He put on his Kobe jersey, thought to himself, I have to pay my respects, and went to L.A. Live.
“Growing up in LA, it’s such a big diverse spread out city. One of the things that I realized growing up here that brought us together was the Lakers and Kobe,” Apfel said. “Even after he retired, this is a Kobe town.”
In Redondo Beach, Al Beck stood at the busy intersection of Grant Avenue and Aviation Boulevard, holding a neon-orange sign with one word he had written in black marker: “KOBE.”
Beck stands on the corner often, normally holding political signs. People often swear at him.
On Sunday, he said, pausing for several seconds to choke back tears, ”It’s been nothing but good vibes.”
Beck was watching golf Sunday morning and flipped over to the news to check for the latest on President Trump’s impeachment trial when Bryant had died. He immediately covered up his political sign with the “KOBE” sign and rushed to the street corner.
Beck, originally from Philadelphia just like Bryant, initially didn’t like watching the young basketball phenom play, thinking he was too big of a ball hog.
It took Beck a few years to realize that was part of Bryant’s brilliance on the court.
“I don’t care what anybody says. If anybody’s got the ball, it’s going to be him. … He knew he had the ability to score whenever it was needed.”
Beck said he still couldn’t believe he would never watch Bryant play again. He was inspired by the amount of work Bryant put into his game, which, he said, no one will ever replicate.
He wiped his eyes.
“Fly, Kobe, fly.”
Times staff writers Sonali Kohli, Jenny Jarvie, Broderick Turner, Tania Ganguli, Gale Holland, Joel Rubin, Dan Woike, Matthew Ormseth, Ruben Vives, Max Lu, Alice Su, Anh Do, Luke Money, Hailey Branson-Potts, Brittny Mejia, Cindy Carcamo, Hillary Davis, Mike DiGiovanna, David Carrillo, Eric Sondheimer, Nathan Fenno, Phil Willon, Emmanuel Morgan, Priscella Vega, Patrick McDonnell, Ben Poston, Seema Mehta, Dakota Smith, Chris Erskine, Gustavo Arellano, Erin B. Logan, Marisa Gerber, Molly O’Toole and special correspondent Tom Kington contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-27--What's tangling up the humpback whales? A food chain snarled by climate change

Karin Forney still remembers when an unusual number of humpback whales started showing up in Monterey Bay a few winters ago .
She could see them out her window — so close to the surf that kayakers could literally paddle up to them .
But with this delightful arrival came an alarming number of humpbacks getting entangled in fishing gear that cut into their flesh and often led to death .
This sudden crisis confounded scientists , fishermen and animal rights groups .
“ We went from virtually no humpback whale entanglements to one every other week — and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 ... we were basically on call every single day , ” said Forney , an applied marine ecologist at the NOAA Fisheries who scrambled to help the rescue efforts .
In a study published Monday , a team of scientists solved the mystery .
They showed how one dramatic shift in the marine ecosystem , exacerbated by an ever-warming planet , could topple a domino of problems across California .
An unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Ocean , dubbed “ the blob , ” had pushed anchovies and other humpback food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dungeness crab fishermen tend to set their gear .
The crab season , in turn , had been unusually delayed by the blob , so fishing did not peak until the whales started coming into town .
“ The timing of everything is so sensitive from an ecosystem perspective , ” said Jarrod Santora , lead author of the study and an ecosystem oceanographer with NOAA Fisheries and UC Santa Cruz .
“ We could have prevented this perfect storm from happening in 2016 — if we had this ecosystem science and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is already a complicated place to live , and it ’ s not getting easier .
Marine heat waves have doubled in frequency since 1982 , and recent reports declared that global ocean temperatures in 2019 were the warmest on record — a trend that has continued for the last decade .
The chemistry of the water itself is acidifying at alarming rates — the cost of relying on our oceans to absorb so much of the world ’ s heat and carbon emissions .
Following the blob , which took hold in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , scientists documented the largest toxic algae bloom in the West Coast .
Malnourished sea lions washed ashore , another study confirmed , and more than half a million seabirds starved to death — strewn across the coast from California to the Gulf of Alaska .
Monday ’ s study , published in the journal Nature Communications , brought together different scientists and data sources to piece together a bigger ecosystem picture in California .
Humpback whales eat both krill and anchovies , depending on what ’ s available .
Krill tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and well up with the typical currents along the California coast .
But during the blob years , there was very little krill for the whales to eat , and what few anchovies were available were being squeezed into areas closer to shore in what scientists call a habitat compression .
Humpbacks followed these clusters of anchovies to shallower and shallower waters , especially in Monterey , Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay .
The entanglements with fishing gear soared starting in 2014 and 2015 , but then in 2016 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blob ) kept the crab fishery shut until the first week of April — instead of its usual start date in mid-November .
This amplified the co-occurrence , as Santora calls it , of the whales being forced to feed in smaller concentrations closer to shore — right where the prime crab fishing areas tend to be .
By 2016 , there were more than 50 recorded entanglements , he said , “ and that is just astonishing.
” “ Historically , we always said : ‘ My , aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly from November through February , maybe March , and the whales are here from only March to November , ” said Forney , the NOAA researcher in Monterey Bay , who was also an author on the study .
But more and more fishermen , she said , are sticking with crab through June .
Salmon fishing , which many used to switch to around February , has become less reliable in this changing world .
John Mellor , who fishes mostly for crab out of San Francisco , said he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect all the marine life that makes California special .
“ I ’ ve been fishing for 40 years , and things changed so drastically starting about 2013 , 2014 … it was profound , ” he said .
“ Suddenly the water was 10 degrees hotter , the forage was disrupted and whale patterns were disrupted , and it caused this whole chain reaction.
” The industry — the most valuable fishery in California — has been taking this very seriously , he said .
“ People are using best practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slack rope or extra buoys on the surface.
” Tension was high in light of a recent lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity , which threatened to restrict crab fishing .
A conservation plan is now being developed to address these marine interconnections .
The crab fishermen are treading cautiously and decided to start this season a little later , Mellor said , because there were still whales popping up in San Francisco .
“ If we entangled even one or two , it could ’ ve resulted in the season being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profitable Thanksgiving rush and the most productive time to fish for crabs — when they ’ re just coming out of their molt .
But taking care of and minding the balance of the ocean , Mellor said , is in everyone ’ s best interest .
Mellor is part of what he calls a dedicated “ hotshot crew ” of scientists , fishermen , environmentalists and wildlife officials who got together when the entanglements first increased .
Santora and Forney ’ s study provided the scientific baseline needed for this working group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better anticipate and avoid entanglement .
Many say this group , which was urgently convened in 2015 by the state ’ s Ocean Protection Council and wildlife and fisheries officials , is the future of ocean management : Setting aside differences , sharing field notes , compiling all the different data streams and figuring out how these multiple issues overlap .
Reported entanglements have since dropped off but still remain higher than before the spike .
The scientists are now developing a website that will use all this data to forecast the areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeding off the West Coast .
Crab fishermen could then decide where — and where not — to set their traps .
Regulators could make calls on when to open or close a fishery .
Using these new tools and thinking about the ecosystem as a whole — rather than the traditional approach of focusing on one type of fish or species at a time — will help everyone adjust to more rapid and frequent changes in the marine environment .
They ’ ve created a framework , said Paige Berube of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage risk in a way that can protect both ecological and economic imperatives .
“ We can protect biodiversity , protect whales and sea turtles , ” she said , “ and also ensure that we continue to have thriving commercial fisheries that are iconic to our coastal identity as Californians .
”

Karin Forney still remembers when an unusual number of humpback whales started showing up in Monterey Bay a few winters ago. She could see them out her window — so close to the surf that kayakers could literally paddle up to them.
But with this delightful arrival came an alarming number of humpbacks getting entangled in fishing gear that cut into their flesh and often led to death. This sudden crisis confounded scientists, fishermen and animal rights groups.
“We went from virtually no humpback whale entanglements to one every other week — and then during peak, in the spring of 2016 ... we were basically on call every single day,” said Forney, an applied marine ecologist at the NOAA Fisheries who scrambled to help the rescue efforts.
“The whales just kept coming.”
In a study published Monday, a team of scientists solved the mystery. They showed how one dramatic shift in the marine ecosystem, exacerbated by an ever-warming planet, could set off a domino effect across California.
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An unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Ocean, dubbed “the blob,” had pushed anchovies and other humpback food closer to shore — right where most Dungeness crab fishermen tend to set their gear. The crab season, in turn, had been unusually delayed by the blob, so fishing did not peak until the whales started coming into town.
“The timing of everything is so sensitive from an ecosystem perspective,” said Jarrod Santora, lead author of the study and an ecosystem oceanographer with NOAA Fisheries and UC Santa Cruz. “We could have prevented this perfect storm from happening in 2016 — if we had this ecosystem science and a communication system in place.”
Crab fishermen load traps onto their boat at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images)
The ocean is already a complicated place to live, and it’s not getting easier. Marine heat waves have doubled in frequency since 1982, and recent reports declared that global ocean temperatures in 2019 were the warmest on record — a trend that has continued for the last decade.
The chemistry of the water itself is acidifying at alarming rates — the cost of relying on our oceans to absorb so much of the world’s heat and carbon emissions.
Following the blob, which took hold in 2014 and overwhelmed marine life for three years, scientists documented the largest toxic algae bloom in the West Coast. Malnourished sea lions washed ashore, another study confirmed, and more than half a million seabirds starved to death — strewn across the coast from California to the Gulf of Alaska.
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Monday’s study, published in the journal Nature Communications, brought together different scientists and data sources to piece together a bigger ecosystem picture in California.
Humpback whales eat both krill and anchovies, depending on what’s available. Krill tend to thrive in deeper and colder waters — and well up with the typical currents along the California coast.
But during the blob years, there was very little krill for the whales to eat, and what few anchovies were available were being squeezed into areas closer to shore in what scientists call a habitat compression. Humpbacks followed these clusters of anchovies to shallower and shallower waters, especially in Monterey, Point Reyes and Half Moon Bay.
A young humpback whale entangled in fishing gear is freed in Monterey Bay, days after it was first spotted by a fisherman. (Marine Life Studies Whale Entanglement Team via Associated Press)
The entanglements with fishing gear soared starting in 2014 and 2015, but then in 2016, a domoic acid outbreak (also thanks to the blob) kept the crab fishery shut until the first week of April — instead of its usual start date in mid-November.
This amplified the co-occurrence, as Santora calls it, of the whales being forced to feed in smaller concentrations closer to shore — right where the prime crab fishing areas tend to be. By 2016, there were more than 50 recorded entanglements, he said, “and that is just astonishing.”
“Historically, we always said: ‘My, aren’t we lucky that the crab fishery operates mostly from November through February, maybe March, and the whales are here from only March to November,” said Forney, the NOAA researcher in Monterey Bay, who was also an author on the study.
But more and more fishermen, she said, are sticking with crab through June. Salmon fishing, which many used to switch to around February, has become less reliable in this changing world.
John Mellor, who fishes mostly for crab out of San Francisco, said he’s eager for more science and coordination to protect all the marine life that makes California special.
“I’ve been fishing for 40 years, and things changed so drastically starting about 2013, 2014 … it was profound,” he said. “Suddenly the water was 10 degrees hotter, the forage was disrupted and whale patterns were disrupted, and it caused this whole chain reaction.”
The industry — the most valuable fishery in California — has been taking this very seriously, he said. “People are using best practices, like not using a bunch of slack rope or extra buoys on the surface.”
Tension was high in light of a recent lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, which threatened to restrict crab fishing. A conservation plan is now being developed to address these marine interconnections.
The crab fishermen are treading cautiously and decided to start this season a little later, Mellor said, because there were still whales popping up in San Francisco. “If we entangled even one or two, it could’ve resulted in the season being closed all year.”
They lost the profitable Thanksgiving rush and the most productive time to fish for crabs — when they’re just coming out of their molt. But taking care of and minding the balance of the ocean, Mellor said, is in everyone’s best interest.
Mellor is part of what he calls a dedicated “hotshot crew” of scientists, fishermen, environmentalists and wildlife officials who got together when the entanglements first increased. Santora and Forney’s study provided the scientific baseline needed for this working group, which has been developing tools to better anticipate and avoid entanglement.
Many say this group, which was urgently convened in 2015 by the state’s Ocean Protection Council and wildlife and fisheries officials, is the future of ocean management: Setting aside differences, sharing field notes, compiling all the different data streams and figuring out how these multiple issues overlap. Reported entanglements have since dropped off but still remain higher than before the spike.
The scientists are now developing a website that will use all this data to forecast the areas where whales are most likely to be feeding off the West Coast. Crab fishermen could then decide where — and where not — to set their traps. Regulators could make calls on when to open or close a fishery.
Using these new tools and thinking about the ecosystem as a whole — rather than the traditional approach of focusing on one type of fish or species at a time — will help everyone adjust to more rapid and frequent changes in the marine environment.
They’ve created a framework, said Paige Berube of the Ocean Protection Council, to assess and manage risk in a way that can protect both ecological and economic imperatives.
“We can protect biodiversity, protect whales and sea turtles,” she said, “and also ensure that we continue to have thriving commercial fisheries that are iconic to our coastal identity as Californians.”


latimes--2020-01-27--Column: Kevin Faulconer is the GOP's best and only hope to regain ground in California

The only Republican politician with a credible chance of winning major office in California is moving into position to possibly challenge Gov .
Gavin Newsom in 2022 .
He ’ s San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer , 53 , a rare Republican moderate who has been elected twice to lead a heavily Democratic city .
Faulconer isn ’ t saying he ’ ll run against Newsom when the Democrat is up for reelection .
The termed-out mayor probably hasn ’ t decided .
But he is talking to people about it — consultants , potential donors , disheartened GOP pols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s doing is starting to plan a homelessness initiative to place on the November 2022 ballot .
That raises eyebrows .
Why would an out-of-office politician sponsor a ballot initiative at a time he ’ d ordinarily be focusing on his next career ?
Answer : He must see his next career as governor .
But here ’ s a little dampener to that theory : He has been a homelessness crusader for years , since he first became mayor in 2014 .
“ He ’ s not jumping onto the issue because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Jim Brulte , former California Republican Party chairman and , before that , GOP leader in both legislative houses .
“ Homelessness is something he ’ s talked about most of his career.
” Still , it ’ s not uncommon for gubernatorial aspirants to use initiatives to bolster their statewide image .
Newsom did it with initiatives that tightened gun controls and legalized non-medicinal marijuana .
Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored a successful ballot measure that enhanced after-school programs .
Then he ran for governor .
Unlike those two , Faulconer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time he was running for governor .
The last gubernatorial candidate to try that was Democratic Atty .
Gen. John K. Van de Kamp in 1990 .
He was promoting three initiatives and it got awkward — he lost in the Democratic primary to former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein .
When I asked Faulconer whether he was eyeing the next governor ’ s race , he answered as expected : “ My sole focus is on finishing strong in my last year as mayor .
I love the job.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican runs for major office in California ?
The GOP hasn ’ t won a statewide office since 2006 .
Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1 .
Independents even outnumber Republicans .
But Faulconer has defied the odds by being elected in a city where the registration now is 42 % Democratic , 21 % Republican and 31 % independent .
He won a landslide reelection in 2016 .
So he ’ s attracting moderate Democrats and independents .
Here ’ s why : Faulconer can be labeled a fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social moderate — like lots of California voters .
He supports abortion rights , same-sex marriage and a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally .
He opposes President Trump ’ s proposed border wall .
And he has never endorsed Trump .
On guns , he ’ s OK with California ’ s strong controls .
Unlike Newsom , however , he supports capital punishment — as do California voters .
Faulconer grew up in Oxnard , where he learned to speak fluent Spanish in elementary school .
Then-U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) tried to talk Faulconer into running for governor in 2018 .
He was trying to strengthen the GOP ticket and give the party faithful a reason to vote .
The mayor thought about it and wisely turned down the invite .
Republicans got crushed .
“ Faulconer ’ s the only potentially viable Republican from the ranks of elected officials who could plausibly make a credible run ” in 2022 , says GOP consultant Rob Stutzman , a former Schwarzenegger advisor .
“ He ’ s kicking the tires and is open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state Chamber of Commerce , says : “ You don ’ t have to be a political genius to know that he is the only Republican who has any chance ” of being elected governor .
“ There really isn ’ t anybody else who has the ability to raise money and run on a track record.
” That track record is especially impressive when you consider that the San Diego City Council is controlled by Democrats .
Fortunately , local governments are officially nonpartisan , so politicians aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington .
Faulconer ’ s record has a heavy emphasis on the voters ’ current top concern , homelessness , and also affordable housing .
San Diego ’ s homeless population has declined by 9 % since Faulconer became mayor .
The city has built shelters that offer services for those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse , and provided parking lots for people to sleep in their cars and storage centers to stash belongings .
Faulconer ’ s initiative will have carrots and sticks , he says — not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that homeless people use them .
“ There has to be incentives and consequences , ” the mayor says .
“ If you think someone who is addicted to drugs and sleeping in a canyon is going to turn their life around without an intervention , you ’ re not being honest… .
Some say it ’ s not compassionate to take people off the street .
But I say it ’ s not compassionate to let people die there.
” One key question is whether the largely conservative California GOP would accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Yes , if they really wanted to win .
If not , they could just keep on grousing about one-party rule .
“ If he wants to run , I don ’ t think he can be coy about it , ” says former Republican strategist Ken Khachigian , who has managed several races in California .
“ A big question is does he have [ former Gov . ]
Pete Wilson ’ s drive to devote 2½ years to barnstorming the state , collecting chits , building a fundraising base and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll find out .
If he does , there ’ s still faint hope for the California GOP .

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer makes his final State of the City speech at the Balboa Theatre on Jan. 15.
The only Republican politician with a credible chance of winning major office in California is moving into position to possibly challenge Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022.
He’s San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, 53, a rare Republican moderate who has been elected twice to lead a heavily Democratic city.
Faulconer isn’t saying he’ll run against Newsom when the Democrat is up for reelection. The termed-out mayor probably hasn’t decided. But he is talking to people about it — consultants, potential donors, disheartened GOP pols.
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The most significant thing he’s doing is starting to plan a homelessness initiative to place on the November 2022 ballot. That raises eyebrows.
Why would an out-of-office politician sponsor a ballot initiative at a time he’d ordinarily be focusing on his next career? Answer: He must see his next career as governor.
But here’s a little dampener to that theory: He has been a homelessness crusader for years, since he first became mayor in 2014.
“He’s not jumping onto the issue because he perceives it to be politically beneficial,” says Jim Brulte, former California Republican Party chairman and, before that, GOP leader in both legislative houses. “Homelessness is something he’s talked about most of his career.”
Still, it’s not uncommon for gubernatorial aspirants to use initiatives to bolster their statewide image. Newsom did it with initiatives that tightened gun controls and legalized non-medicinal marijuana. Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored a successful ballot measure that enhanced after-school programs. Then he ran for governor.
Unlike those two, Faulconer would be pushing a ballot initiative at the same time he was running for governor. The last gubernatorial candidate to try that was Democratic Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp in 1990. He was promoting three initiatives and it got awkward — he lost in the Democratic primary to former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein.
When I asked Faulconer whether he was eyeing the next governor’s race, he answered as expected: “My sole focus is on finishing strong in my last year as mayor. I love the job.”
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But what does it matter if any Republican runs for major office in California? The GOP hasn’t won a statewide office since 2006. Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1. Independents even outnumber Republicans.
But Faulconer has defied the odds by being elected in a city where the registration now is 42% Democratic, 21% Republican and 31% independent. He won a landslide reelection in 2016. So he’s attracting moderate Democrats and independents.
Here’s why: Faulconer can be labeled a fiscal conservative, but he’s a social moderate — like lots of California voters.
He supports abortion rights, same-sex marriage and a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. He opposes President Trump’s proposed border wall. And he has never endorsed Trump. On guns, he’s OK with California’s strong controls. Unlike Newsom, however, he supports capital punishment — as do California voters.
Faulconer grew up in Oxnard, where he learned to speak fluent Spanish in elementary school.
Then-U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) tried to talk Faulconer into running for governor in 2018. He was trying to strengthen the GOP ticket and give the party faithful a reason to vote. The mayor thought about it and wisely turned down the invite. Republicans got crushed.
“Faulconer’s the only potentially viable Republican from the ranks of elected officials who could plausibly make a credible run” in 2022, says GOP consultant Rob Stutzman, a former Schwarzenegger advisor.
“He’s kicking the tires and is open to it.”
Allan Zaremberg, president of the state Chamber of Commerce, says: “You don’t have to be a political genius to know that he is the only Republican who has any chance” of being elected governor. “There really isn’t anybody else who has the ability to raise money and run on a track record.”
That track record is especially impressive when you consider that the San Diego City Council is controlled by Democrats. Fortunately, local governments are officially nonpartisan, so politicians aren’t as polarized as they are in Sacramento and Washington.
Faulconer’s record has a heavy emphasis on the voters’ current top concern, homelessness, and also affordable housing.
San Diego’s homeless population has declined by 9% since Faulconer became mayor. The city has built shelters that offer services for those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, and provided parking lots for people to sleep in their cars and storage centers to stash belongings.
Faulconer’s initiative will have carrots and sticks, he says — not just shelters, but services, and requirements that homeless people use them.
“There has to be incentives and consequences,” the mayor says.
“If you think someone who is addicted to drugs and sleeping in a canyon is going to turn their life around without an intervention, you’re not being honest…. Some say it’s not compassionate to take people off the street. But I say it’s not compassionate to let people die there.”
One key question is whether the largely conservative California GOP would accept a moderate candidate for governor. Answer: Yes, if they really wanted to win. If not, they could just keep on grousing about one-party rule.
“If he wants to run, I don’t think he can be coy about it,” says former Republican strategist Ken Khachigian, who has managed several races in California. “A big question is does he have [former Gov.] Pete Wilson’s drive to devote 2½ years to barnstorming the state, collecting chits, building a fundraising base and shaping a winnable message?”
We’ll find out. If he does, there’s still faint hope for the California GOP.


latimes--2020-01-27--Lakers part owner Patrick Soon-Shiong was a mentor to Kobe Bryant and a friend

With 3 minutes 8 seconds left in the Lakers ’ game against the Golden State Warriors , Kobe Bryant pushed off on his left foot , felt a pop and crumpled to the court .
The referee called a foul .
Bryant stood , shot two free throws and limped off the court .
It was April 12 , 2013 , and Bryant feared that his storied career was at an end .
“ My heart sank , because I could see by the manner of his walk that he had ruptured his Achilles , because I had ruptured my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrick Soon-Shiong said in an interview Sunday , just hours after Bryant , his daughter Gianna , 13 , and seven others died in a fiery helicopter crash .
“ So I went to the locker room .
He was distraught.
” His wife “ Vanessa was in tears , ” Soon-Shiong continued .
“ And I said , ‘ Kobe , I ’ m , at this moment in time , either a Lakers owner or a doctor .
You choose.
’ He said , ‘ Patrick , you ’ re my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Then my recommendation is that you should have surgery the next day.
’ ” The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
Soon-Shiong , who owns the Los Angeles Times and is a part owner of the Lakers , was also Bryant ’ s friend , mentor and basketball “ assistant ” when the two played hoops at Soon-Shiong ’ s home court during Bryant ’ s recovery .
He choked up as he spoke about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how he will miss the long conversations the two shared about all aspects of life and about Bryant ’ s aspirations as he underwent recovery .
“ ‘ I ’ ll take care of it , ’ ” Soon-Shiong told the Lakers star , “ ‘ and I ’ ll manage you the way I managed myself when I ruptured my Achilles.
’ Because my goal for him was , he had to come back .
And if the treatment was correct , he had to dunk again.
” Soon-Shiong ’ s guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , when someone tears an Achilles tendon , surgeons will put a cast on the injured leg , wait two to three weeks , and then do what is called tendon transfer surgery .
But “ I believe very much that there ’ s a window in which your inflammatory and stem cells grow and regenerate your Achilles , ” he said .
It worked for him , and he said he was comfortable when Bryant took his advice .
Still , “ to me it was a very difficult decision.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room ] while Dr. [ Neal ] ElAttrache was doing the surgery , and I was his quasi assistant , ” Soon-Shiong recounted .
“ I wanted to ensure that some of the processes — without going into the details — would maximize the ability of the stem cells.
” Months of physical therapy followed .
During that time , Bryant would go to Soon-Shiong ’ s Brentwood home and they would play on the indoor court .
“ And he recovered , ” Soon-Shiong said .
“ My greatest joy was when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game and I leapt out of my chair [ courtside ] and said , ‘ Yes !
He ’ s back !
’ ” Soon-Shiong has memories and memorabilia from their times together — including a painting of Bryant dunking the ball against the Celtics ’ Kevin Garnett , as well as Bryant ’ s size-14 Nikes , which he left behind in Soon-Shiong ’ s locker room the last time the two men played .
But the item that means the most to him is the Sports Illustrated special issue , published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framed .
At the top of the frame is the cover , with Bryant in Lakers purple and gold .
Below it , the magazine is opened to show a photo of Bryant dunking the ball against an opponent on the right and a signed page on the left .
The inscription is simple and heartfelt : “ To Pat , Thank you for saving my career !
Kobe 24.
” As a friend , Soon-Shiong said , Bryant was intense and curious , fun and funny , and “ burning , burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the best in anything.
” Bryant was a family man and a pianist , an animator , an inspiration and a global citizen .
Soon-Shiong became a minority owner of the Lakers in 2010 .
He had always been “ a rabid fan ” of the team , the sport of basketball and No .
24 .
It didn ’ t take long for them to settle into a pregame ritual , one that required Soon-Shiong to attend every home game — or send wife Michelle in his place .
It started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gave him a hug .
“ And then , he said , ‘ You know , you ’ re going to have to do this every game , ’ ” Soon-Shiong recounted .
Soon-Shiong visited with Bryant in the locker room before games , allowing him to see how the shooting guard transformed between the locker room and the court .
His body , his face , his posture would all change “ and he ’ d get locked in.
” The last time the two friends met , the doctor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lakers hosted the Dallas Mavericks at the end of December .
Gianna , who was known as Gigi , was with her dad that day , and he looked , Soon-Shiong said , “ at such peace .
I ’ ve known him for such a long time , there was always this burning in him.
” They made plans to have dinner together , the Soon-Shiongs and the Bryant family .
“ Sadly , that dinner with Kobe will not come to pass , ” Soon-Shiong said .
“ Today the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can only share our prayers and our thoughts with Vanessa and the children on this very painful day .
”

With 3 minutes 8 seconds left in the Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant pushed off on his left foot, felt a pop and crumpled to the court. The referee called a foul. Bryant stood, shot two free throws and limped off the court.
It was April 12, 2013, and Bryant feared that his storied career was at an end.
“My heart sank, because I could see by the manner of his walk that he had ruptured his Achilles, because I had ruptured my Achilles the year before,” Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said in an interview Sunday, just hours after Bryant, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others died in a fiery helicopter crash. “So I went to the locker room. He was distraught.”
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His wife “Vanessa was in tears,” Soon-Shiong continued. “And I said, ‘Kobe, I’m, at this moment in time, either a Lakers owner or a doctor. You choose.’ He said, ‘Patrick, you’re my doctor.’ ... And I said, ‘Then my recommendation is that you should have surgery the next day.’ ”
Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times and is a part owner of the Lakers, was also Bryant’s friend, mentor and basketball “assistant” when the two played hoops at Soon-Shiong’s home court during Bryant’s recovery. He choked up as he spoke about the loss of a legend, about how he will miss the long conversations the two shared about all aspects of life and about Bryant’s aspirations as he underwent recovery.
“ ‘I’ll take care of it,’ ” Soon-Shiong told the Lakers star, “ ‘and I’ll manage you the way I managed myself when I ruptured my Achilles.’ Because my goal for him was, he had to come back. And if the treatment was correct, he had to dunk again.”
Soon-Shiong’s guidance was “unconventional.” Generally, he said, when someone tears an Achilles tendon, surgeons will put a cast on the injured leg, wait two to three weeks, and then do what is called tendon transfer surgery.
But “I believe very much that there’s a window in which your inflammatory and stem cells grow and regenerate your Achilles,” he said. It worked for him, and he said he was comfortable when Bryant took his advice. Still, “to me it was a very difficult decision.”
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“I was in [the operating room] while Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache was doing the surgery, and I was his quasi assistant,” Soon-Shiong recounted. “I wanted to ensure that some of the processes — without going into the details — would maximize the ability of the stem cells.”
Months of physical therapy followed. During that time, Bryant would go to Soon-Shiong’s Brentwood home and they would play on the indoor court.
“And he recovered,” Soon-Shiong said. “My greatest joy was when he did his first dunk in the game and I leapt out of my chair [courtside] and said, ‘Yes! He’s back!’ ”
Soon-Shiong has memories and memorabilia from their times together — including a painting of Bryant dunking the ball against the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, as well as Bryant’s size-14 Nikes, which he left behind in Soon-Shiong’s locker room the last time the two men played.
But the item that means the most to him is the Sports Illustrated special issue, published when Bryant retired. Soon-Shiong had it framed. At the top of the frame is the cover, with Bryant in Lakers purple and gold. Below it, the magazine is opened to show a photo of Bryant dunking the ball against an opponent on the right and a signed page on the left.
The inscription is simple and heartfelt: “To Pat, Thank you for saving my career! Kobe 24.”
As a friend, Soon-Shiong said, Bryant was intense and curious, fun and funny, and “burning, burning for excellence, burning to strive to be the best in anything.” Bryant was a family man and a pianist, an animator, an inspiration and a global citizen.
Soon-Shiong became a minority owner of the Lakers in 2010. He had always been “a rabid fan” of the team, the sport of basketball and No. 24. It didn’t take long for them to settle into a pregame ritual, one that required Soon-Shiong to attend every home game — or send wife Michelle in his place.
It started when Bryant came up to him courtside and gave him a hug.
“And then, he said, ‘You know, you’re going to have to do this every game,’” Soon-Shiong recounted.
Soon-Shiong visited with Bryant in the locker room before games, allowing him to see how the shooting guard transformed between the locker room and the court. His body, his face, his posture would all change “and he’d get locked in.”
The last time the two friends met, the doctor and the basketball star, was when the Lakers hosted the Dallas Mavericks at the end of December. Gianna, who was known as Gigi, was with her dad that day, and he looked, Soon-Shiong said, “at such peace. I’ve known him for such a long time, there was always this burning in him.”
They made plans to have dinner together, the Soon-Shiongs and the Bryant family.
“Sadly, that dinner with Kobe will not come to pass,” Soon-Shiong said. “Today the country mourns, the world mourns. I can only share our prayers and our thoughts with Vanessa and the children on this very painful day.”


latimes--2020-01-27--Here, Kobe Bryant was just another dad you bumped into at the grocery store

Gathered around a steadily growing cluster of candles , flowers , balloons and other memorabilia Sunday night , some of Kobe Bryant ’ s fellow Newport Beach residents shared their memories of the man called Mamba .
They spoke of Kobe the father — whose dedication and love were apparent to any who came across him .
They spoke of Kobe the idol — whose accomplishments were legion .
They spoke of Kobe the standard — whose legendary pursuit of greatness was an example for all .
But they also spoke of Kobe the man — whose fame never got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warm greeting at the local grocery store .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
More than anything , though , they spoke of Kobe the connection — a figure so beloved and so ingrained in the community that his death could bring more than 100 people out to Newport Ridge Community Park on a chilly winter ’ s night for a candlelight vigil .
By the end of the vigil , those in attendance had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Amazing Grace ” and a familiar refrain of “ Kobe !
Kobe !
Kobe !
” Steve Alford , 57 , was among those who recalled running into Bryant at a local Starbucks .
“ He wasn ’ t anybody special in his mind when he was walking in the store , and it was just really , really refreshing , ” said Alford , who is not the former UCLA men ’ s basketball coach with the same name .
“ And I think he felt very comfortable here in Newport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” After hearing the news in the morning , Newport Beach resident Josh Leith said he walked over to a poster hanging in his house — one of Bryant , emblazoned with the word “ Invincible.
” “ I thought about it for a second and I thought , well , he is invincible because of what he did for us by his drive and his motivation and his inspiration and who he was as a person , ” said Leith , 28 .
These were people who knew him as Mr. Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dad of four who lived up the street , ordered a certain pink drink at the Starbucks and trick-or-treated with their children .
Jill Yank ’ s 23-year-old son is also named Kobe — a coincidence as he was born before Bryant achieved fame .
Once her Kobe was at Starbucks at the same time as Bryant and they both went to the pickup counter at the same time when they heard their name .
This so delighted Kobe Yank-Jacobs that afterward he ran out to the coffee shop early in hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Bryant helped carry Yank ’ s mother ’ s groceries to their car , and for 15 minutes they talked about their shared hometown of Philadelphia .
“ We all know him as just Kobe , a person , ” Yank said .
The group spent an hour giving remembrances of Bryant .
Huddled around bouquets and votive candles arranged into a K and G for Kobe and Gianna , they also did the Kobe chant and sang “ Amazing Grace.
” As candles flickered out in the breeze , someone would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thank you , Kobe Bryant , ” said a teen boy in a white 24 jersey .
He pointed to the sky .

A fan pays his respects as fans mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Gathered around a steadily growing cluster of candles, flowers, balloons and other memorabilia Sunday night, some of Kobe Bryant’s fellow Newport Beach residents shared their memories of the man called Mamba.
They spoke of Kobe the father — whose dedication and love were apparent to any who came across him.
They spoke of Kobe the idol — whose accomplishments were legion.
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They spoke of Kobe the standard — whose legendary pursuit of greatness was an example for all.
But they also spoke of Kobe the man — whose fame never got in the way of him sharing a warm greeting at the local grocery store.
More than anything, though, they spoke of Kobe the connection — a figure so beloved and so ingrained in the community that his death could bring more than 100 people out to Newport Ridge Community Park on a chilly winter’s night for a candlelight vigil.
By the end of the vigil, those in attendance had joined together in both a rendition of “Amazing Grace” and a familiar refrain of “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”
Steve Alford, 57, was among those who recalled running into Bryant at a local Starbucks.
“He wasn’t anybody special in his mind when he was walking in the store, and it was just really, really refreshing,” said Alford, who is not the former UCLA men’s basketball coach with the same name. “And I think he felt very comfortable here in Newport Coast and everybody treated him with respect.”
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After hearing the news in the morning, Newport Beach resident Josh Leith said he walked over to a poster hanging in his house — one of Bryant, emblazoned with the word “Invincible.”
“I thought about it for a second and I thought, well, he is invincible because of what he did for us by his drive and his motivation and his inspiration and who he was as a person,” said Leith, 28.
These were people who knew him as Mr. Bryant, the local youth basketball coach, the dad of four who lived up the street, ordered a certain pink drink at the Starbucks and trick-or-treated with their children.
Jill Yank’s 23-year-old son is also named Kobe — a coincidence as he was born before Bryant achieved fame.
Once her Kobe was at Starbucks at the same time as Bryant and they both went to the pickup counter at the same time when they heard their name. This so delighted Kobe Yank-Jacobs that afterward he ran out to the coffee shop early in hopes of recreating the comical moment.
Another time Bryant helped carry Yank’s mother’s groceries to their car, and for 15 minutes they talked about their shared hometown of Philadelphia.
“We all know him as just Kobe, a person,” Yank said.
The group spent an hour giving remembrances of Bryant. Huddled around bouquets and votive candles arranged into a K and G for Kobe and Gianna, they also did the Kobe chant and sang “Amazing Grace.”
As candles flickered out in the breeze, someone would pop forward to relight them.
“Thank you, Kobe Bryant,” said a teen boy in a white 24 jersey.
He pointed to the sky.
“Thank you for existing.”


latimes--2020-01-27--So many Kobe Bryant fans flooded helicopter crash area that authorities have closed roads

So many Kobe Bryant fans have converged on the Calabasas area where he and eight others were killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash that authorities have restricted the area to residents only .
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said people have flooded into the area of the crash , some going into residential neighborhoods and trying to get to the remote hillside where the helicopter went down .
He said the traffic was making it harder for investigators and emergency personnel to do their jobs .
“ It is off limits to everybody , ” he said of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aviation Administration has a 5-mile no-fly zone around it up to altitudes of 5,000 feet .
“ People , stay away.
” Authorities have closed the offramps of the 101 Freeway at Las Virgenes Road as well as other roads near the crash site .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
The sheriff urged those who want to mourn Bryant to go to De Anza Park in Calabasas .
Earlier in the day , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site yelling chants of “ MVP ” and “ Kobe , Kobe.
” The crowd , many of them wearing Bryant ’ s No .
24 , stood looking up at the dry hillside where the Lakers ’ legend died along with his daughter and seven others .
One man stood in his yellow Lakers dressing gown , Bryant socks and Nike Lakers high-tops .
“ To represent Kobe , ” Philip Gordon said .
The robe , he said , was given by Bryant to Conan O ’ Brien on his show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show , and O ’ Brien gave the robe to that relative .
“ I am honoring his memory , ” Gordon said .
Irvin Guillermo of Northridge , clad in his purple Lakers bomber jacket , said : “ I am here to honor Kobe Bryant .
Kobe has done so much for our city , our community and our county .
He did so many things more than play great basketball .
“ I would have never thought of something like this happening .
This guy won an Oscar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Christopher Pena, 33, and his wife Lizbeth, 30, of Pacoima mourn along with Jose Gutierrez, 33, of La Puente near the scene of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others.
So many Kobe Bryant fans have converged on the Calabasas area where he and eight others were killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash that authorities have restricted the area to residents only.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said people have flooded into the area of the crash, some going into residential neighborhoods and trying to get to the remote hillside where the helicopter went down. He said the traffic was making it harder for investigators and emergency personnel to do their jobs.
“It is off limits to everybody,” he said of the crash site, noting that the Federal Aviation Administration has a 5-mile no-fly zone around it up to altitudes of 5,000 feet. “People, stay away.”
Authorities have closed the offramps of the 101 Freeway at Las Virgenes Road as well as other roads near the crash site.
The sheriff urged those who want to mourn Bryant to go to De Anza Park in Calabasas.
Earlier in the day, more than 400 fans gathered near the crash site yelling chants of “MVP” and “Kobe, Kobe.” The crowd, many of them wearing Bryant’s No. 24, stood looking up at the dry hillside where the Lakers’ legend died along with his daughter and seven others.
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One man stood in his yellow Lakers dressing gown, Bryant socks and Nike Lakers high-tops. “To represent Kobe,” Philip Gordon said. The robe, he said, was given by Bryant to Conan O’Brien on his show in 2010. A relative worked on the show, and O’Brien gave the robe to that relative. “I am honoring his memory,” Gordon said.
Irvin Guillermo of Northridge, clad in his purple Lakers bomber jacket, said: “I am here to honor Kobe Bryant. Kobe has done so much for our city, our community and our county. He did so many things more than play great basketball.
“I would have never thought of something like this happening. This guy won an Oscar. He had so much more to offer.”