latimes--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant had a special kinship with Latino fans and culture

The mood at El Camino Real in Fullerton was somber during the Sunday lunch rush , despite the steaming bowls of menudo in front of nearly everyone in the packed Mexican restaurant .
Its most famous regular , Kobe Bryant , had died earlier that morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas , along with his daughter Gianna and seven others .
Families shook their heads in disbelief as they scrolled through their smartphones for the latest updates between sips of the tripe soup .
Freddy Castañeda , son of El Camino Real ’ s owners , showed customers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kitchen alongside his sister Marissa nearly 20 years ago .
Joel Viramontes of La Habra , who wore a Nike SpongeBob SquarePants sweatshirt that featured the cartoon icon dunking a basketball , took a call .
His face was in pain .
“ Sí , ’ ama , ya se que se murió Kobe , ” he said .
Yes , Mom , I know that Kobe died .
“ He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person , ” El Camino Real general manager Rodolfo Garcia said over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carne asada for tacos .
Bryant ’ s wife , Vanessa Laine Bryant , had introduced the Lakers superstar to her childhood favorite restaurant almost as soon as the two began to date .
Sometimes , the couple and their daughters dined in ; when Kobe didn ’ t want to draw attention , he ’ d sneak in through the back to hang out with workers and greet everyone in Spanish .
And if he couldn ’ t come in person , Bryant called in big orders that friends picked up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooting guard ’ s favorite meal : carnitas , with flan for dessert .
“ He ’ d tell us , ‘ Don ’ t treat me like a star , ’ ” Garcia said .
“ ‘ I ’ m just a customer here.
’ ” “ Tenía confianza , ” said Marissa Castañeda .
He felt comfortable around her all-Latino crew .
As tributes and memorials to Bryant sprouted across Southern California , a Mexican restaurant might seem an odd place to remember him .
But Bryant ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for and participation with Southern California ’ s largest ethnic group .
Around Latino Los Angeles , from swap meets to sneaker stores , on social media ( where fans shared corridos dedicated to “ compa Kobe ” ) and at parties and gyms , they spoke of him with reverence .
Many saw themselves and their culture in him : The work ethic .
The marriage to a Mexican American woman .
The devotion to his daughters .
His better-than-not , if Italian-inflected , Spanish .
Hugo Flores , 29 , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Bryant was at his peak .
He remembers his teammates talking then about how Bryant reminded them of their immigrant parents .
“ They had multiple jobs and worked like crazy , but they never made excuses , ” the Anaheim resident said .
“ That was Kobe .
He ’ d play with broken fingers and torn ligaments , and would never say a thing .
He set that example , and so we had to do the same .
“ We see that mentality in our culture — eres el @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest badass ] , ” Flores added .
“ That was Kobe every night , every day.
” Bryant ’ s special relationship with Latinos started almost as soon as he joined the Lakers in 1996 .
Two years earlier , the Lakers had become the first NBA team to broadcast games in Spanish .
The superstars for previous generations of Latinos — Fernando Valenzuela in baseball , Julio Cesar Chavez in boxing — were past their prime .
“ We were ready for Kobe , ” said Cal State Channel Islands professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans use sports to advance in the United States .
As a UC Irvine doctoral candidate in the early 2000s , Alamillo and his friends frequently braved the long , traffic-choked drive from Orange County to Staples Center to watch Bryant play .
They marveled at all the fellow Latinos in the stands , which Alamillo said didn ’ t exist during the “ Showtime ” era .
“ He came at the perfect moment , when L.A. had become more brown , ” Alamillo said .
“ He became our Latino superstar.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ married to Laine Bryant , daughter of a Mexican immigrant .
Together , the two embodied the thoroughly modern Southern California couple : multicultural , multilingual , aware of what they represented , and unashamed to express it .
Bryant embraced his wife during a nationally broadcast 2010 home playoff game against the Phoenix Suns while she wore a T-shirt that read , “ Do I Look Illegal ?
” At the time , Arizona ’ s controversial Senate Bill 1070 — which critics said sought to make life miserable for immigrants living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Instagram , Bryant frequently referred to Vanessa as “ mamacita ” — a term of endearment that was both maternal and romantic .
In 2013 , he released Nike sneakers with bright colors that mimicked a Mexican-style poncho .
By the end of his career , Bryant ’ s mastery of Spanish was such that he could comfortably conduct interviews in the language with no interpreter needed .
He picked it up , he told Univision , by watching the long-running variety show “ Sábado Gigante ” and the 2005 telenovela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mother-in-law .
“ Kobe was like a brother or a cousin , someone that you would invite to a family get-together , ” said Juliana Bañuelos , who was filling up her Jeep at a gas station in Orange .
“ You didn ’ t even have to like basketball , and you still liked that he respected and loved Mexican culture.
” Even at his final news conference as a player , Bryant specifically shouted out los fans Latino .
“ When I arrived [ in Los Angeles ] those fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most passion , ” he said .
“ They mean everything to me .
”

Aldo Luna and his 7-year-old son, Ethan, gather with a crowd mourning Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live on Sunday night.
The mood at El Camino Real in Fullerton was somber during the Sunday lunch rush, despite the steaming bowls of menudo in front of nearly everyone in the packed Mexican restaurant.
Its most famous regular, Kobe Bryant, had died earlier that morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.
Families shook their heads in disbelief as they scrolled through their smartphones for the latest updates between sips of the tripe soup. Freddy Castañeda, son of El Camino Real’s owners, showed customers a photo that Bryant had taken in the kitchen alongside his sister Marissa nearly 20 years ago.
Joel Viramontes of La Habra, who wore a Nike SpongeBob SquarePants sweatshirt that featured the cartoon icon dunking a basketball, took a call. His face was in pain.
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“Sí, ’ama, ya se que se murió Kobe,” he said. Yes, Mom, I know that Kobe died.
“He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person,” El Camino Real general manager Rodolfo Garcia said over the thud of a butcher breaking down carne asada for tacos. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, had introduced the Lakers superstar to her childhood favorite restaurant almost as soon as the two began to date.
Sometimes, the couple and their daughters dined in; when Kobe didn’t want to draw attention, he’d sneak in through the back to hang out with workers and greet everyone in Spanish. And if he couldn’t come in person, Bryant called in big orders that friends picked up to take back to his Newport Coast mansion.
The shooting guard’s favorite meal: carnitas, with flan for dessert.
“He’d tell us, ‘Don’t treat me like a star,’” Garcia said. “‘I’m just a customer here.’”
“Tenía confianza,” said Marissa Castañeda. He felt comfortable around her all-Latino crew.
As tributes and memorials to Bryant sprouted across Southern California, a Mexican restaurant might seem an odd place to remember him.
But Bryant’s longtime patronage here spoke to his affection for and participation with Southern California’s largest ethnic group. Around Latino Los Angeles, from swap meets to sneaker stores, on social media (where fans shared corridos dedicated to “compa Kobe”) and at parties and gyms, they spoke of him with reverence.
Many saw themselves and their culture in him: The work ethic. The marriage to a Mexican American woman. The devotion to his daughters. His better-than-not, if Italian-inflected, Spanish.
Hugo Flores, 29, has played pickup basketball since high school, when Bryant was at his peak. He remembers his teammates talking then about how Bryant reminded them of their immigrant parents.
“They had multiple jobs and worked like crazy, but they never made excuses,” the Anaheim resident said. “That was Kobe. He’d play with broken fingers and torn ligaments, and would never say a thing. He set that example, and so we had to do the same.
“We see that mentality in our culture — eres el más chingón [you’re the biggest badass],” Flores added. “That was Kobe every night, every day.”
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Bryant’s special relationship with Latinos started almost as soon as he joined the Lakers in 1996. Two years earlier, the Lakers had become the first NBA team to broadcast games in Spanish. The superstars for previous generations of Latinos — Fernando Valenzuela in baseball, Julio Cesar Chavez in boxing — were past their prime.
“We were ready for Kobe,” said Cal State Channel Islands professor Jose Alamillo, who studies how Mexican Americans use sports to advance in the United States. As a UC Irvine doctoral candidate in the early 2000s, Alamillo and his friends frequently braved the long, traffic-choked drive from Orange County to Staples Center to watch Bryant play. They marveled at all the fellow Latinos in the stands, which Alamillo said didn’t exist during the “Showtime” era.
“He came at the perfect moment, when L.A. had become more brown,” Alamillo said. “He became our Latino superstar.”
By then, Bryant was already married to Laine Bryant, daughter of a Mexican immigrant. Together, the two embodied the thoroughly modern Southern California couple: multicultural, multilingual, aware of what they represented, and unashamed to express it.
Bryant embraced his wife during a nationally broadcast 2010 home playoff game against the Phoenix Suns while she wore a T-shirt that read, “Do I Look Illegal?” At the time, Arizona’s controversial Senate Bill 1070 — which critics said sought to make life miserable for immigrants living in the state illegally — dominated headlines.
On Instagram, Bryant frequently referred to Vanessa as “mamacita” — a term of endearment that was both maternal and romantic. In 2013, he released Nike sneakers with bright colors that mimicked a Mexican-style poncho.
By the end of his career, Bryant’s mastery of Spanish was such that he could comfortably conduct interviews in the language with no interpreter needed. He picked it up, he told Univision, by watching the long-running variety show “Sábado Gigante” and the 2005 telenovela “La Madrastra” alongside his wife and mother-in-law.
“Kobe was like a brother or a cousin, someone that you would invite to a family get-together,” said Juliana Bañuelos, who was filling up her Jeep at a gas station in Orange. “You didn’t even have to like basketball, and you still liked that he respected and loved Mexican culture.”
Even at his final news conference as a player, Bryant specifically shouted out los fans Latino.
“When I arrived [in Los Angeles] those fans were the fans that embraced me with the most passion,” he said. “They mean everything to me.”


latimes--2020-01-27--L.A. has hired more female firefighters. Why is the department still dominated by men?

Mayor Eric Garcetti is on track to miss his 2020 goal to greatly increase the number of women who work as firefighters for the Los Angeles Fire Department , renewing questions about why more women aren ’ t on the force .
Just 3.3 % of the city ’ s 3,372 firefighters are female , according to the latest data prepared by the LAFD .
That ’ s short of the 5 % that Garcetti and the department had vowed to reach this year .
When Garcetti first took office in 2013 , women made up 2.9 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LAFD is making strides in changing an institution that ’ s struggled to overcome a legacy tainted by allegations of sexism and racism .
Also , a Times investigation in 2013 found that the department ’ s hiring system potentially favored insiders and , therefore , failed to increase the number of women and minorities .
Today , there are 110 sworn female firefighters , compared with 92 in 2013 — an increase that Garcetti quotes in speeches and interviews .
More women than ever are in top leadership positions inside the department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers from the fire academy , according to city staff and department data .
The new numbers don ’ t include the growing number of female recruits who are enrolled in the academy .
Garcetti said that changing the Fire Department will take time .
He cited the 2016 launch of Girls Camp , which teaches youths about firefighting , as an example of the city ’ s long-term strategy .
“ The investments you make now , you reap the benefit about a decade later , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are opportunities for girls to picture themselves as firefighters and making sure that the women who are there feel like the culture is welcoming.
” Attorney Nana Gyamfi , who has represented firefighters in discrimination cases against the city , said women still face the false premise that “ firefighting is men ’ s work.
” “ There is this idea that women are signing up to try to prove that they can do what men can do , ” Gyamfi said .
“ Of course that ’ s ridiculous .
The reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as varied , and often similar , to the reasons men choose to be firefighters.
” Kris Larson , the first black female battalion chief at the department , said she ’ s encouraged that more women are joining the academy and graduating compared with years past .
“ Where we were and where we are now is a lot of progress , ” she said .
Nationwide , about 3.5 % of all firefighters were women last year , according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics .
The mayor and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing the number of women at City Hall , including the Fire Department , a top priority .
After his first election , Garcetti vowed to bring “ much-needed change to the culture ” of the predominantly white , male force .
He also suspended hiring in 2014 after the Times investigation .
Legal costs have been an issue for the department , with the city spending millions to address complaints that firefighters were subjected to gender bias , racial discrimination and other forms of mistreatment .
Male and female recruits attend a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigorous drills that require them to scale ladders and carry hoses , tools and other fire equipment .
The department has historically seen lower graduation rates for women compared with men .
However , a study of two classes of recruits in 2018 found that 67 % of women graduated , compared with an earlier study of 15 classes from 2014 to 2017 , in which only 59 % of female recruits graduated .
Larson , who oversees recruiting , said it ’ s not possible for the department to hit its 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t enough women that will graduate from the academy .
She also said that several female firefighters have recently retired .
Meanwhile , the debate over diversity at the department has sparked a public feud involving some of Garcetti ’ s appointees on the Fire Commission — the independent body that oversees policy at the LAFD — and the firefighters union .
Some commissioners have questioned the academy ’ s graduation rates , including for women , prompting pushback from the union .
Leaders there have suggested the commissioners have overstepped their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission meeting , firefighter union chief Freddy Escobar accused Commissioner Rebecca Ninburg of pressuring LAFD staff to graduate female recruits .
At the same meeting , commissioner Andrew Glazier said the department ’ s culture “ avoids actively confronting uncomfortable truths , ” prompting Escobar to tell Glazier that his comments were “ insulting.
” Ninburg said in an email that she “ never pressured personnel to pass an unqualified recruit out of the LAFD Academy .
My goal is to make certain the department is pursuing and upholding the highest levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in every area of the department , while continuing to increase diversity throughout the LAFD.
” Larson said she ’ s worried the spat , which also has played out on social media , will hurt efforts to attract women .
“ It ’ s important there ’ s a positive image ” for the department , she said .
Garcetti declined to comment on the feud .
Another source of controversy has revolved around a fire captain who worked at the academy and died by suicide in 2016 .
In December , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captain ’ s widow a $ 9,278-per-month pension because it found that his death was related to his work after a hearing in which Fire Department staff testified that he was unhappy working as an instructor because he felt pressure to graduate recruits , including minorities and women .
Capt .
Anthony Navarro testified that the captain wrote a letter of termination for a female recruit who fell twice from an aerial ladder .
Instead , the recruit was reassigned to another academy , Navarro testified .
Firefighter Jennifer Bailey told the panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instructors to pass recruits , even if they aren ’ t qualified .
The mayor ’ s office also declined to comment on this case .

Chelsey Grigsby, left, Brenda Greenbank and Kathryn Hersman are three of the five female firefighters who joined the Los Angeles Fire Department in 2016.
Mayor Eric Garcetti is on track to miss his 2020 goal to greatly increase the number of women who work as firefighters for the Los Angeles Fire Department, renewing questions about why more women aren’t on the force.
Just 3.3% of the city’s 3,372 firefighters are female, according to the latest data prepared by the LAFD. That’s short of the 5% that Garcetti and the department had vowed to reach this year.
When Garcetti first took office in 2013, women made up 2.9% of the force.
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By other measures, the LAFD is making strides in changing an institution that’s struggled to overcome a legacy tainted by allegations of sexism and racism. Also, a Times investigation in 2013 found that the department’s hiring system potentially favored insiders and, therefore, failed to increase the number of women and minorities.
Today, there are 110 sworn female firefighters, compared with 92 in 2013 — an increase that Garcetti quotes in speeches and interviews. More women than ever are in top leadership positions inside the department and female recruits are graduating in greater numbers from the fire academy, according to city staff and department data.
The new numbers don’t include the growing number of female recruits who are enrolled in the academy.
Garcetti said that changing the Fire Department will take time. He cited the 2016 launch of Girls Camp, which teaches youths about firefighting, as an example of the city’s long-term strategy.
“The investments you make now, you reap the benefit about a decade later,” he said. “It’s about making sure that there are opportunities for girls to picture themselves as firefighters and making sure that the women who are there feel like the culture is welcoming.”
Attorney Nana Gyamfi, who has represented firefighters in discrimination cases against the city, said women still face the false premise that “firefighting is men’s work.”
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“There is this idea that women are signing up to try to prove that they can do what men can do,” Gyamfi said. “Of course that’s ridiculous. The reasons that women choose to be firefighters are as varied, and often similar, to the reasons men choose to be firefighters.”
Kris Larson, the first black female battalion chief at the department, said she’s encouraged that more women are joining the academy and graduating compared with years past.
“Where we were and where we are now is a lot of progress,” she said.
Nationwide, about 3.5% of all firefighters were women last year, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The mayor and his wife, Amy Wakeland, have made increasing the number of women at City Hall, including the Fire Department, a top priority. After his first election, Garcetti vowed to bring “much-needed change to the culture” of the predominantly white, male force. He also suspended hiring in 2014 after the Times investigation.
Legal costs have been an issue for the department, with the city spending millions to address complaints that firefighters were subjected to gender bias, racial discrimination and other forms of mistreatment.
Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Kris Larson speaks during a Fire Commission meeting this month. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Male and female recruits attend a 22-week boot camp, taking part in rigorous drills that require them to scale ladders and carry hoses, tools and other fire equipment. The department has historically seen lower graduation rates for women compared with men.
However, a study of two classes of recruits in 2018 found that 67% of women graduated, compared with an earlier study of 15 classes from 2014 to 2017, in which only 59% of female recruits graduated.
Larson, who oversees recruiting, said it’s not possible for the department to hit its 5% target this year because there aren’t enough women that will graduate from the academy. She also said that several female firefighters have recently retired.
Meanwhile, the debate over diversity at the department has sparked a public feud involving some of Garcetti’s appointees on the Fire Commission — the independent body that oversees policy at the LAFD — and the firefighters union.
Some commissioners have questioned the academy’s graduation rates, including for women, prompting pushback from the union. Leaders there have suggested the commissioners have overstepped their roles.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, right, with Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
At last week’s commission meeting, firefighter union chief Freddy Escobar accused Commissioner Rebecca Ninburg of pressuring LAFD staff to graduate female recruits. At the same meeting, commissioner Andrew Glazier said the department’s culture “avoids actively confronting uncomfortable truths,” prompting Escobar to tell Glazier that his comments were “insulting.”
Ninburg said in an email that she “never pressured personnel to pass an unqualified recruit out of the LAFD Academy. My goal is to make certain the department is pursuing and upholding the highest levels of excellence and service at all times and in every area of the department, while continuing to increase diversity throughout the LAFD.”
Larson said she’s worried the spat, which also has played out on social media, will hurt efforts to attract women.
“It’s important there’s a positive image” for the department, she said.
Garcetti declined to comment on the feud.
Another source of controversy has revolved around a fire captain who worked at the academy and died by suicide in 2016.
In December, a city panel voted to award the captain’s widow a $9,278-per-month pension because it found that his death was related to his work after a hearing in which Fire Department staff testified that he was unhappy working as an instructor because he felt pressure to graduate recruits, including minorities and women.
Capt. Anthony Navarro testified that the captain wrote a letter of termination for a female recruit who fell twice from an aerial ladder. Instead, the recruit was reassigned to another academy, Navarro testified.
Firefighter Jennifer Bailey told the panel that there is “political pressure” for instructors to pass recruits, even if they aren’t qualified.
The mayor’s office also declined to comment on this case.


latimes--2020-01-27--Harvey Weinstein trial: Mimi Haley testifies about alleged 2006 sexual assault in N.Y. apartment

Fearing she had no realistic chance of escape as Harvey Weinstein allegedly trapped her in a bedroom in a New York City apartment in 2006 , Mimi Haley told jurors Monday that she eventually decided surrender was her best chance at survival .
“ I couldn ’ t even get away from him at all , ” Haley said of the moment Weinstein allegedly orally forced himself on her more than a decade ago .
“ Ultimately , after a while , I decided to check out and endure it .
That was the safest thing to do at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant at the Weinstein Co. who worked on shows such as “ Project Runway , ” became the second of six women to testify against the fallen Hollywood titan at his sexual assault trial in downtown Manhattan .
Weinstein is charged with first-degree rape , two counts of predatory sexual assault , one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape .
The charges stem from Haley ’ s allegations and another woman ’ s accusation that the mogul raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference alongside attorney Gloria Allred , who represents several accusers against Weinstein and has sat in the front row of the courtroom since proceedings began last week .
She said Monday that she changed her last name from “ Haleyi ” to “ Haley ” recently because of the intense interest in the Weinstein allegations .
Haley said she first met Weinstein at the 2004 premiere of the film “ The Aviator.
” The connection eventually helped Haley break into the production world , as Weinstein scored her a job on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project Runway ” in New York City in 2006 .
But she said it also made her a target of the mogul ’ s allegedly relentless lust .
After their first meeting but before he helped her land the New York job , Haley alleges that Weinstein called her into a meeting at his hotel during the Cannes film festival and asked for a massage , and when she declined , to give her a massage .
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein , Haley said she left .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Haley .
Back in New York , he repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show , at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited , trying to convince her to take the trip .
He refused to leave until she made a joke about how Weinstein had “ a terrible reputation with women , ” which seemed to offend him , she testified Monday .
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry , Haley agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment in July 2006 .
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly , until Weinstein began to close the distance between them .
“ We were having normal conversations , the television was on , we were sort of watching it … and then , at some point … he came forward to me and lunged at me , trying to kiss me , ” she said Monday .
Panicked , Haley said she kept retreating from Weinstein , even mentioning she was menstruating , until she stumbled backward into a bedroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tears began streaming down her face .
“ He pushed me down .
He held me down by my arms … no stay , like that … and I said , ‘ no , no ’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped , ” she said Monday .
Haley also recalled a second assault two weeks later , at a Tribeca hotel , where she said Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still the entire time while the mogul called her a “ whore ” and a “ bitch.
” “ I didn ’ t resist .
I just laid there , ” she said , dabbing at her eyes .
Weinstein has denied all wrongdoing , and his defense team has spent much of the trial , now in its fourth day , reframing each encounter as consensual .
Attorneys Donna Rotunno and Damon Cheronis have repeatedly referenced emails and other communications between Weinstein and his accusers that took place long after the dates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the women would have such positive interactions with him if he was a violent predator .
After the alleged 2006 assault , Cheronis said , Haley flew to London with Weinstein and later reached out to pitch him a television show .
In 2008 , Cheronis claimed Haley even sent him a message that seemed almost romantic .
“ That ’ s not predator and prey , ” Cheronis said .
“ The state is going to try and pull a magic trick and say it was because she was fearful … that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email , Cheronis said Monday , Haley wrote that it was “ great to see ” Weinstein and had signed the missive “ lots of love ” Haley ’ s expected testimony follows that of Annabella Sciorra , the Brooklyn actress of “ Sopranos ” fame who has claimed Weinstein assaulted her in her Gramercy Park home in the early 1990s .
Cheronis ’ cross-examination will continue later on Monday afternoon .

Fearing she had no realistic chance of escape as Harvey Weinstein allegedly backed her into a bedroom in a New York City apartment in 2006, Mimi Haley told jurors Monday that she eventually decided surrender was her best chance at survival.
“I couldn’t even get away from him at all,” Haley said of the moment Weinstein allegedly orally forced himself on her. “Ultimately, after a while, I decided to check out and endure it. That was the safest thing to do at that point.”
Haley, a former production assistant at Weinstein Co. who worked on shows such as “Project Runway,” testified for nearly six hours in a Manhattan courtroom Monday, becoming the second of six women expected to testify against the fallen Hollywood titan at his sexual assault trial.
For two and a half hours, Haley repeatedly burst into tears as she detailed a number of escalating closed-door experiences with Weinstein. She said her fear of Weinstein became so all-encompassing that she had sex with him two weeks after the date she alleges he assaulted her, even though she didn’t want to, not even understanding that could be considered rape.
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“Mr. Weinstein has a lot more power and resources and connections ... I didn’t really think I would stand a chance,” she said when asked why she didn’t challenge him or contact the police after two separate incidents in July 2006.
Weinstein is charged with first-degree rape, two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from Haley’s allegations and another woman’s accusation that the mogul raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013.
Haley first came forward in 2017 at a news conference alongside attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several accusers against Weinstein and has sat in the front row of the courtroom since proceedings began last week. She said Monday that she changed her last name from Haleyi to Haley, in part, because of the intense interest in the Weinstein allegations.
During several hours of cross-examination, defense attorney Damon Cheronis aimed to pick apart Haley’s allegation, highlighting a number of emails and other communications between Weinstein and her that suggested they remained cordial for years after the alleged assault.
Cheronis, who asked questions in rapid-fire sequences and raised his voice to a shout on numerous occasions, also grilled Haley for going public with her accusations against Weinstein in 2017 without disclosing that they had stayed in touch or that she had contacted him for help finding work several times after the alleged assaults.
“The truth is, the reason that you didn’t tell the world the rest of it … is you knew that [the world] would look at you skeptically,” he said.
Haley said she first met Weinstein at the 2004 premiere of the film “The Aviator.” The connection eventually helped her break into the production world, as Weinstein scored her a job on the set of the Miramax show “Project Runway” in 2006.
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But Haley said it also made her a target of the mogul’s allegedly relentless lust. Before he helped her land the New York job, Haley alleges Weinstein called her into a meeting at his hotel during the Cannes film festival and asked her for a massage. When she declined, he asked to give her a massage, which she refused as well.
Not wanting anything more than a professional relationship with Weinstein, Haley said, she left.
Weinstein, however, would not relent. Back in New York, he repeatedly asked her to travel to Paris with him for a fashion show, at one point showing up at her apartment uninvited, trying to convince her to take the trip, she said. He refused to leave until Haley made a joke about how Weinstein had “a terrible reputation with women,” which seemed to offend him, she testified.
Concerned she had fractured her most important relationship in the film and television industry, Haley said she agreed to meet with Weinstein again at his SoHo apartment in July 2006.
She remembered the conversation being casual and friendly, until Weinstein lunged forward and attempted to kiss her.
Panicked, Haley said she kept retreating from Weinstein, even mentioning she was menstruating, until she stumbled backward into a bedroom. As Haley recalled the alleged assault, tears began streaming down her face.
“He pushed me down. He held me down by my arms … no, stay, like that … and I said, ‘no, no’ and at that time I started realizing what was actually happening and I thought … this is being raped,” she said Monday.
She said Weinstein had forcible oral sex with her.
Haley recalled a second incident two weeks later at a Tribeca hotel, where she said Weinstein threw her onto a bed and forced himself on her. In shock, Haley said, she laid still the entire time while the mogul called her a “whore” and a “bitch.”
“I didn’t resist. I just laid there,” she said, dabbing at her eyes.
Later on, Haley said she initially told prosecutors she didn’t believe the second incident would be considered rape because she “didn’t physically resist.”
Weinstein has denied all wrongdoing, and his defense team has spent much of the trial, now in its fourth day, reframing each encounter as consensual. His defense team has repeatedly referenced communications between Weinstein and his accusers that took place long after the dates of the alleged assaults.
Cheronis on Monday called attention to Haley’s decision to stay in contact with Weinstein for several years after the July 2006 incidents. The day after one of the attacks Haley described in court, she boarded a plane to Los Angeles with a ticket purchased by Weinstein. Haley said she wanted to visit a friend who was giving birth, and did not go to the movie premiere Weinstein had planned to bring her to as a guest.
In 2008, Cheronis claimed Haley sent him a message to the mogul that seemed almost loving.
In the email, Cheronis said Monday, Haley wrote that it was “great to see” Weinstein and had signed the missive “lots of love.”
Haley’s testimony followed that of Annabella Sciorra, the Brooklyn actress of “Sopranos” fame who has accused Weinstein of assaulting her in her Gramercy Park home in the early 1990s.
Much like Sciorra, Haley said she figured reporting Weinstein would be futile and instead chose to move forward with her life while trying not to let the alleged assault define her existence.
I decided to just almost pretend it didn’t happen and just put it aside and just carry on as usual,” she said. “Put on the brave face.”


latimes--2020-01-27--Kobe Bryant's death in helicopter crash stuns the world, leaves L.A. grieving

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--2020-01-26--Lopez: Kobe Bryant was L.A. — our dreams, our sweat and the drive that unites a far-flung city

In Los Angeles , we live in far flung neighborhoods , with thousands of intersections but little overlap .
Except where sports is concerned .
The richest fans sit courtside at Staples Center , but they are no more a part of the sports community than legions of anonymous black , white , Latino and Asian fans who work and sweat and yearn and watch games on television , wearing the jerseys of Magic , Kareem , LeBron and Kobe , and believe , always , that winning is not a just possibility but a local birthright .
Kobe Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A guy who made us believe that with enough work and desire , winning is more than a distant dream .
A guy who once sat on the end of the bench but became a local hero who delivered great joy .
And , on an eternally gray day , an even greater sense of loss .
The first time I proposed writing about Kobe , I had a colossally bad idea .
The year was 1997 and I was working for Time Inc. , in a job that involved occasional stories for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career as a sportswriter and always had an eye out for stories to pitch to SI , and I was certain I had a good one .
I wanted to write about what a mistake it had been for Bryant to skip college and turn pro straight out of high school .
I was living in Philadelphia at the time , not far from where Bryant caught the attention of the basketball gods while defying gravity for Lower Merion High School .
And I actually felt sorry for Bryant , who spent much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planted on the bench .
He could have been leading a great university to an NCAA title , I thought , and getting a college education , too .
Instead , there was no telling how long it might take him to become a contributing member of the Lakers .
More than one editor rejected my pitch , arguing that it was too soon to make such a judgment , and besides , who was I to tell a young phenom how to manage his life ?
Thank you , thank you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few stories I regret , but that one would have topped the list .
A year later , at 19 , Bryant was the youngest player ever to suit up in an NBA All-Star game .
It was the first of 18 All-Star appearances in a 20-year career that included five titles , and he seemed always to have known his destiny .
I was working on an unrelated story a year or two later and saw Bryant in the Lakers ’ locker room , where he was being interviewed by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d spent part of his childhood in Italy and that he spoke Italian .
Still , I recall being impressed by his poise and deft handling of the language .
Of course , we make too much of athletes .
We glorify them , idolize them , expect miracles of them .
And they of course are human , which means they are deeply flawed .
Bryant was no exception .
He was accused in 2003 of raping a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado .
A civil lawsuit against him was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bryant apologized for what had happened , but some fans — particularly women — never forgot .
In 2011 Bryant was fined $ 100,000 by the NBA for using a homophobic slur on a referee .
He later said “ that wasn ’ t cool and was ignorant on my part ” and he encouraged others to own up to their own biases .
I didn ’ t know Bryant .
Few of us did .
But as a father , a husband , a businessman , a person , he showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ darkest moments and worst instincts , that he grew , that he understood that his greatness gave him a platform to appeal to our better selves .
He is immortalized now in Los Angeles lore both for his rare combination of talent and relentless commitment to hard work , and for the tragedy of his early death in the helicopter crash in Calabasas that took the life of his teenage daughter and seven others .
When I first saw a social media post on the accident , I hoped it was a mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick joke .
For a man who devoted so much attention to the detail of his craft , it seemed incomprehensible that he would go down in a helicopter in dense fog on a day when the darkness never lifted .
But he did , and the pall that spread across Southern California has traveled around the world .

In Los Angeles, we live in far flung neighborhoods, with thousands of intersections but little overlap. Except where sports is concerned.
The richest fans sit courtside at Staples Center, but they are no more a part of the sports community than legions of anonymous black, white, Latino and Asian fans who work and sweat and yearn and watch games on television, wearing the jerseys of Magic, Kareem, LeBron and Kobe, and believe, always, that winning is not a just possibility but a local birthright.
Kobe Bryant was their guy. Our guy. A guy who made us believe that with enough work and desire, winning is more than a distant dream. A guy who once sat on the end of the bench but became a local hero who delivered great joy.
And, on an eternally gray day, an even greater sense of loss.
Advertisement
The first time I proposed writing about Kobe, I had a colossally bad idea.
× L.A. mourns the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
The year was 1997 and I was working for Time Inc., in a job that involved occasional stories for Sports Illustrated. I had begun my career as a sportswriter and always had an eye out for stories to pitch to SI, and I was certain I had a good one.
I wanted to write about what a mistake it had been for Bryant to skip college and turn pro straight out of high school.
I was living in Philadelphia at the time, not far from where Bryant caught the attention of the basketball gods while defying gravity for Lower Merion High School. And I actually felt sorry for Bryant, who spent much of his first season with the Lakers planted on the bench.
He could have been leading a great university to an NCAA title, I thought, and getting a college education, too. Instead, there was no telling how long it might take him to become a contributing member of the Lakers.
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More than one editor rejected my pitch, arguing that it was too soon to make such a judgment, and besides, who was I to tell a young phenom how to manage his life?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve written a few stories I regret, but that one would have topped the list.
1 / 43 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) 2 / 43 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) 3 / 43 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) 4 / 43 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) 5 / 43 The pilot was identified by colleagues as Ara Zobayan, 50, of Huntington Beach. (Bernadette McKeever) 6 / 43 The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter (N72EX) that crashed in Calabasas. (Geraldine Petrovic / Polaris) 7 / 43 A tribute to Kobe Bryant is projected on the Los Angeles Times building. (Los Angeles Times) 8 / 43 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) 9 / 43 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) 10 / 43 People pay tribute to Kobe Bryant outside the gated community in Newport Coast where his family lives. (Don Leach / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 43 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) 12 / 43 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) 13 / 43 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) 14 / 43 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) 15 / 43 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) 16 / 43 Fans mourn near Staples Center after learning that Lakers great Kobe Bryant had died. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 43 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) 18 / 43 A woman kneels at the makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 43 A man kisses the ground as Lakers fans gather at a memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 43 Fans gather around a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live on Sunday evening. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 43 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) 22 / 43 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) 23 / 43 A Lakers fan touches a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 43 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) 25 / 43 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) 26 / 43 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) 27 / 43 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) 28 / 43 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) 29 / 43 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) 30 / 43 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) 31 / 43 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) 32 / 43 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) 33 / 43 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) 34 / 43 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) 35 / 43 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) 36 / 43 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) 37 / 43 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) 38 / 43 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) 39 / 43 Lakers fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a makeshift memorial. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 43 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) 41 / 43 Fans gather at a makeshift memorial outside Staples Center to mourn Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 43 Fans gather outside Staples Center at a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 43 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)
A year later, at 19, Bryant was the youngest player ever to suit up in an NBA All-Star game. It was the first of 18 All-Star appearances in a 20-year career that included five titles, and he seemed always to have known his destiny.
I was working on an unrelated story a year or two later and saw Bryant in the Lakers’ locker room, where he was being interviewed by an Italian news crew. I knew that he’d spent part of his childhood in Italy and that he spoke Italian. Still, I recall being impressed by his poise and deft handling of the language.
Of course, we make too much of athletes. We glorify them, idolize them, expect miracles of them. And they of course are human, which means they are deeply flawed.
Bryant was no exception. He was accused in 2003 of raping a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado. A civil lawsuit against him was settled confidentially and criminal charges were dropped. Bryant apologized for what had happened, but some fans — particularly women — never forgot.
In 2011 Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for using a homophobic slur on a referee. He later said “that wasn’t cool and was ignorant on my part” and he encouraged others to own up to their own biases.
I didn’t know Bryant. Few of us did. But as a father, a husband, a businessman, a person, he showed repeatedly that he was more than his darkest moments and worst instincts, that he grew, that he understood that his greatness gave him a platform to appeal to our better selves.
He is immortalized now in Los Angeles lore both for his rare combination of talent and relentless commitment to hard work, and for the tragedy of his early death in the helicopter crash in Calabasas that took the life of his teenage daughter and seven others.
When I first saw a social media post on the accident, I hoped it was a mistake or someone’s idea of a sick joke. For a man who devoted so much attention to the detail of his craft, it seemed incomprehensible that he would go down in a helicopter in dense fog on a day when the darkness never lifted. But he did, and the pall that spread across Southern California has traveled around the world.
steve.lopez@latimes.com