Kobe Bryant

Pilots Jerry Griffin (left) of the Birmingham Police Department and Jonathan Johnson of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office conduct a helicopter training flight using new virtual reality technology.

National

New Virtual Reality Tool Aims To Reduce Aviation Crashes

10:32am February 15, 2021

by Russell Lewis

The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant highlighted an aviation problem: It's difficult for pilots to recover after entering clouds by mistake. New virtual reality technology aims to change that.

Queue Listen Now

Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, shown here in 2018, were killed in a helicopter crash last year.

NTSB Says Pilot Had 'Spatial Disorientation' In Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash

2:09pm February 09, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

Also contributing to the accident, the safety board said Tuesday, was the pilot's likely "self-induced pressure" to please a high-profile client and a bias toward continuing with the established plan.

'Kobe Bryant Bill' Makes It A Crime For First Responders To Photograph Dead Bodies

5:08pm September 29, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The bill, signed into law on Monday, came after reports surfaced of gruesome photos being shared of the helicopter crash site that killed Bryant and others.

Pilot training is some of the most rigorous of all modes of transportation. Elizabeth White (L) practices landings with instructor Megan Brown at the airport in Auburn, Ala.

National

The Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash: Aviation Wrestles With Decades-Old Problem

9:39am June 23, 2020

by Russell Lewis

The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others in January has highlighted a decades-old problem in aviation: pilots continuing flights into bad weather rather than landing.

Kobe Bryant, seen in 2016, played 20 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five NBA Championships.

Sports

Basketball Hall Of Fame Postpones Enshrinement Because Of Coronavirus

5:28pm May 28, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

The ceremony for the Class of 2020, which includes the late Kobe Bryant, could now be pushed to as late as next spring.

Flowers and photos honor members of the Altobelli family outside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Coach John Altobelli, 56 (far right) his wife, Keri, 43 (second from left) and his daughter Alyssa, 13 (left) died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 that als

Sports

Family Members Of Four Killed In Kobe Bryant Crash Sue Helicopter Company

10:49pm April 20, 2020

by Hannah Hagemann

Two more lawsuits come two months after Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters Inc. and Island Express Holding Corp., which operated and owned the aircraft.

Kobe Bryant, seen during a game in 2015, was selected for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, after he died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna earlier this year.

Sports

Kobe Bryant Elected To Hall Of Fame In Posthumous 'Peak Of His Career'

6:41pm April 04, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The Los Angeles Laker legend, who died shockingly more than two months ago, headlined a star-studded 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class on Saturday that also includes Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

Oregon Ducks guard Sabrina Ionescu (center) celebrates with teammates after setting a triple-double milestone against Stanford on Monday in Palo Alto, Calif.

Sabrina Ionescu Sets NCAA Record — Hours After Speaking At Bryant Memorial

1:51pm February 25, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

The Oregon star spoke with deep respect for Gianna's game. "She had a fadeaway better than mine," she said. "If I represented the present of the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it."

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 29, 2019 in Los Angeles.

Thousands Attend Kobe Bryant Memorial In Los Angeles

9:02pm February 24, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

Some 20,000 people got tickets to say farewell to NBA great Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. People without tickets were being urged to watch at home.

Sports

Saturday Sports: U-Hauls For The Big And Tall As NBA, MLB See Major Trades

8:03am February 08, 2020

Will Boston regret letting Mookie Betts go? Which NBA teams look tougher after the trade deadline? Howard Bryant of ESPN breaks it down for NPR's Scott Simon.

Queue Listen Now