Kobe

Bryant

Photos of Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were reportedly inappropriately shared by first responders and the family will be compensated as a result. The verdict came down on 8/24, which are the two numbers Kobe wore in the NBA, and just one day after what would have been his 44th birthday.

Last season the 34-year-old guard was fourth in the NBA with 38.4 minutes per game. His minute allotment was up from 33.9 in 2010-2011, so it’s not surprising that he probably won’t flirt with 38 minutes again in the upcoming season. The Black Mamba still has plenty of fantasy game, but he’s not a first-round pick this year.

According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Colangelo said the original dates of enshrinement weekend, Aug. 28-30, and the proposed alternate dates of Oct. 10-12, are “just not feasible” in light of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 in the U.S. and has rendered large gatherings taboo. The board of governors will convene on June 10 to explore spring dates, and Colangelo adds that the 2021 ceremony will be on a different day next year and the events will not be combined. The 2020 class is one of the best ever with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan as all-time greats, and it’ll be another emotional day to honor Kobe’s legacy.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company and its owner, Island Express Holding Corp., back in February. However in her suit the pilot of the helicopter, Ara Zobayan, was also listed as a defendant. That is not the case in the suits filed on Monday. The plaintiffs in the new lawsuits are two children of John Altobelli, who along with his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa passed away in the crash, and the husband and three children of Christian Mauser.

There will be a formal announcement on Saturday, and the NBA has been expected to induct Kobe into the Hall of Fame since his tragic helicopter crash in January. Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston adds that Rudy Tomjanovich will also be elected to the Hall of Fame in what is the best class since 2009 (Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, C. Vivian Stringer). It’ll be an emotional day for the NBA community as it honors one of its greats.

A woman claimed she was assaulted by Bryant on Tuesday night. Bryant turned himself in two days ago and is cooperating with the investigation.

There are many stats to ignore during preseason, but this one could be telling. Kobe may end up leading the league in percentage of his team’s points, but it may not make the Lakers big winners. To be fair, though, Caron Butler, Vlade Divac, Brian Grant and Luke Walton did not play last night because of injuries.

The good news is that Kobe is making 10.1 free throws per game. Only four players in NBA history have averaged more made charity shots over the course of a season. As for the low shooting percentage, it comes with the Allen Iverson-type role Kobe created for himself with the Lakers.

Kobe’s stats have seen no repurcussions as a result of his injury or missed practices.

The Lakers begin a 5-game road trip Feb. 6, and “it’s unlikely that he’ll play on the trip,” Laker spokesman John Black said Thursday. Once the trip ends, the Lakers have one home game before the All-Star break, so they might as well let Kobe have the extra rest over the break before bringing him back.