‘Still hard to grip’
Auriemma reflects on loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant one year after tragic helicopter accident
UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is still trying to come to grips with the death of NBA star Kobe Bryant.
Tuesday marked one year since the tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., that killed Bryant, 41, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people on board.
“I’m amazed that it’s been a year already,” Auriemma said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “I’m amazed that so much has transpired since last January. It doesn’t seem that long ago, does it?”
The loss of Bryant reverberated through the sports world, including at UConn, where Bryant had strong ties. Bryant and his daughter attended Senior Day in 2019 at Gampel Pavilion, and afterward visited the team’s locker room. Bryant was also at the 2018 Final Four in Columbus, Ohio, and a game against UCLA in Los Angeles in 2017.
UConn honored Kobe and Gianna a day after their deaths during an exhibition versus the U.S. National Team at the XL Center. The Huskies draped a No. 2 jersey — the number worn by Gianna — on their bench. A bouquet wrapped in blue and white ribbons rested on one of the chairs. In February, Auriemma spoke at Bryant’s memorial service in Los Angeles, remembering him as a fierce competitor, loving father, and ambassador for women’s basketball.
“I tried to write a long flowing speech about basketball, and I can’t do it,” the UConn women’s basketball coach told the 20,000 in attendance at the Staples Center. “There’s too many thoughts in my head ever