Kobe Bryant’s Last Human Act on Earth Is Gut-Wrenching
The last thing Kobe Bryant did moments before his tragic death was revealed during his public memorial.
On Monday (February 24), thousands of people attended a service at the Staples Center — dubbed "A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna" — to honor the late basketball player, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the seven others who were killed in a helicopter crash last month in Calabasas, California.
Following Vanessa Bryant's heartbreaking tribute to her "soulmate" and "baby girl" and Beyoncé's emotional performance, one of Bryant's longtime friends, Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, hit the stage to honor him. During his eulogy, he told the crowd about NBA star's last "heroic" human act on earth.
"Do you remember where you were on that foggy sunless morning of January 26th when the axis of the world seemed to shift forever? For all of us," he said. "I was in Sunday church with my family."
Pelinka explained that he'd gotten a text from Bryant on the morning of January 26 asking for any names of any baseball agents because he wanted to help a friend get an internship for one of his young daughters.
"A handful of minutes later, Kobe and Gianna and seven other beautiful souls ascended into heaven. Kobe had been texting me from the helicopter," he said. "The girl in that text chain that he was wanting to help so badly was Lexi Altobelli, the surviving daughter of coach John Altobelli who was also on the helicopter."
"Kobe's last human act was heroic," Pelinka added.
"He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl's future. Hasn’t Kobe done that for all of us? Kobe was literally the best friend anyone could ever ask for," he continued. "He always championed and passionately celebrated the accomplishments of others and downplayed his own."
You can watch Rob Pelinka's Kobe Bryant speech, below: