Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, reportedly agreed to never fly on a helicopter together.
The eerie revelation comes in the wake of a fatal Sunday morning helicopter crash which took the lives of Kobe, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others, as Blavity previously reported.
“He and Vanessa had a deal that they would never fly on a helicopter together,” a source told People.
The couple’s decision was not based on fear, but it was because of their desire to “always consider what was best” for their daughters, according to the source.
“It’s not necessarily because you are concerned something will happen, it’s just a precaution,” the source said. “A lot of couples with children make plans that are in the best interest of their children. It was the same for Kobe and Vanessa.”
The two had four children together: Bianka Bella Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant, Capri Kobe Bryant and the late Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant.
"He was so proud to see them take after not only him and Vanessa, but also grow into their own. He had a special bond with each of his daughters,” the source also said.
"One of the biggest things he was looking forward to after retiring from the NBA [in 2016] was getting to spend more time with his family, He was a very hands-on dad and, like any other father, saw such bright futures for all of his daughters," a family friend told People.
People also reports Bryant only flew in helicopters piloted by Ara Zobayan, who was among the nine individuals who were killed.
In a 2018 interview with MLB star Alex Rodriguez for The Corp With A-Rod and Big Cat podcast, the Black Mamba explained his reasoning for using helicopters to get around Los Angeles.
"Traffic started getting really, really bad, and I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic. … I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time. So that’s when I looked into helicopters, to be able to get down and back in 15 minutes, and that’s when it started," Bryant explained.
The five-time NBA champion insisted on picking up his children from school.
"You have like road trips and times where you don’t see your kids. So every chance I get to see them and spend time with them, even if it’s 20 minutes in the car, like I want that,” Bryant said.
Among the other victims of the crash were John Altobelli, an Orange Coast College baseball coach, his wife Keri, their daughter, Alyssa, Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at a private school in Orange County, and Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton, as Blavity previously reported.
