The Jeffersonville High School Student Section Honors Basketball Star’s Passing

Former NBA legend Kobe Bean Bryant has been an inspiration to his community and people around the world. On January 26, 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash at the age of 41 along with his daughter Gianna Bryant (13 years old) and 7 others. 

Around the world, people were in shock when they heard the news. Bryant was everywhere in our lives, he didn’t just impact basketball, he impacted the world. Whether it was an advertisement with him, an action his charity took, or kids shouting “Kobe” before throwing a balled-up piece of paper in a trashcan, Bryant’s influence was all around us, and he was apart of almost every athlete’s life. Bryant was more than a player, he was an inspiration, an icon and a legend, on and off the court.

The Jeffersonville High School Student Section decided to honor Bryant at the Homecoming game on Friday, January 31. Student Section leader and Senior Adam Crawford said he came up with the idea to change the theme to purple and yellow (the colors of the Laker’s jersey.) Crawford said he was inspired to change the theme, “Because he was someone who didn’t just inspire basketball players, but he inspired the whole world.” 

Bryant’s Career

• 20 seasons in the NBA
• 4th on the all-time scoring list with 33,643 career points
• 5 NBA Championships
• 2 finals MVPs
• 18 NBA All Star game appearances
• 11 NBA first-team selections
• 9 NBA Defensive first-team selections
• 2 Olympic Gold Medals (2008 and 2012)

Story by Cameron Allen