Kobe Bryant: Teens Alyssa and Payton, Gianna's teammates who died with her, touched lives with their smiles
Sunday, January 26 saw the tragic deaths of nine people in a fatal helicopter crash.
The nine people who lost their lives were basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, Gianna’s basketball teammate Alyssa Altobelli, her mother Keri and her father John. Another basketball teammate of Gianna's, Payton Chester and her mother Sarah, also died in the crash. Another basketball coach Christina Mauser was also amongst the victims.
The passengers had been on the way to a basketball game when the chopper crashed. It is believed that bad weather conditions and dense fog disoriented the pilot. As the world mourns the devastating loss, here is looking at the lives of Gianna's 13-year-old friends and teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester. Both teenagers played for Bryant's Mamba Academy.
Alyssa Altobelli
Like Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli was also an aspiring basketball player, supported by her loving parents. She was an eighth-grader at Horace Ensign Intermediate School and her father John was a renowned baseball coach. One of the best friends to Gianna, Alyssa is survived by her brother JJ and sister Lexi. Alyssa had been on the way to play in a tournament when the chopper she was on, crashed. Her uncle Tony Altobelli shared with NBC News that their family had been in denial about the accident. He also shared that Alyssa was best friends with Gianna and loved playing for Bryant's academy.
Kobe Bryant had also posted about Alyssa and some of Gianna's other teammates on his Instagram dating back to November 2019. He had captioned: "I hate seeing my #teammamba girls play against each other. This is GREAT defense by our mamba pg Alyssa Altobelli and a familiar-looking fade by our 2gd the #Mambacita." She had been a point guard with the girl's Mamba basketball team.
Friends and family gathered in Newport Beach to honor Alyssa and her parents. They praised the teen for her strong work ethic and contagious smile, ABC reported. Her friends shared that sports had played an important role in Alyssa's life and shared their memories of her.
A friend of hers, Ellie Robinson, said, "if she was smiling, other people were always smiling around her. She was respectful. She knew how to handle herself. She knew what to say. She was nice, she was funny."
Payton Chester
Payton, another teammate of Gianna's, was also a passionate basketball player. The Chesters had released a statement saying: "Sarah and Payton were the lights of our family. Payton had a smile and personality that would light any room and a passion for the game of basketball. She found joy on any court and loved all of her teammates and coaches. Sarah was full of life and the glue of our family."
Former principal at Payton's school Harbor View Elementary, Todd Schmidt, had taken to Facebook to share, "while the world mourns the loss of a dynamic athlete and humanitarian, I mourn the loss of two people just as important. Their impact was just as meaningful, their loss will be just as keenly felt, and our hearts are just as broken."
Schmidt had also spoken to CNN and said, "If I had a new student, I could just go to Payton and several of her friends and they would just make sure that person, from almost the moment, that she met them, would feel at ease, at home and just part of the Harbor View family. And she did it with just this big smile."
As per the OC Register, La Serna High football coach Andy George shared that his niece Payton loved basketball and had been playing with the Mamba team for some time. "She was on the Mamba team for years, she loved it. It was obviously a big part of her life. He (Bryant) was always there for them. (Payton) wanted to play in high school and college. It’s just so hard to believe they’re gone."