Sports often serve as a lifeline to pull us out of life’s worst situations. But not now.
The 18-time NBA All Star, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, is part of a nine-member class that includes multiple All-Star selections Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Bryant, Duncan, Garnett and Catchings all are first-time finalists. Nominees needed to received at least 18 votes from the 24 electors to be enshrined.
The FAA said Ara Zobayan was piloting an AS350 helicopter in May 2015 when he violated rules governing the airspace around Los Angeles International Airport.
Before tip-off, the singer and actor Jennifer Hudson, who is a Chicago native, sang with a montage of photos of Bryant and his daughter in the background.
A great white off the coast of Guadalupe Island was spotted in a regular gathering spot for the breed and, as he was recorded as #24 in the MCSI database, was named after the basketball legend.
In one key new disclosure about the crash, the NTSB investigative update said: "viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure."
The twin-engine Sikorsky S-76B slammed into a hillside and killed all nine people on board.
President Donald J. Trump’s “Deal of the Century” was more commercial break than news item
A photo of Bryant and his daughter was projected above the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium.
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