02/24/2020 - 18:58
- Clarín.com
- sports
Among the various characters who took the stage to remember Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, was Rob Pelinka. To non-basketball players, the name will not tell them much. But he is a central person in the life of the deceased player: he was his representative and one of his best friends. Today, in addition, he is the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.
With that first-hand knowledge, it was he who left some of the richest anecdotes of the now eternal legend. Especially, because he talked to Bryant until minutes before he died.
Pelinka was the godfather of Gigi, Kobe's daughter who also died in the helicopter accident. Photo: EFE
Pelinka received a message from Kobe that same morning on January 26. And so he related:
"I opened the message and wondered if I knew a baseball agent in Southern California. I told him that I had been with one just the other night and would be happy to help him. He returned the message telling me he wanted to help a friend of his get an internship. in a baseball agency for one of her daughters, Kobe highlighted the girl's character, intellect, work ethic, she saw a bright future, I answered her right away and told her she would help him, a few minutes later, Kobe, Gianna and seven other beautiful souls went up to heaven. "
There, visibly moved, Pelinka paused. He regained strength and managed to continue.
"The girl who wanted to help so much was Lexi Altobelli, the daughter of the coach who was in the helicopter. Kobe's last human act was heroic. He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape the future of a bright girl. Isn't it what have you done for all of us? "
Lexi, in fact, lost almost his entire family in the accident that cost Kobe and his daughter Gigi their lives. John (56 years old), his father, who was a baseball coach, was traveling in the helicopter; Keri (46), her mother, and her sister Alyssa (13), who played on the same basketball team as little Bryant.