Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a helicopter accident, alongside seven other people, on January 26th. The whole basketball community has been in a state of shock since their deaths and numerous tributes have poured in since. Yesterday, the city of Los Angeles got to pay respects to Kobe and Gigi as a public memorial was held at the Staples Center. Numerous people spoke at the event, including those who Kobe knew best. One of those people was none other than Rob Pelinka who was Kobe's agent for many years. Pelinka is now the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers and up until Kobe's death, the two remained in touch.
During Pelinka's speech, he revealed that Kobe was texting him just moments prior to the helicopter accident. In true Kobe fashion, the Lakers legend was looking to help out a friend with an internship. Kobe wanted to know if Pelinka knew any baseball agents his friend could potentially intern with.
The story is a happy reminder of the kind of person Kobe was. While he may have been ruthless on the court, he was someone who wanted to help those who deserved a chance. While Pelinka was sad throughout his speech, you could tell he was beaming with pride over just how great his friend was.