As the world continues to mourn the sudden death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash, an interview he had two years ago about the helicopter has gone viral.
The NBA star was a fan of helicopter travel and had said that it maintained his body and kept him healthy.
His Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that crashed on Sunday was built in 1991 to carry VIPs like Bryant. When Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys later bought the helicopter, it changed its tail number to N72EX.
It is the same craft Bryant took to his final game in April 2016.
In his January 2018 interview with Jimmy Kimmel about his dearly loved “Mamba Chopper”, the basketball legend is asked if he still uses the helicopter even after retiring from the NBA.
“I still fly it down there,” Kobe responds.
“Are you flying it by yourself now?” Kimmel asks.
“Dude, no. I barely even trust myself behind the wheel of a car, let alone a helicopter…”
Bryant was a passenger on a helicopter that crashed near Calabasas in Los Angeles. His 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who was following in his footsteps as a rising basketball star herself, was one of those who died in the crash.
Watch his 2018 interview about his helicopter below:
https://youtu.be/7hOowe4OBt8
