Orange County reflects on death of Kobe Bryant, others lost in helicopter crash
Orange Coast College women’s basketball coach Samantha Doucette said Monday night she reckoned she would not spend much time on social media the following day.
The one-year anniversary of the helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others arrived on Tuesday.
Bryant, a Los Angeles Lakers great and a Newport Beach resident, has been celebrated in numerous ways — from murals and memorabilia collections to Orange County declaring Aug. 24 to be “Kobe Bryant Day” in recognition of the Nos. 8 and 24 he wore during his playing career.
Doucette has coped with the tragedy by remembering those who were lost on her own terms, when she chooses to as opposed to when a reminder comes up unexpectedly.
“I guess you could say I’m a Kobe fanatic, even more now than I was before,” said Doucette, who was a three-time NAIA All-American while playing for the Vanguard University women’s basketball team. “I’m buying all of his books, any magazine that [his face is] on. That’s how I feel close to that short time in my life, when I was able to learn from him and be a part of his life.”
Also lost in the fatal accident were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa; Sarah and Payton Chester, a mother and daughter from Newport Beach; Huntington Beach resident and Mamba Academy basketball coach Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan, the pilot for the ill-fated trip that was headed for a basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.
Doucette, who said she formerly coached two teams in the Mamba Sports Academy, described the aftermath of the tragedy as world-stopping.
“Not only was the entire world on pause, but really everything going on within our teams because we just lost our leader, we lost some of our players, and one of my players lost her mom,” Doucette said.
She said it had been like a dream when she did coach at the Mamba Sports Academy, interacting with Bryant five days a week, not only learning from him but being treated like a normal person.
“He treated all of us like we had known him for years and we grew up together,” Doucette said. “Obviously, him and I, we’re different ages, but that’s how he treated anyone that he was close with was like you were his friend and he remembered little things about your life.”
Kobe Bryant murals were a popular destination for those wishing to celebrate the life of the Southern California sports icon on Tuesday. At the mural of Kobe and Gianna located on the wall of El Toro Bravo market in Costa Mesa, more than a dozen candles were lit in their memory.
Allie Ramirez, 30, of Santa Ana, said watching Kobe and the Lakers was a communal experience that brought people together. After leaving flowers at the site, she recalled being with fellow fans outside Staples Center for Bryant’s last game.
“It was like a bunch of Lakers fans, and we actually went to a restaurant right next door,” Ramirez reminisced.
“We were all watching the game there, and it was like we were inside the Staples Center. It was so amazing. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had.”
Tyson Pruong, 32, of Santa Ana, came with Ramirez, who also wore a shirt with the Nos. 24, 8 and 2, the last being the jersey number worn by Gianna.
“He was an amazing player on the court, amazing person off the court,” Pruong said. “I’m not even a Lakers fan, but I idolized his game so much growing up.”
Ryan Radford, 35, of Costa Mesa, said he grew up in Maryland, but he became a Lakers fan because of Bryant. After posing for a picture in front of the mural with his dog, Radford said the reason for his visit to the artwork was the same as why he went to the Staples Center on the day of Bryant’s death — to pay his respects.
“It was very melancholy,” Radford said, remembering the scene at Staples Center that day. “It was a sad sight to see. There was some occasional cheering involved. Obviously, people were out there showing their respects, but it was quite a scene, man. It was overwhelming. A lot of emotional spectators.”
John Altobelli, who won four California Community College Athletic Assn. state championships in his 27 years at the helm, was honored as Orange Coast College shared a virtual memorial video on YouTube.
The 40-minute video featured remarks from Pirates close to Altobelli, including his brother, sports information director Tony Altobelli, as well as head baseball coach Nate Johnson. OCC Athletic Director Jason Kehler, President Angelica Loera Suarez and Dean of Kinesiology and Athletics Michael Sutliff also gave remarks.
Johnson was named head coach last July, shedding the interim title he was given after John Altobelli’s death.
“I could tell stories all day long,” Johnson said. “I definitely miss those three [John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli]. It’s never easy to talk about. I thank all of you guys for the support that you showed myself and this team through last year … Remember those that were on the helicopter today.
“Make today count. That was ‘Alto’s’ favorite saying, ‘Make today the best day,’ and I know he lived that way. He instilled it in our players. He talked constantly about that you never what’s going to happen … [but] make today a great day, and make every day a great day. Appreciate what you have, love your family, but more important, make today a great day.”
Tony Altobelli, a former Daily Pilot sportswriter, put his brother’s four state championship rings behind him during his speech. The first one, earned in 2009, came after one of the Pirates’ players, catcher Jourdan Watanabe, died during the season.
“It’s wonderful that his memory is never going to be forgotten,” Tony Altobelli said. “It’s painful, but you have to get through it. I hope this video helps other people get through it, because that’s what John would want. John would say, ‘Enough’s enough. Let’s move on and let’s love live, live life, hug each other and tell everyone we love each other and share wonderful stories and memories.’ I know that’s exactly what we’re going to do when we get back on campus again. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my career at Orange Coast keeping John’s memory alive and telling stories.”
Altobelli closed out his speech with a quote from new President Joe Biden, spoken at a COVID-19 memorial the night before his inauguration.
“To heal, we must remember,” he said. “It’s hard sometimes to remember, but that’s how we heal.”
Christina Mauser’s husband Matt, a musician who is the lead singer of local band Tijuana Dogs, put on a concert with the Pete Jacobs Big Band on Tuesday evening. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefitted the Christina Mauser Foundation.
::
Support our sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
For more sports stories, visit latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/sports or follow us on Twitter @DailyPilotSport.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
