Kobe Bryant envisioned all the Mamba Academy girls playing together at Sage Hill High. Then came the Jan. 26, 2020 chopper crash that killed 9, including Bryant and daughter Gianna. Amalia Holguin, Bryant's youngest protégé, is last to reach Sage Hill.
Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. The Times looks back on the life of the Lakers legend.The journey began in May 2018, back when the Mambas played under the name “Riptide” and had a game against Holguin’s youth-ball team. Afterward, Bryant came up to her father, who still remembers the conversation.“She’s really special,” Bryant said. “I can make her great.
The team needed a tall girl — a “big” — and Bryant assured Mamba parents that he was looking to recruit one. Instead they got Holguin, a tiny 10-year-old walking onto a team of 12- and 13-year-olds.One of Holguin’s first experiences with the“I just wanted to continue on that journey and get all these dubs, and carry on Kobe and Gigi’s legacy.”From left, Emily Eadie, Amalia Holguin, Zoie Lamkin and Annabelle Spotts cheer on their Sage Hill teammates.
“It was kind of an interesting tactic,” Bazzell said. “People may say that’s a little over the top, but [Kobe] always had a rule: If you don’t want to be here, if you don’t want to show up, that’s your choice.” So Holguin pushed. Eventually, Bazzell remembered, the girl broke down from sheer exhaustion. Collapsed into tears. Didn’t want to stop — just couldn’t continue.And Bryant went and picked her up, made Holguin laugh and canceled the rest of the weekend, Bazzell said.“It was more of an affirmation, than anything else, that she was willing and able to get herself to that point of being uncomfortable,” Bazzell said.
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