By Aaron Miller-
The bereaved family of Kobe Bryant’s have called on the media to respect their privacy during the difficult times following the death of the NBA star and his daughter. They said inaccurate reports are only adding to the pain for his grieving loved ones.
Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Gianna, 13, her teammates and their parents, their basketball coach and the pilot were headed to a game Sunday when the helicopter crashed into a hillside and killed all nine people aboard.
Molly Carter, President Of Kobe Inc said: “We are disappointed in some media’s broad use of unnamed sources and blind quotes, and remind everyone that the Bryant family will speak on our own behalf when appropriate,aid
The “unnamed sources and blind quotes” cited by the media following their deaths are not coming from the family, Molly Carter, president of Kobe Inc., told the Los Angeles Times.
“To this point, no one has been authorised to speak on behalf of the family regarding any personal details surrounding Sunday’s tragedy, including stories related to the family’s previous air travel decisions,” Carter told the paper. “We ask members of the media for respect and responsible judgement during this difficult time. These inaccurate reports only add unnecessary pain to a grieving family.”
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, made her first public statement on the loss of her husband and daughter on her Instagram Wednesday.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” she wrote. “Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them.
The family’s request came after the NBA announced a new format for next month’s All Star game to honour the sporting legend. The format will “increase the level of competition, provide additional excitement and make the outcome of every quarter count for charity”.
The two teams captained by LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for Chicago-based community organisations. Adding to the exciting new framework, the community organisation selected by the winner of each quarter will receive $100,000 (£76,441.50).
At the start of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a Final Target Score will be set.They will compete to win each of the first three quarters, each of which will start at 0-0 and last 12 minutes.