Speaking ahead of the first ODI, Virat Kohli further said that people tend to take life for granted in pursuit of control over the future.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 26: Memorial signage hangs near people mourning for former NBA star Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, near Staples Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Nine people have been confirmed dead in the crash, among them Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. David McNew/Getty Images/AFP
Indian men’s cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said the death of Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has affected his perspective towards life. Speaking ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand, Kohli further said that people tend to take life for granted in pursuit of control over the future.
“Firstly, it was a shock to everyone. I grew up watching those NBA games in the morning and watching what he did on court. But when someone that you have looked up to in some ways, passes away like that, it does put things in perspective,” PTI quoted Kohli as saying on the eve of first ODI of the three-match series in Hamilton.
“…at the end of the day, life can be so fickle. It’s so unpredictable. I think a lot of the times we get too caught up in the pressures of what we have to do tomorrow…we really forget living life and enjoying life and just appreciating and being grateful for the life we have,” he added.
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Kobe, a five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star during his 20-year long stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash last month along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, who was also a budding hoopster.
According to reports, Bryant was on his way for a Basketball game of his daughter Gianna Bryant when the helicopter crashed in Calabasas of southern California, a suburb near Los Angeles. Those aboard the helicopter also included another player and parent.
Payton Chester, 13, Alyssa Altobelli, 13, and their coach, Christina Mauser, were among the nine individuals who died while en route to a basketball tournament held at the Mamba Sports Academy facility in Thousand Oaks, California, along with Kobe and Gigi. Payton’s mother, Sarah Chester, and both of Alyssa’s parents, Keri and John Altobelli, as well as the pilot, Ara Zobayan, all died.
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