On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna Bryant and Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, and the helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. On the one-year anniversary, Los Angeles Times sports reporters Dan Woike and Broderick Turner reflect on how the Lakers, Los Angeles, and themselves have processed the tragedy.
Former staff writer Dan Woike covered the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times after spending two seasons covering the league as a whole, with an emphasis on Los Angeles’ teams. His work has been honored by the Pro Basketball Writers Assn. He previously covered the Clippers during the “Lob City” era for the Orange County Register, spending most of the past decade chasing NBA teams around the country. He’s also covered the Chargers, the Angels, the Dodgers and USC while in Los Angeles.
Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.
