Yahoo News Pilot in Kobe Bryant's tragic crash also flew for Kawhi Leonard
The tragic death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has devastated the entire NBA, but the specifics of the helicopter crash that took the lives of Bryant, his daughter and seven others carry even more meaning for a crosstown rival.
Ara Zobayan, Bryant’s preferred helicopter pilot who was at the controls during the crash, was also the personal pilot of Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, Yahoo Sports senior NBA insider Chris Haynes reports.
Like many other NBA stars, Leonard also had a close personal relationship with Bryant.
Tuesday’s game between the Lakers and the Clippers was postponed as grief continued to hit the Lakers organization.
Per the Los Angeles Times, Zobayan was an experienced pilot and certified flight instructor with more than 8,000 hours of flight time.
While the National Transportation Safety Board has only released a preliminary analysis of what caused the fatal crash, experts have pointed to heavy fog in the area that limited visibility and low altitude for Zoboyan’s flight as major factors.
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