Nearly three months after the tragic helicopter death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, the tributes continue to pour in.
On Friday, the younger Bryant, as well as Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, were made honorary picks of the 2020 WNBA Draft.
The WNBA pays tribute to the lives of Alyssa Altobelli, Gianna Bryant and Payton Chester by selecting them as honorary draftees in the #WNBADraft 2020. pic.twitter.com/AqpZnc4xfo
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 17, 2020
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the draft is being held remotely. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is presiding over the proceedings from her home in New Jersey.
Altobelli and Chester played on the same basketball team as the younger Bryant. On the day of the accident, all were en route to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County.
Altobelli’s parents, John and Keri, were also on the helicopter that crashed just outside of the greater Los Angeles area on Jan. 26. John Altobelli had been a baseball coach at Orange Coast College for 27 years.
