Fan Snaps What Most Are Calling Kobe Bryant's 'Last Photo' A Day Before Fatal Helicopter Crash

The death of basketball great Kobe Bryant sent shockwaves across the world, a fatal incident that millions across the world are still trying to process.

But just a few hours before the fatal helicopter crash claimed the lives of the football legend, his daughter and seven others, a fan snapped what some say is his last picture.

Thirteen-year-old Brady Smigiel was playing in a tournament at the academy, where Bryant - who owned the academy - was present as well.

According to a Facebook post by Brady's mother, after Gianna's first game, which her team lost 46-29 to Cyfair Nikecoop 2024, Brady came forward and asked Kobe for a selfie.

Bryant told him 'We'll get a better pic tomorrow', but died on the way to Sunday's tournament along with eight others on the helicopter.

The Facebook post read: "Been off FB for a bit, but I had to post. This was yesterday. He told Brady 'we will take a better pic tomorrow'. I just can¡¯t believe it. I saw the crash on a Malibu News station and said 'sure hope that wasn¡¯t Kobe'. Freaky I thought it was him and it was."

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#Mambacita ??@KobeBryant ?? @kingjames ¡°Happy Birthday¡±- #GigiBryant (My twin in the 1st Pic and twinning w/her daddy in the 3rd pic ??)

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant ? (@vanessabryant) on Dec 29, 2019 at 9:08pm PST

Brady waited until Gianna's second game of the day ended and waited outside for Bryant and his daughter to walk out, his mother said.

Kobe Bryant's untimed death shook the whole world. He was considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

His wife Vanessa Bryant, made her first public statement Wednesday, posting a long message on Instagram.

"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who've shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them.

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My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who¡¯ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe ¡ª the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna ¡ª a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren¡¯t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I¡¯m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it¡¯s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless ¡ª and that¡¯s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality. To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna¡¯s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ??

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant ? (@vanessabryant) on Jan 29, 2020 at 4:59pm PST

"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe -- the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna -- a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri."

RIP Kobe Bryant & Gianna!