During his two decades with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant did more than just score baskets — he made dreams come true.
As People reported, the late NBA legend granted more than 200 Make-A-Wish requests throughout his career, which was just one of the incredible ways he gave back to his fans and used his celebrity status to help better the world.
The five-time champion and former NBA MVP tragically died on January 26 when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed.
Everyone aboard the aircraft, including Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was killed in the crash, CNN reported.
The helicopter had been en route to a basketball game in Thousand Oaks where Gianna and two other young girls aboard were going to play in a basketball game, coached by Bryant.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation has since shared a statement about Bryant’s death and his generous philanthropy with the organization.
“Make-A-Wish is devastated to learn of wish granter Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna’s tragic death,” the statement read. “Kobe granted more than 200 wishes, giving each child hope for a brighter future. Our heartfelt condolences to the Bryant family and all the families who lost a loved one.”
Some of those fans with life-threatening illnesses who met Bryant over the years have now shared stories of their encounters following his passing.
Jordan Patterson met the NBA star eight years ago when he was 13 and fighting kidney dysfunction.
“Meeting Kobe was probably the highlight of my life,” he told WITI . “It boosted my spirits to high. I’m really grateful for that. [He] signed all my pictures, took any pictures I wanted, answered all my questions.”
Henry Moore’s dad, Patrick, thought the youngster would want to meet the stars of the Disney channel show *The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody*, but he wanted to meet Bryant instead.
“We didn’t bring anything for Kobe to sign and didn’t want to impose on him in any way,” Moore shared in a Facebook post . “We were grateful for Henry just to be able to see Kobe play a game in person. We expected he would take a quick photo and be done.”
“Kobe asked why we didn’t bring anything to sign and he sent an assistant to the Laker’s store in the Staples Center. The assistant brought back a TON of stuff and Kobe signed it all. He held Henry through much of our visit. The memorabilia is still all over Henry’s bedroom.”
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Partnering with Make-A-Wish was just example of Bryant’s philanthropic work.
He also volunteered for the Boys & Girls Club of America, and participated in the NBA’s Care Initiatives, helping to build homes and basketball courts, stock food panties, and support reading initiatives.
He was the spokesperson for the After-School All-Stars children’s charity, the Aid Still Required disaster relief fund, and supported various cancer initiatives, like 2012’s Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser.
Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, also launched the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation in 2007.
The organization sponsored international enrichment experiences for minority college students, and also offered youth scholarships for the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy.
In 2016, Bryant spoke with Time Warner Sportsnet about his work with Make-A-Wish:
“Basketball is something that will come and eventually go, the beauty in that is trying to use that time to inspire others and provide some sort of escape for them. I think that’s something that lives well beyond the game of basketball and is probably most important.”
h/t: People , CNN , Time Warner Sportsnet
