Sports and celebrity fans around the globe are mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others who lost their lives in a fatal helicopter crash on January 26. It is believed that the basketball star was on his way to Mamba Sports Academy where Gianna was competing in a basketball tournament. While the investigation into the cause of the accident continues, comments which the 41-year-old sports star made in past interviews are emerging. In one standout, emotional chat with good friend Alex Rodriguez for his postcast The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat, Kobe revealed the reason why he decided to use helicopters to get around LA.

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“Traffic started getting really, really bad, I would be sitting in traffic and missing the school play because I was sitting in traffic,” he explained to Jennifer Lopez’s boyfriend, “I had to figure out the way where I can still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time. That’s when I looked into helicopters.” The former Lakers star was in charge of taking his four daughters to school and doing the pick up - which he would not miss for anything. “My routine was always the same, wake up early in the morning, kids to school, flying out, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media and everything I needed to do, fly back, get back to carpool mode and pick the kids up, ” he said. “Every time I get the chance to see them, to spend time with them, even though it’s 20 minutes in a car, I want that.”

People magazine reported that Kobe and his wife had a deal that they would never fly together in a helicopter. After the tragic news, Vanessa will have to look after their three daughters, 17-year-old Natalia, three-year-old Bianka and seven-month-old Capri.