Remembering the best of times! Retired football star Chad Johnson opened up about his “favorite memory” involving late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death on Sunday, January 26.
“When my son [Chad Johnson II] was young — I posted [about] it — the tickets were too expensive,” the Cincinnati Bengals alum, 42, told Us Weekly exclusively at the EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest on Thursday, January 30. “At this time, I was playing and I’ve always been extremely cheap. But courtside tickets to a Lakers game in Kobe and Shaq [O’Neal]’s prime was unreal. I had my PR call Kobe’s PR and I had the connection with Kobe. He said, ‘Listen, no problem! I know [of] two courtside seats.’”
The former wide receiver continued, “That spoke volumes for me. For him allowing me to get two courtside [seats] for my son to watch him play, I was forever grateful.”
Before speaking about the late NBA star to Us, Johnson posted about Bryant’s tragic death via Instagram on Sunday. He shared a candid shot of himself with the fellow pro athlete as they were in the midst of a conversation.
“Very few can command the ear & have their knowledge stick with you,” Johnson wrote at the time. “Some moments & words will last a lifetime. R.I.P Kobe Jellybean Bryant 👼🏽.”
Bryant died on Sunday at age 41 following a deadly helicopter accident in Calabasas, California. His private helicopter crashed into a hillside, causing it to immediately erupt into flames. He died alongside eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to Us on Wednesday, January 29, that all nine victims had been identified. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star, is survived by his wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, and daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
Vanessa, 37, broke her silence on her husband and second eldest daughter’s death on Wednesday. “Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them,” she wrote via Instagram, sharing a photo of the family of five. “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.”
The model continued, “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.”
With reporting by Alexandra Hurtado
