NEW ORLEANS — While many are remembering Kobe Bryant for his basketball skills, some in New Orleans are thinking about how he helped the community. Twelve years ago, Bryant came here to give back in a big way.
Basketball fans will always remember Kobe Bryant as a star. However, those who live in a quiet neighborhood in the East, said it was his time off the court they'll always treasure.
"To come back and build a community that needed it so much — that's family," said one resident.
In 2008, Bryant came to New Orleans for the NBA All-Star Game. It was then when he and other athletes partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for a mom and her three kids.
"All the players were incredibly gracious about signing autographs, giving hugs, letting people take their pictures and just really being a presence — letting people know that New Orleans was not forgotten — letting people know that they cared," said Marguerite Oestricher, the Habitat for Humanity Executive Director.
Three years post Katrina, New Orleans was just beginning its road to recovery. For those on Wilson Drive, hope had washed away. However, this project Bryant was involved in, helped build that back up.
"I was right over here when the water hit," said the resident. "To come back and see people building the community, to help build and give our neighborhood a chance to come back, I loved that. I'll remember him as a person, him being who he is beyond the sport of basketball."
So as we mourn his sudden death, in New Orleans, his legend lives on. Remembering him not just as a great athlete, but as a person who helped out when it was needed most.
"Here was a celebrity who cared," said Oestricher. "Who gave back and he didn't just give cash. He gave with his hands and his heart, and he worked side-by-side with local families to make New Orleans stronger and better."
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