Kawhi Leonard flew with Kobe’s pilot Ara Zobayan, unsure if he will use helicopter again

Kawhi Leonard spoke publicly about Kobe Bryant’s death for the first time on Wednesday, and the Los Angeles Clippers star said he is unsure if the helicopter crash that killed Kobe, Kobe’s daughter and seven others will discourage him from using that method of transportation in the future.

Leonard said that Ara Zobayan, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed, had flown him to and from many games in the past. He said there were times when Zobayan would pick him up after having just taken Kobe somewhere, and Leonard described Zobayan as a “good dude.” When asked if the crash will give him pause about traveling via helicopter in the future, Leonard said he is not sure.

Zobayan was, by all indications, a very trusted pilot. He was Bryant’s preferred pilot, so Kobe must have had good reasons for that. Unfortunately, freak accidents happen.

Sunday’s crash is still under investigation, but some audio that was released from the minutes before it happened indicated Zobayan was trying to navigate through bad weather. It appears that was a factor.