At around 5 p.m. the night before he died, Kobe Bryant was on a daddy-daughter date.
The retired Lakers star strolled through a swanky outdoor Newport Beach (California) mall a few miles from his home with 3-year-old daughter Bianka at his side. They paused to watch fish swimming in a koi pond and played together alongside a fountain before Kobe took Bianka for a treat.
Paradiso Gelato barista Denis Apugliese served them a cup of hazelnut ice cream and marveled at the man Kobe had become. Apugliese saw a competitor who had softened in retirement, a celebrity who was gracious and kind to everyone around him, a father who treasured spending time with his daughter.