Sports Agent Honors Kobe Bryant's 'Last Human Act' with Internship for Alexis Altobelli
Scott Boras, a prominent sports agent in baseball, plans to carry out one of Kobe Bryant‘s final wishes.
At Monday’s celebration of life ceremony in honor of the nine victims of last month’s helicopter crash, Rob Pelinka — the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers — revealed that Bryant had reached out to him minutes before he died, asking if he had a contact for Boras to refer a family friend’s daughter for an internship.
Bryant was vouching for 16-year-old Alexis Altobelli, now the surviving daughter of John Altobelli, who was also aboard the fatal helicopter crash. His wife Keri and their younger daughter Alyssa, 14, were also passengers.
“Kobe’s last human act was heroic,” said Pelinka, 50, in his speech. “He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl’s future.”
Boras has since stepped in to make that a reality. According to the Los Angeles Times, on Tuesday, the 67-year-old reached out to Alexis’ older brother J.J. about creating a position for Alexis. In the role, she will gain experience throughout the company, in marketing, operations, sports science and office administration capacities.
When news broke of the tragedy in January, Boras issued a statement on Twitter, sharing his condolences for those impacted by the losses. Boras had worked with John.
“My deepest condolences to the Altobelli family on the loss of John, Keri and their daughter, Alyssa,” he said. “John Altobelli was a storied baseball man and mentor with brilliant coaching skills.”
He added: “A beloved member of his community, John has been a kind, caring and devoted husband, father and friend for 25 years. His spirit, passion and love for the game will be missed.”
Boras also mentioned that he attends the same church as the Bryants, saying that “Kobe’s love and dedication to his family, to basketball, and to overcoming everything in his path are a legacy that will not be forgotten.”
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John, Keri and Alyssa were honored in a public memorial earlier this month at Angel Stadium, a fitting venue for the “first family” of Orange Coast College baseball, where John coached for almost 30 years.
The three family members perished alongside Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan in the helicopter crash on Sunday, Jan. 26, as they were all on their way to a basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
On the day of the crash, John’s brother, Tony Altobelli, described how much his brother meant to the community.
“You want to live [how] my brother did; he was straight and narrow, he worked hard and he earned the respect of everybody who ever knew him and he left a legacy that will go way beyond his time spent in Orange Coast,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I don’t know how you can not want to live a life like that.”
