Kobe Bryant

The Philadelphia Eagles used some special motivation ahead of their Week 3 win over the Washington Commanders.

Head coach Nick Sirianni showed the team a clip of the Netflix documentary "The Redeem Team" with Kobe Bryant during a pregame meeting Saturday night:

It seemed to help as the Eagles dominated their NFC East rival, taking a 24-0 lead before finishing with a 24-8 win.

The clip featured Kobe—who grew up in Philadelphia and starred at Lower Merion in Montgomery County in high school—sending a message in Team USA's game against Spain, hitting friend and Lakers teammate Pau Gasol in the chest.

"No, he ain't my teammate right now," Bryant said at the time, as Carmelo Anthony recalled.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, faced Carson Wentz, the current Commanders quarterback who spent five years with the Eagles. Even if some on the team were still friendly with Wentz, it didn't show on the field as the squad finished with nine sacks and 17 quarterback hits.

It's also not the first time Sirianni has used Kobe, who tragically died in 2020, as a motivational tool for his team. The coach also showed a video of the Basketball Hall of Famer ahead of his first training camp in 2021.

With the Eagles off to a 3-0 start, the tactics appear to be working.

Chris Chester lost his wife and daughter in the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed nine people, including Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and his family was awarded $19.95 million in a settlement with Los Angeles County.

Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today reported the agreement covers the $15 million verdict Chester won in a trial against the county in August and additional money to guarantee he doesn't look for future litigation in relation to the crash.

Both Chester and Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe Bryant, sued the county for invasion of privacy and alleged members of the sheriff's and fire department took photographs of the crash scene for their own personal use.

The case went to an 11-day trial, and the jury ruled the county violated their constitutional rights.

Bryant—who has not settled with the county like Chester—was also awarded $15 million, although it was initially reported as $16 million. It was reduced by $1 million because of an error on the verdict form.

Schrotenboer noted Los Angeles County paid $1.25 million each in settlements to two other families who lost people in the crash. Those families did not take their cases to trial, while Bryant and Chester did in front of a jury that awarded the damages for past and future emotional distress.

Bryant's attorney, Luis Li, said she will donate the money to the Mamba and Mambacita foundation to honor her husband and daughter.

According to the Mamba and Mambacita foundation's website, it is "dedicated to creating positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports" and "founded through the vision and loving memory of Kobe and Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant."

Vanessa Bryant won her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments over photos taken at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.

A jury awarded Bryant $16 million, according to TMZ Sports. Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash, was awarded $15 million.

"All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi," Bryant wrote on Instagram Wednesday.

On Friday, Bryant testified in court that she was "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed" upon learning from a February 2020 Los Angeles Times report that first responders had taken photos of Kobe and Gianna at the scene of the crash.

"I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream," Bryant said. "I can't escape my body. I can't escape what I feel."

She added: "I trusted them. I trusted them to not do these things."

Bryant was suing L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, his department and the L.A. County Fire Department.

She said in the lawsuit that the first responders' actions caused her severe emotional distress. She also testified that if the photos were made public, it would be devastating for her and her family.

According to the lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, at least eight sheriff's deputies took photos at the crash site on their personal cellphones.

"The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification," the lawsuit read.

Since sharing the photos, most of the sheriff's deputies have gotten new phones and the photos have been deleted, according to Alene Tchekmedyian of the Los Angeles Times.

In closing arguments Wednesday, L.A. County attorney Mira Hashmall said that deleting the photos "resulted in them never being distributed publicly" and argued that "first responders taking photos did not violate Bryant's rights," according to CNN.

"She urged the jury to consider the law, which only allows for a verdict against the county if it can be proven county policies were deficient enough to prevent the spread of the photos or if there is a longstanding custom of such behavior within the sheriff and fire departments," CNN wrote.

In response to the photos being taken, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an invasion-of-privacy bill in September 2020 called the "Kobe Bryant Act," which makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of the deceased at a crime scene unless it's for official law enforcement purposes.

On the same day Vanessa Bryant received the verdict, just one day after Kobe's Aug. 23 birthday, Los Angeles was celebrating the life of the Lakers legend on "Kobe Bryant Day"—8/24, for the two numbers he wore during his historic NBA career.

Vanessa Bryant took the stand Friday, and she recalled the moment she learned first responders had taken photographs of her late husband Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed them and seven others in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.

Bryant testified Friday in court that she was "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed" to learn that authorities took photos of her deceased family members, per TMZ Sports.

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who informed Bryant that there were no survivors in the crash, did not tell her at the time that the bodies of Kobe and Gianna had been photographed by his deputies.

Bryant said she learned of the photographs through a February 2020 report in the Los Angeles Times.

"I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream," Bryant said. "I can't escape my body. I can't escape what I feel."

She added: "I trusted them. I trusted them to not do these things."

Bryant also testified that if the photos were made public, and she were to see them, that it would be too devastating for her to bear.

"I don't ever want to see my babies in that way," she said. "Nobody should ever have to see their family in that way."

Bryant is suing sheriff Villanueva and his L.A. County department after learning deputies took photos of her deceased family members at the crash scene. She claims in the lawsuit that their actions have caused her severe emotional distress and she is seeking unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by TMZ Sports, "no fewer than eight sheriff's deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches. The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification."

Since sharing the photos, nearly all of the sheriff's deputies have gotten new phones, per Alene Tchekmedyian of the Los Angeles Times.

A retired captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department testified he was ordered to take photographs of the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others.

"I followed many instructions that day but was told, 'Take pictures, take pictures, take pictures,'" Brian Jordan said in court, per TMZ Sports.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant were traveling to Gianna's game at Mamba Sports Academy on Jan. 26, 2020. Passengers Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan were also killed when the helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.

Vanessa Bryant filed suit in September 2020, alleging Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies took pictures of the crash and shared them with people outside of the department.

The LAFD conducted its own investigation and determined in May 2021 that two firefighters captured images that "served no business necessity" and "only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip."

According to USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer, Jordan was identified by the department as having taken some of the photos and planned to fire him prior to his voluntary retirement.

Luis Li, an attorney for Bryant, contended in a court filing that Jordan "directly focused on human remains and then sent the photos to at least one other Department employee, who proceeded to share them over cocktails at a public awards show function."

Jordan’s attorney, Steven Haney, countered his client was "was simply obeying orders." Schrotenboer also noted Jordan "disputes many of the department’s findings and says the county used him as a scapegoat for its own shortcomings."

Jordan's testimony comes after Deputy Doug Johnson, a member of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, said he "didn't do anything wrong" and he followed orders to document the crash scene.

Johnson testified to texting 25 photos to a deputy at a nearby command post and AirDropping them to an LAFD supervisor. He described the sharing and receiving of photos of dead bodies as "common practice."

During the trial, Li provided a visual aid alleging how crash photos taken by one sheriff's deputy wound up being shared among more than a dozen sheriff's deputies and another dozen LAFD members.

An attorney for Vanessa Bryant argued a "culture of callousness" caused Los Angeles County police officers and firefighters to share photographs from the scene of a helicopter crash that killed her husband, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna and seven others.

"They were shared by deputies playing video games. They were shared repeatedly with people who had absolutely no reason to receive them," attorney Luis Li said during opening statements of a civil trial Wednesday, per Andrew Dalton of the Associated Press.

Li added the pictures were "visual gossip" shared by those who were at the scene "for a laugh."

J. Mira Hashmall, a lawyer for L.A. County, said "site photography is essential" and argued the photos weren't widely distributed after the January 2020 tragedy.

"They're not online. They're not in the media. They've never even been seen by the plaintiffs themselves," Hashmall said. "That is not an accident. That is a function of how diligent they were."

The defense team stated LAPD officials, including sheriff Alex Villanueva, called a meeting and ordered all photos be deleted after being informed they were shown by an off-duty sheriff's deputy at a bar.

Li said the Bryant family wasn't informed of the photo sharing and only found out about it through a Los Angeles Times article, adding Vanessa will be "haunted by what they did forever," per Dalton.

"January 26th, 2020, was the worst day of Vanessa Bryant's life. The county made it much worse," Li said. "They poured salt in an open wound and rubbed it in."

Bryant is joined by Chris Chester, whose wife, Sara, and daughter, Payton, were also killed in the crash as plaintiffs in the case seeking unspecified damages.

Two other families agreed to a $2.5 million settlement with the county, per Dalton.

The National Transportation Safety Board wrote in its final report that pilot error was the most significant factor in the crash, saying pilot Ara Zobayan entered an area of poor visibility while flying at "excessive airspeed" and lost control of the aircraft.

Temporary statues of Kobe and Gianna were placed at the scene in January as part of a memorial marking two years since their death.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May 2021.

LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant never shared a basketball court together at the same time, but one trading card that brings the three all-time greats together is on the precipice of setting records.

Goldin Auctions will open the bidding for a Triple Logoman card that features game-worn jerseys from James, Jordan and Bryant later Wednesday night, with the opening bidding starting at $750,000. TMZ Sports reported the card could sell for more than $3 million when bidding closes.

The card, released during the 2006-07 season, features a patch worn from when Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls, LeBron James' first tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers jersey worn by Bryant.

While it's unclear when each jersey was worn by each player, Byrant did not switch his number to 24 until the 2006-07 season. That would indicate the jersey worn for the card was from that campaign.

"You have received a Michael Jordan. LeBron lames and Kobe Bryant Game-Used trading card. On the front of this card are pieces of memorabilia that have been certified to us as having been used in an NBA game. We hope you enjoy this piece of basketball history, as we continue to keep you as close as you can get!" the card reads.

A Triple Logoman featuring jerseys worn by James from his Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers era recently sold for $2.4 million.

Fresh off winning his fourth NBA championship and first NBA Finals MVP, Golden State Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry backed his team when asked to give his take on a hypothetical series against the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.

In an interview with Complex's Zion Olojede, Curry was asked to pick who would win a seven-game series between the 2016-17 Warriors led by himself, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and the 2000-01 Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal:

"Between the '96 Bulls and the hypotheticals of a seven-game series, the 2001 Lakers and that hypothetical series, or every other hypothetical series that people say we should've lost because of an injury or because of whatever the case may be, those conversations are trivial. But at the end of the day, if you could match up in some alternate universe, us versus the 2001 Lakers, obviously we feel like we can win. I don't know who would guard Shaq, but I don't know who would guard me and Klay either. We rockin' with that. And three is better than two."

Both teams are considered two of the greatest of all time, featuring multiple current or future Hall of Famers, and they both won titles.

While the 2015-16 Warriors set the NBA record for most wins in a single regular season with 73, they shockingly fell to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors then signed Durant in free agency, making the 2016-17 Dubs one of the most talented squads in NBA history.

They also dominated the league, going 67-15 during the regular season and 16-1 in the playoffs, including a 4-1 series win over the Cavs in the Finals, which concluded with Durant being named NBA Finals MVP.

As for the Lakers, the 2000-01 season marked their second of three consecutive NBA championships on the backs of the superstar duo of Kobe and Shaq.

Of that three-year stretch, 2000-01 was the Lakers' worst campaign in terms of regular-season record at 56-26, but like the 2016-17 Warriors, they lost just one playoff game en route to beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the Finals and winning a championship.

Shaq was named NBA Finals MVP, and he was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs that season, averaging 30.4 points and 15.4 rebounds, while Kobe added 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

To Curry's point, Shaq likely would have feasted on the 2016-17 Warriors since they didn't place much emphasis on protecting the paint and didn't have anyone capable of guarding him.

At the same time, that Warriors team had three of the best shooters ever in Curry, Thompson and Durant, and the Lakers could not have matched them in that regard, as Rick Fox and Derek Fisher were the only Lakers to average better than one three-pointer made per game that season at 1.4 and 1.3, respectively.

By comparison, Curry (4.1), Thompson (3.4) and Durant (1.9) all averaged more trifectas per game from the 2016-17 Warriors.

Both teams were dominant in their own ways, and it is nearly impossible to predict who would come out on top if they played since they had such different styles and played in different eras.

Regardless, they are two of the greatest teams of all time, and they deserve all of the accolades and praise they have received.