Kobe Bryant’s Pilot, Ara Zobayan, Was Also Kawhi Leonard’s Pilot: Report

If you missed it, Ara Zobayan was the pilot of the helicopter crash that took the life of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 of their friends in Calabasas Sunday morning. He was an experienced flier and a certified flight instructor with over 8,000 hours of flight time. So it’s safe to say Kobe had no reason not to trust Ara.

Harry How/ Getty Images

While Ara was Kobe’s go-to pilot over the last couple years, it turns out he was also Kawhi Leonard’s pilot as well according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

“Kawhi Leonard actually had the same pilot as Kobe Bryant. Ara Zobayan. That was Kawhi Leonard’s pilot as well,” he says in the clip (below).

Its unclear of the specifics of him being their pilots, but it’s safe to say Ara was looked at as one of the top pilots in LA for the celebrities. In fact, we even heard reports that Kylie Jenner flew with Ara in the past as well. 

We’ll keep you updated with more details on the crash as they’re unveiled, but the last we heard was that the “black box” hasn’t been located. The bodies however have been recovered, including that of Kobe Bryant’s.