Christina Mauser, Who Was Killed in Kobe Bryant Crash, Loved 'Her Husband, 3 Kids' Basketball
Christina Mauser, who was killed alongside Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash on Sunday, was full of love for the things that mattered most in her life.
“She loved three things so much: her husband, her three kids, and basketball. That’s who she was,” Mauser’s friend tells PEOPLE of Christina, a girl’s basketball coach for Harbor Day School in Orange County, California.
“She understood the strategy of the game. She had famous athlete friends, but she didn’t brag about them. That’s not who she was. She was very humble. She didn’t name drop. She didn’t brag,” the friend says, adding that Mauser was incredibly proud of her husband Matt and their three children.
The friend adds, “The only thing she did brag about was her family. She loved Matt and the kids. She was a dedicated mother, tireless and had all the energy in the world. You could get tired just watching her because she was a bundle of energy. And so very smart and efficient.”
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In addition to being there for her family, Mauser always made time to support her friends, no matter how busy her schedule was.
“Anything you needed, she could help you with. She could add more and more to her plate, and she never complained about how busy she was. She never buckled. She never got tired. She used to say, ‘never let them see you sweat.’ And she really meant that,” the friend says.
“She knew basketball, and to her, it was a way to be with her family. Everything she did was because of her family. And I’m devastated for them that she’s gone,” they add.
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Ryan Williams, a partner at Athletes First — one of the top football agencies in the world — knew Bryant and Christina, and shared how Mauser was a rock for her friends.
“When my wife was on bed rest with our twins for months, Christina was the most frequent visitor. A smile, a laugh, a good story…she had it all. In scary times, she was always a good day. In good times, she always made it a great day,” he wrote on Twitter.
“She made everything better. You’d always end an interaction with her by thinking, ‘She really is the best,’ ” he added. “She truly was special. Praying for Matt, their kids and all the families mourning today.”
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Calling into the Today show on Monday, Mauser’s husband remembered her as a “beautiful, smart, funny” person.
“It’s horrible,” Matt said. “It’s horrible. I’ve got three small kids, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom.”
Sources told ESPN that the helicopter was headed to a travel youth basketball game.
John Altobelli, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was also on board the aircraft, as was his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli, who was a teammate of Gianna’s.
Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton Chester of Orange County have also been identified as victims of the crash, as well as the pilot, Ara Zobayan.
