Today (January 26, 2020) the world lost an NBA legend. Kobe Byrant, 41, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
TMZ reports, “We’re told they were on their way to the Mamba Academy for a basketball practice when the crash occurred. The Academy is in nearby Thousand Oaks.”
Tributes for Bryant have been pouring in on social media. Some players have been seen crying on the court as they try to warm up for their games.
Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star, won five league titles – all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s regarded as one of the best players to ever play the game.
A memorial for Bryant has been placed outside of the Los Angeles Staples Center, as seen in a video posted to Twitter by Yahoo Sports.
Kobe is survived by his wife Vanessa and their daughters — Natalia and Bianca and their newborn Capri.
Fellow NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted a heartfelt video tribute to Bryant, saying the loss of Bryant is “hard to comprehend.”
The NBA Players Association has released a statement regarding the death of Bryant.
“We are stunned and devastated by the news of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant,” the statement said. “Words cannot express his impact on our Players, the NBA and the game of basketball. This is a monumental loss for the entire basketball community and our hearts are quite simply broken. We send love and prayers out to his wife Vanessa and the entire family.”
Tributes have flooded Twitter since news of his death, here is a sampling:
And then there are these heart-wrenching moments.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bryant’s family and friends. It’s an absolutely gut-wrenching day for the NBA community.
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