The deaths of National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Kobe “Bean” Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant have led to an outpouring of support and condolences from sports’ icons, to entertainment celebrities.
The two were involved in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning in Calabasas, California on their way to Bryant’s basketball training facility Mamba Academy.
According to AP, retired NBA great Michael Jordan said, “Words can’t describe the pain I am feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force.”
“Kobe was loved in Los Angeles. He not only played at the peak of his sport but everything he did was quality from the film to books to philanthropy. It’s truly a sad day in LA,” wrote Mark Suster, managing partner of the Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures, in a private message to TechCrunch.
As per ESPN, Shaquille O’Neal took his shock to Instagram saying, “There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through now with this tragic and sad moment of losing my friend, my brother, my partner in winning championships, my dude and my homie. I love you brother and you will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW!”
Bryant has achieved a myriad of accolades since gracing the basketball court at the age of 18 – becoming NBA’s youngest basketballer.
The 41-year-old was a five-time NBA champion, spending his entire basketball career with Los Angeles Lakers and is one of the greatest in the game’s history.
Over the course of Kobe’s storied career, he was an 18-time All-Star and was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2007/08 season. He ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and once scored 81 points in a single game, the second-most ever.
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