Brokenhearted fans react to NBA legend Kobe Bryants tragic death

Brokenhearted and devastated Kobe Bryant fans and sport icons fought back tears and shock as news of the 18time NBA AllStar basketball legends death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas California plunged the sporting world into gloom Sunday Kobe Bryant was 41Bryants daughter Gianna 13 was also confirmed dead They were among 9 people on board who were all killed in the crash The group was travelling for Giannas basketball game which was to begin at noon local time in the Thousand Oaks area Bryant was riding in an S76 helicopter when it crashed just before 10 am into a steep hilly area about 30 miles northwest of Los AngelesAs screens began flashing the dateline Kobe Bryant 19782020 the Bryant fandom struggled to come to terms with their heros mention in past tenseThis hurts real bad Elena a young basketball player in New Jersey local league told IANS Its after I watched him play that I picked up a basketball for the first timeBryant is frequently hailed as one of the acebest basketball minds by the games greatest starsMost people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete said NBAs AllTime Leading Scorer Kareem Abdul Jabbar in a video statementFor 20 seasons Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning NBA commissioner Adam Silver saidBryant he said would be best remembered for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their abilityLos Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James broke down after learning of Kobe Bryants passing James passed Kobe Bryant on the alltime scoring list barely 24 hours agoHow a family is shattered its just incomprehensible said Ernie Johnson Host of Inside the NBA on TNT Im just at a lossFormer US President Barack Obama tweeted Bryants life after basketball was just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second actTo lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable dayAs the news exploded across geographies talking heads on network television kept breaking down as they spoke about Bryant the legendTennis star Maria Sharapova tweeted that she would never forget Bryants generosity and the time he set aside in some of my most difficult momentsI am forever grateful My heart is with you and your beautiful familyWords cannot describe the pain Im feeling a statement from Chicago Bulls 15time NBA star Michael Jordan said I loved Kobe He was like a little brother to me he saidWhen he was barely 18 Kobe Bryant announced famously Ive decided to skip college and take my talent to the NBA Around that time Bob Costas a career sportscaster interviewed Bryant and today pressed the rewind button to those memories as news brokeHe was an unusual 18 year old very mature and he always had superstar quality Bob Costas told CNNFans in Los Angeles mourning Bryants passing posted videos on social platforms of their teams sitting out from their practice sessions basketballs in hand cryingBryants father too was an NBA player and trained Kobe in both the US and Italy Bryant never wore any uniform other than the Lakers which is increasingly rare in pro sports and certainly in pro basketball Bryant wore two numbers though 8 and 24At many games around the US on Sunday players took a 24 second shotclock violation or 8 second backcourt violations to honour Bryants memory and his legendary jersey numbers as applause for Bryants achievements rang through the bleachersFans dressed in Kobe Bryant gear thronged Staples Center in Los Angeles which put up a giant screen honouring the basketball legendBryant was the winner of the NBAs Most Valuable Player Award for the 200708 season and the Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010 Bryants career highlights include a jaw dropping 81point game in 2006 that is the secondhighest singlegame total in NBA history He won gold for the US Basketball in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics Bryant also has an Academy Award to his name for his animated short film Dear Basketball in 2018Bryant was associated with the Nike brand for almost his entire career and signed on for a 40 million contract in the early 2000s He was a beloved member of the Nike family We will miss him greatly Mamba forever Nike said in a statementThe Mamba name became a metaphor for Kobe Bryant after Nike released a commercial in 2011 featuring an idea called The Black Mamba which is portrayed as Bryants alterego The Black Mamba is being pursued by a crime lord who wants to get his hands on Mambas shoes Bryant wore the first Mamba shoes during the 20052006 NBA season including in the game in which he scored 81 points in January 2006Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been 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