Tributes pour in for Kobe Bryant, daughter after helicopter tragedy

People gather around a makeshift memorial for former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant after learning of his death at LA Live plaza in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 26, 2020. NBA legend Kobe Bryant died January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash in suburban Los Angeles, celebrity website TMZ reported, saying five people are confirmed dead in the incident.
FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The sports world is in shock after the tragic and sudden death of Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, in a helicopter crash on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

As news of the tragedy spread, athletes and sports personalities paid tribute to the basketball great.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued an official statement within hours of the crash.

"He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game," Silver said.

NBA great and all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took to twitter to express his grief with a video message.

"Most 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," Abdul-Jabbar's tweet read.

Bryant's long-time teammate Shaquille O'Neal shared photos of him and Bryant during their stint in the Los Angeles Lakers, saying that he is "sick" following the news.

"There's no words to express the pain I'm going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother Kobe Bryant," O'Neal said in a tweet.

Eleven-time NBA Champion Bill Russell, meanwhile, called Bryant one of his favorite people.

"Our hearts & prayers to Vanessa & his girls. @kobebryant you were my biggest fan, but I was yours," Russell wrote.

LeBron James, who had just passed Bryant in the NBA all-time scoring list on Sunday, was seen in tears after disembarking a plane following the news.

Tributes were also made during NBA games, with the Denver Nuggets-Houston Rockets game beginning with a minute of silence for Bryant.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs started the game with two 24-second shot clock violations to honor Bryant's jersey number.

Reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne also mourned the loss of the 41-year-old.

Delle Donne shared a photo of her with Bryant and his daughter on Instagram. 

"My heart is broken. Thoughts and prayers for his family and the families of the other passengers on board," Delle Donne wrote.

Up and coming women's basketball phenom Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon University was also visibly shaken before her school's game.

Bryant was known for his support of women's basketball and was good friends with Ionescu.

Apart from basketball, Bryant was also honored across other sports.

Paris Saint-German football star Neymar Jr. held up the number 24 after scoring a goal hours after Bryant's death.

While fans at an American Football game broke out "Kobe" chants during a timeout in Pro Bowl.

Former US President Barack Obama also shared his condolences on Twitter.

"Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents," Obama said in a tweet.

Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star and won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He was also hailed MVP in the 2008 NBA season.

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