According to reports in the United States, Bryant and his daughter were in his private helicopter crashing in Southern California. Bryant, considered one of the greatest basketball players in history, played 20 seasons in the Lakers and won five championships.
Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant was killed yesterday (Sunday) along with his daughter in a helicopter crash in Calabasses, California. The 41-year-old Bryant was reportedly in his private Sikorsky S-76 helicopter with four other passengers and prior to the crash that happened at 10 a.m. Western Time, there was a fog in Clavasses. The fire resulting from the crash made it difficult for emergency forces to rescue the helicopter passengers. Five people were reportedly killed in the crash.
Photo: Reuters
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joins a long line of eulogists, writing on Twitter this evening: "I was sorry to hear about the tragedy in the United States, a sad day for all sports lovers in the world. In the world, he will not be forgotten. May he rest in peace. "
US President Donald Trump also tweeted on Twitter: "This is terrible news."
A few hours before the crash, NBA player LeBron James posted on Instagram, in which he mentions Bryant's moves alongside his moves. Post posting came after James overtook Bryant and came third in the all-time top scorers table.
View this post on Instagram
@kingjames moved up to 3rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list Saturday!
A post shared by NBA (@nba) on Jan 26, 2020 at 8:12 am PST
Less than a day ago, the NBA Facebook page posted the meeting between Bryant and James. The post was published when James was only 18 points ahead of Bryant en route to third place in the all-time best scorers in the best league in the world. As you can see in the video, Kobe gave LeBron a pair of Lakers colored shoes, the team Kobi played in which James also broke his record tonight.
Former Maccabi Tel Aviv player and former NBA star Amara Stodmaier received the announcement of Bryant's death during the halftime match between Maccabi and the Hapoel Tel Aviv team, which will take place tonight at the Menorah Mivtah Hall. "I have nothing to say, I'm in shock," the actor said in tears. "I have no words. It's like an arrow in my heart. I want to believe it's not true."
During the game, a giant screen of Bryant was screened. The players of both teams and 11,000 fans stood up and applauded for a full minute, while Stodmeyer continued to weep on Maccabi Tel Aviv's bench.
Photo: Eli Leon
Bryant, one of the great NBA players, played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years in his career and was one of her all-time great stars. Bryant, who rose to 1.98 to win five championships, twice won the MVP of the finals series and played 18 times at Ulstar. Some of Bryant's championships were alongside chin Shaquille O'Neal. Later there were reports of friction between the two. Bryant has often been compared to Michael Jordan, and quite a few videos have been published comparing the two, showing how Bryant learned Jordan's precise moves.
Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas Sunday morning, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
pic.twitter.com/Ggz1VPJ0Ut
- air plus news (english) (@airplusnews_EN) January 26, 2020
Bryant's nickname was "Black Mamba," he was born on August 23, 1978 and was voted # 13 in the 1996 Draft.
In 2003, Bryant was arrested following a rape complaint filed against him working at a hotel where he was staying after a knee surgery. Bryant, for his part, dismissed the allegations, but admitted to having sex with the complainant. The criminal case against him was closed a year later, as the complainant decided not to testify against him at trial.
The past player was even fined $ 100,000 by the NBA's management in 2011, following his homophobic statement about a player he committed a crime with.
Kobe Bryant has passed away at age 41.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/G3IUEcRMyy
- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 26, 2020
