Kobe Bryant, Basketball Icon and Lakers Legend, Dead at 41
Written by SOURCE on January 26, 2020
One of greatest players ever to hit the hardwood, Kobe Bryant, died Sunday in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles. The legendary guard, who starred for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, winning five championships for the NBA’s most glamorous franchise, was 41.
The 18-time All-Star, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, and 2007-08 NBA MVP—often cited among basketball fans as a candidate worthy of the mythical “Greatest of All Time” mantle—was reported to have been one of five individuals, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, killed in a crash that occurred in Calabasas that happened around 10 a.m. PT, according to the Los Angeles Times. The news hit social media roughly an hour later, stunning sports fans. The loss of Bryant, a universally beloved figure in the basketball world and a god in Los Angeles, where he’s resided since he joined the Lakers as a teenager, left fans and followers heartbroken over the jaw-dropping news.
Tweets from Dwyane Wade, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and plenty of current NBA stars like Joel Embiid, Zach La Vine, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Love expressed utter shock and sorrow over the devastating news.
While the Los Angeles Lakers had yet to confirm or comment on the news as of 1:15 p.m. PT, multiple outlets, including TMZ and ESPN confirmed Bryant had perished. He was reportedly on his way to a youth basketball game for his daughter. A moment of silence was held for Bryant before the start of the Nuggets-Rockets game, the first NBA game held Sunday.
Bryant, who is survived by his wife and three other daughters, had maintained a high-profile since he retired from the NBA following the end of the 2016 season through sports and multimedia fields. But he’ll forever be remembered as one of the most accomplished and celebrated players in the history of basketball. His career highlights are nearly endless, from his 81-point performance in 2006 to his 60-point outburst in the final game of his career to his championship runs with the Lakers. He co-starred with Shaquille O’Neal on the Lakers run to a three-peat from 2000-02 and was the leader of the Lakers when they won back-to-back titles in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Born August 23, 1979, Bryant burst into the league as a 17-year-old from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. The son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, and nicknamed the Black Mamba, Bryant was the 13th selection in the 1996 NBA Draft and for the next 20 seasons authored a career that vaulted him into rarified air. He’s the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history, his Nos. 8 and 24 are retired by the Lakers (the only player in NBA history to have two numbers retired by the same franchise), he won two gold medals for Team USA in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and was nominated for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past December.
In retirement, Bryant had branched out to be a content creator. He was a partner in the Mamba Sports Academy that sits outside Los Angeles and trains athletes. He had published young adult novels and even won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball.
Bryant was top of mind for many basketball fans the night before the crash when LeBron James passed him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Bryant sent out a tweet shortly after James scored his 33,643rd point to congratulate the new star of the Lakers on the milestone achievement.
James, in a nationally televised game against the Sixers, had inscribed his Nikes with “Mamba 4 Life” and “8/24 KB” to show respect for Bryant.
A career 25.0 points per game scorer, Bryant was a four-time NBA All-Star MVP, the 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year, a two-time scoring champ, and a generational talent known as a ferocious competitor.
