Basketball fans all over the world mourn the sudden death of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. The Lakers star died early Sunday in a helicopter crash that also took the life of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The crash was confirmed to have killed 9 people with no survivors due to the foggy conditions on a hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles.
Fellow NBA star Shaquille O’Neal tweeted after the news circulated online, “Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man. That was what we had most in common. I would hug his children like they were my own and he would embrace my kids like they were his. His baby girl Gigi was born on the same day as my youngest daughter Me’Arah.” “There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences go out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW.”
Kobe Bryant nicknamed Black Mamba, is an 18 time All-Star in his 20-year career in the NBA and also led his team to win numerous championships. At 41 he was one of the most decorated players in NBA history and was set to be a first ballot inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.