Following the sudden passing of 41-year-old NBA legend Kobe Bryant, millions of people, including thousands of fellow sportsmen and celebrities, have taken to social media to pay their respects to the basketball player and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
The father and daughter were two of nine people who have tragically passed away as their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, January 26.
“I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing. Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. I loved Kobe – he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much,” Michael Jordan wrote in his touching tribute.
“He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force. Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply – and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball.
“Yvette joins me in sending my deepest condolences to Vanessa, the Lakers organization and basketball fans around the world.”
Joining Mr. Jordan in grieving was also Shaquille O’Neal who expressed his pain over the loss of his “brother.”
“There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed,” he wrote in his post.
“My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board.”
Paying tribute to one of the best basketball players of all time was also LeBron James who admitted looking up to Bryant.
“It’s another guy that I looked up to when I was in grade school and high school. Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration,” Lakers’ LeBron James told the reporters.
“It was like, wow. Seeing a kid, 17 years old, come into the NBA and trying to make an impact on a franchise, I used it as motivation.
“He helped me before he even knew of me because of what he was able to do. So, just to be able to, at this point of my career, to share the same jersey that he wore, be with this historical franchise and just represent the purple and gold, it’s very humbling.”
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