Djokovic in teary tribute to Bryant Probe into Kobe helicopter crash
Melbourne, Jan. 28: Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic teared up on Tuesday as he paid tribute to late basketball star Kobe Bryant, describing him as a “mentor” and a “friend” for the past 10 years.
Djokovic, speaking after his Australian Open quarterfinal win against Milos Raonic, said it was “heartbreaking” to hear about Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and seven others.
“He was one of the greatest athletes of all time, he inspired myself and many other people around the world,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview, wearing a tracksuit with the initials KB, 8 and 24 — Bryant’s jersey numbers at the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I had the fortune to have a personal relationship with him over the past 10 years. When I needed some advice and some support he was there for me. He was my mentor, my friend and it's just heartbreaking to see and to hear what has happened to him and his daughter,” Djokovic said, before breaking off to compose himself.
Meanwhile, NBA superstar LeBron James said on Monday he was “heartbroken and devastated” over the death of Kobe Bryant while vowing in an Instagram post to continue Bryant’s championship legacy with the Lakers.
“I’m heartbroken and devastated my brother.
Man I love you big bro. I promise you I’ll continue your legacy man! You mean so much to us all here especially #LakerNation and it’s my responsibility to put this on my back and keep it going!! Please give me the strength from the heavens above and watch over me! I got US here!,” James posted.
“Every time I try I begin crying again just thinking about you, niece Gigi and the friendship/bond/ brotherhood we had! There’s so much more I want to say but just can’t right now because I can’t get through it!” James added.
After a game in Oklahoma City, GilgeousAlexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder paid homeage to the 41year-old, saying, “I just wanted to pay homage to a guy I looked up to growing up. There’s a lot of guys also in the league that look up to him. He’s done wonderful things for this game.” —
Los Angeles, Jan. 28: Friends, colleagues and fans mourned Kobe Bryant on Monday as federal investigators sifted through the wreckage of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball legend and eight other people, hoping to find clues to what caused the accident that stunned the world.
Bryant, 41, was traveling Sunday with his 13-yearold daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when the Sikorsky S-76 slammed into a rugged hillside in thick fog in Calabasas, northwest of LA.
Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told a press conference that investigators would remain at the site of the crash throughout the week to collect evidence.
“It was a pretty devastating accident scene,” she said, adding that the wreckage was strewn across about 600 feet (180 metres). We will be here about five days on scene to collect perishable evidence. We are not here to determine the cause of the accident. We will not determine that on scene,” Homendy added.
Homendy said the aircraft did not have a black box, which was not required on that type of helicopter. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters it would “take a while” to recover the remains of the victims because of the force of the crash and the rugged terrain.
LAKERS GAME PUT OFF The NBA has postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night. The league announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying it “was made out of respect for the Lakers organisation.” — Agencies