GRIEF AND DISBELIEF AS BASKETBALL LEGEND KOBE BRYANT DIES IN HELICOPTER HORROR
World in grief and disbelief at the tragic, horrific death of LA Lakers icon Bryant
HUNG neatly in the great man’s locker, it was the constellation of Champions League stars on the sleeve that gave the game away.
Sure enough, the match-worn AC Milan shirt was signed, with a personalised greeting to the legend himself and Kobe Bryant was proud to keep his gift from David Beckham (below) among the prized possessions in the Los Angeles Lakers dressing room.
A photo signed by Lionel Messi was there, too.
Bryant may have been one of the greatest basketball players ever but had no superiority complex. He did not consider himself a superstar – but he was happy to be friends with other sporting greats.
And for at least one international visitor landing at LA airport, there was a short-cut to enjoying smooth passage through immigration channels.
“What is the nature of your visit, sir?”
“Basketball – I’ve come to watch the Lakers.”
“Who’s your favourite player, sir?”
“Easy – Kobe Bryant.” “Welcome to the United States, sir. Enjoy your stay.”
Bryant, the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons and the only player in Lakers history to have both his jersey numbers – 8 and 24 – retired, has died aged 41 in a helicopter crash.
The Staples Center legend was one of five people reported to be on board his private helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas, California, yesterday.
Emergency services confirmed there were no survivors.
Born in Philadelphia but long since consecrated as West Coast royalty, Bryant won five NBA championships and 18 All-Star titles before retiring four years ago.
In a mixture of disbelief and lacerating grief, sporting stars from around the world and across the spectrum rushed on to social media to pay their respects.
Former England striker Gary Lineker wrote: “Oh no. How awful. One of the greatest sportsmen of our lifetime. Utterly tragic.”
England forward Raheem Sterling, a regular visitor to watch NBA teams play at London’s O2 arena, wrote: “Rest easy Legend”.
Six-time Super
Bowl champion Tom
Brady said: “We miss you already Kobe”, while retired NBA star Dwyane Wade wrote: “Nooooooooooo God please No!”
Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt tweeted: “Still can’t believe. @kobebryant.”
And two-time Wimbledon champion and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray said on Instagram: “This has hit me hard. Thinking of all his family, friends and colleagues.”
Bryant, who averaged a remarkable 25 points a game, maintained the Lakers’ ‘Showtime’ tradition established by the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.
The fourth-highest scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points, Bryant only gave up third spot on the list on Saturday night to LeBron James. With typical good grace, he tweeted: “Much respect my brother.” Hours later, he perished in the crash.