CLEVELAND — The Los Angeles Lakers, NBA and sports world lost a legend Sunday with the passing of guard Kobe Bryant when he and his daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Reaction from around the sports world poured in on social media throughout the day, as former teammates like Shaquille O’Neal (Lakers) and Kevin Love (Team USA), NBA greats Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Michael Jordan and other sports figures, including Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive end Myles Garrett, were among those who took the time to honor the fallen legend.
In addition to professional athletes from all sports, fans took to social media to share their memories about Bryant.
Also, there was a makeshift gathering of Lakers fans outside of Staples Center with fans expressing their sorrow over his passing.
In 20 seasons with the Lakers, Bryant scored 33,643 points, pulled down 7,047 rebounds, handed out 6,306 assists, converted 44.7 percent of his 26,200 shots from the field and knocked down 1,827 three-pointers.
More than the numbers, Bryant’s success can be measured by the five championship teams he was a part of and the tireless work ethic and competitiveness, both on and off the court that led him to leave the game as the No. 3 scorer in league history.
Bryant left the game as a two-time NBA Finals MVP, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player, an 18-time NBA All-Star, four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, was selected to the All-NBA First Team 11 times and the NBA All-Defensive First Team on nine occasions.
Bryant was a two-time NBA scoring champion and winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1997.
Both of Bryant’s jersey numbers, 8 and 24, have been raised to the rafters at Staples Center next to fellow Lakers legends Earvin “Magic” Johnson, James Worthy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal, Jerry West and Jamaal Wilkes.
“I want to go to bed and hope it’s a bad dream,” West said. “It’s going to take a while for me to get over this one. I’m pretty good at getting over things because I understand how fragile life is. But Oh my God! His daughter with him. My God.”
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