Fans around the world mourn Kobe Bryant's death

NBA legend died on January 26 when a helicopter he was riding in crashed in thick fog

Last updated: January 27, 2020 | 15:07

AFP and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Digital Content Producer

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Basketball legend Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash along with his teenage daughter sparked an outpouring of grief across the worlds of sports and entertainment on Monday.

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Bryant, 41, was traveling Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their helicopter slammed into a rugged hillside in thick fog in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. There were no survivors.

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A five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history.

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He was an iconic figure who became one of the faces of his sport during a glittering two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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All-time basketball great Michael Jordan said Bryant was "like a little brother" to him. "Words can't describe the pain I'm feeling," the former Chicago Bulls star said. "We used to talk often and I will miss those conversations very much."

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Dozens of firefighters and paramedics battled across hilly terrain to reach the flaming wreckage of the Sikorsky S-76 but found no survivors, officials said. Fans and mourners descended on the area but police warned people to stay away.

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Tributes to Bryant flooded in from former US presidents, pop stars and athletes from different sports, a sign of how the man known as the "Black Mamba" had transcended basketball.

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At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, crowds of shocked fans gathered to pay tribute as the venue which witnessed many of Bryant's career highlights hosted the music industry's Grammy Awards.

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Hundreds, many wearing purple and gold Lakers shirts, placed flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial for their hero.

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In New York, Madison Square Garden was lit up in purple and gold alongside a giant image of Bryant captioned: "Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020."

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The crash came only hours after Bryant was passed by current Lakers star LeBron James for third on the all-time NBA scoring list in a Saturday game at Philadelphia.

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