Prominent Media, Sport Figures Commemorate Kobe Bryant's Death Anniversary

The iconic Los Angeles Lakers basketball player, Kobe Bryant, and his daughter Gianna, along with several family friends and the pilot, died in a helicopter crash in California a year ago, plunging much of the world into shock.
Sputnik

On 26 January, fans, colleagues, friends and celebrities took to social media to commemorate a year without basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

People shared tributes, wrote letters and sent condolences to the Bryant family, which after the tragedy consists solely of  Kobe's wife, Vanessa, and daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri.

Bryant's counterparts, particularly the Spaniard player Pau Gasol, shared emotions in social media posts.

"I miss you, hermano…", Gasol wrote in his Instagram. "...Not a day goes by that you are not present in what I do. Your spirit, your drive, your ambition, your love… continues to shine in my life and in many others."

J.R.Smith, an LA Lakers player, took to Instagram to say: "The game misses your avatar but we all know your soul is all around it. Miss you".

Bryant's club posted a picture of Kobe and his daughter, captioning it "Family is Forever", along with other prominent basketballers. The Barcelona football club also weighed in.

​Prominent media figures, such as American TV host Jimmy Fallon and rapper Ice Cube, also paid tribute to the late basketball star.

​Kobe Bryant, an iconic NBA player, died on 26 January, 2020, in a helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter, several family friends, and the pilot. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

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