NBA legend and former LA Lakers player Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and three others on Sunday. According to reports, they were on their way to Gianna’s basketball game in Thousand Oaks city when the incident took place.
Twitter users were in utter disbelief over this incident and mourned the legendary star’s demise.
Mamba out. Rest well Kobe. pic.twitter.com/ZMNLSnQMGq
— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) January 26, 2020
RIP to Kobe and Gianna. What was once a meme is now a loving memory of a father and daughter.#KobeBryant #RIPKobe #gigibryant
pic.twitter.com/Eve2hNG9Sm
— (@AbdullahBroo) January 27, 2020
This is for you Kobe Bryant and Gianna .
Rest in peace!#RIPMamba pic.twitter.com/rmRdm5Gb1s
— John Paul Roiles (@jpaulroiles) January 27, 2020
Mamba was an inspiration for crores of people, including all-time greats like LeBron James.
Here’s to countless more attempts of throwing random garbage into the bin whilst yelling ‘KOBE!’
RIP Mamba
— ☠️ (@OG_pollitickle) January 27, 2020
This just shattered my heart. It hits harder now. #KobeBryant pic.twitter.com/jlCgxztTEC
— (@TheJCMendoza) January 27, 2020
Heroes come and go but legends are forever. #MambaOut #KobeBryant pic.twitter.com/EH9ADSB6YB
— nynjamoves (@janernski) January 27, 2020
“Hug a little tighter.
Love a little deeper.
Never pass up the chance to express love to those you care about.
Because tomorrow isn’t promised.”#RIPMamba #KobeBryant #KobeRIP pic.twitter.com/n9Yd2RQFrS— Kuduishe Kisowile (@Kudu_ze_Kudu) January 27, 2020
Biggest lost of the decade, and it just started …come 2029 – this will be the biggest loss . Period
— Smurf Cody (@smurf_j_cody) January 27, 2020
pic.twitter.com/UQwO3c4GmH
— YourSports (@YourSports) January 26, 2020
Quinn Cook of the Lakers mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant at Staples Center today.
Just… heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/21tqn0O6sX
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 27, 2020
“Fans come up to me & say “You got to have a boy to carry on your legacy’”
“Gianna’s like ‘Oi, I got this.”
Kobe Bryant was so proud of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna
Both passed away in yesterday’s crash.#RIPGigi pic.twitter.com/X1HzvvMBdH
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 27, 2020
i really thought that 2020 is gonna be a good year… and it’s just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/mO5w18QEG5
— (@contenthoe) January 26, 2020
May the angels be with you. We will miss you. #Kobe pic.twitter.com/FoBgCLspsb
— Ali Keskin (@alikeskin_tr) January 26, 2020
Rest In Peace Kobe the world is speechless we are heart broken… prayers to your family your wife your daughters pic.twitter.com/tX28uLG65h
— (@DrowzySZN) January 26, 2020
Kobe Bryant’s last tweet before his death was a congratulatory message to LeBron James on him surpassing Kobe to become the third-highest-scoring player in NBA. The retired LA Lakers star lost his place to fellow LA Lakers player ‘King’ James on Saturday.
Bryant had tweeted, “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644”.
Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020
Speaking after the match to ESPN, LeBron James talked about how Kobe inspired him as a child and what kind of an impact did his words have on him. He said, “I went to ABCD camp, and he came and talked to all the kids that were there. I happened to be one of the kids that was there and I was just listening.”
On him being compared to Kobe, LeBron said, “It’s surreal. It doesn’t make no sense, but the universe just puts things in your life, and when you live the right way or you’ve just given everything to whatever you’re doing, things happen organically, and it’s not supposed to make sense, but it just happens. And I’m happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe.”
Kobe was also known as ‘Black Mamba’, a term which he coined for himself. In his 2015 documentary, ‘Muse’, Kobe revealed the origin of ‘Black Mamba’. In his documentary, he said, “I went from a person who was at the top of his game, had everything coming, to a year later, having absolutely no idea where life is going or if you are even going to be a part of life as we all know it.”
Although he didn’t reveal what he was talking about, it is presumed that he was talking about the charges of sexual assault which were levelled at him back in 2003 at Colorado by a 19-year-old woman. He hints that the case shattered his family and changed the perception of his fans on him.
Kobe disclosed that it was at that time that he coined the name ‘Black Mamba’, to separate his personal and professional life.