Former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died on Sunday (January 26th) in his California helicopter crash, local officials said. Media people TMZ, the first to publish the information, said the 41-year-old ex-player was aboard his private helicopter with four other people on Sunday morning, when it suddenly fell, before igniting. . No one would have survived the crash. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
Kobe Bryant, who had four children, had notably evolved during twenty years within the NBA franchise of the Los Angeles Lakers. Five-time NBA champion, the one we nicknamed "Black Mamba" was one of seven players to have scored more than 30,000 career points. He ended his career at the end of the 2015-2016 NBA season.
A record surpassed by LeBron James on Saturday
It was until Saturday the 3rde best scorer in NBA history, before being overtaken by rival LeBron James in the Lakers' loss to Philadelphia (108-91). “Kobe was immortal offensively because of his ability (to score a lot). And here I am here in Philadelphia, wearing the (same) Lakers jersey. The universe sometimes causes these things … It's not supposed to make sense, but lo and behold, it just happens ", LBJ said on Saturday evening, moved, after the meeting.
Retired from the floors since 2016 after twenty seasons, Bryant is the only one to have his two jerseys, at numbers 8 and 24, hung on the ceiling of the Staples Center, in the company of other legends of the franchise, such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar or even Shaquille O'Neal. Converted into documentary production (he received the Oscar for best animated short film in 2018)
Sunday, the world of basketball, and well beyond, paid tribute to him. President Donald Trump lamented on Twitter "Terrible news".
I'm crying bro. I really am. 😭 https://t.co/Z2iSXtuaWs
Kobe Bryant's achievements:
- Fourth best scorer in NBA history, behind Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Lebron James.
- Five NBA champion titles (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010), all won with the Lakers.
- Best NBA player in 2007-2008.
- Seventeen participations in the All-Star Game.
- Two Olympic titles, in 2008 and 2012, with the United States.
