The world pays tribute to Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna

Kobe Bryant has died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star and his daughter were among nine passengers killed when Bryant’s private helicopter crashed early on Sunday morning. 

A member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a press conference: “We have a manifest to indicate there were nine people on board of the aircraft. The pilot plus eight individuals. There is wide speculation who the identities are, however it is entirely inappropriate right now to identify anyone by name until the coroner has made the identification through their process and made notifications to the next of kin.”

Bryant’s death will be felt at this evening’s 2020 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the city in which he rose to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His fame transcended the world of basketball and tributes to his enduring legacy from artists, musicians, politicians, and friends have poured in over social media. Read some of them below: