This Article is From Jan 27, 2020

"He Was Just Getting Started": Trump, Obama Mourn NBA Icon Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant and his daughter were expected at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a basketball game scheduled for Sunday afternoon, according to a report.

'He Was Just Getting Started': Trump, Obama Mourn NBA Icon Kobe Bryant

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant was a five-time NBA champion in a career that began in 1996.

New Delhi:

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant died on Sunday after his helicopter crashed and burst into flames in foggy conditions in suburban Los Angeles, killing all nine including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna on board.

The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed into a rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. There were no survivors.

Bryant, 41, and his daughter were expected at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a basketball game scheduled for Sunday afternoon, according to a report.

Kobe Bryant was a five-time NBA champion in a career that began in 1996 straight out of a high school and lasted until his retirement in 2016. He also was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping spark the US squad of NBA stars to titles in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.

In 2018, he won an Oscar for his animated short film "Dear Basketball", a love letter to the sport which brought him fame and fortune.

Tributes to Kobe Bryant flooded in from all around the world.

US president Donald Trump paid his condolences.

Former US president Barack Obama remembered Kobe as a legend on the basketball court. He tweeted:

Former US president Bill Clinton said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant''. He tweeted:

Brazilian soccer star Neymar meanwhile paid tribute to Bryant after scoring for his French club side Paris Saint-Germain, making the number 24 -- Bryant's old shirt number -- with his fingers.

Former American basketball player, Bill Russell was shocked to hear about the loss of one of his favorite person. He tweeted a photo with Kobe Bryant.

At the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, several hundred 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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