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SPORTS Monday 27 January 2020
Kobe Bryant, Lakers great and basketball icon, dies in crash

By GREG BEACHAM camp.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe "I remember one thing
Bryant, the 18-time NBA All- he said: If you want to be
Star who won five champi- great at it, or want to be
onships and became one one of the greats, you've
of the greatest basketball got to put the work in,"
players of his generation James said.
during a 20-year career James later teamed up
with the Los Angeles Lakers, with Bryant on the 2008 U.S.
died in a helicopter crash Olympic team in Beijing.
Sunday. He was 41. "He had zero flaws offen-
Bryant died in the foggy sively," James said. "Zero.
hills above Calabasas, You backed off of him,
California, about 30 miles he could shoot the 3. You
northwest of downtown Los body him up a little bit,
Angeles, a person familiar he could go around you.
with the situation told The He could shoot from mid-
Associated Press. A differ- range. He could post. He
ent person familiar with the could make free throws. ...
case confirmed Bryant's In this April 13, 2016 file photo Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant acknowledges fans after the last He was just immortal offen-
13-year-old daughter Gi- NBA basketball game of his career against the Utah Jazz in Los Angeles. sively because of his skill set
anna also was killed. Au- Associated Press and his work ethic."
thorities said nine people Bryant was a basketball su-
were on the helicopter and with the Lakers as a prolific Magic Johnson told KCBS- one of the game's most perstar for his entire adult
that all were presumed shooter with a sublime all- TV. "I thought he was invin- popular players as the face life. He entered the NBA
dead. No names were re- around game and a relent- cible. ... There was nobody of the 16-time NBA champi- draft straight out of high
leased. less competitive ethic. He who took more pride in on Lakers franchise. He was school in 1996 after a child-
Both of the AP's unnamed held that spot in the league putting on that Laker uni- the league MVP in 2008 hood spent partly in Italy,
sources spoke on condition scoring ranks until Saturday form than Kobe. Nobody. and a two-time NBA scor- where his father, former
of anonymity because few night, when the Lakers' LeB- He was just special. We will ing champion. He earned NBA player Joe "Jellybean"
details of the crash had ron James passed him dur- miss him and we'll remem- 12 selections to the NBA's Bryant, played profession-
been released publicly. The ing a game in Philadelphia, ber him for his greatness, All-Defensive teams. ally. He spoke four lan-
crash happened around 10 Bryant's hometown. but let's not forget how he He teamed with Shaquille guages, and was a huge
a.m. "Continuing to move the impacted the world, too." O'Neal in a combustible part of the NBA's interna-
Federal Aviation Admin- game forward (at)King- The NBA kept its games on partnership to lead the tional growth, traveling the
istration spokesman Allen James," Bryant wrote in his as scheduled when the Lakers to NBA titles in 2000, world, connecting with ath-
Kenitzer said the helicop- last tweet. "Much respect news broke, but the San 2001 and 2002. He later letes in other sports and ce-
ter was a Sikorsky S-76, my brother." Antonio Spurs and Toronto teamed with Pau Gasol to lebrities.
and it was not known what On Saturday night, James Raptors both took volun- win two more titles in 2009 The Lakers acquired the
caused the crash. said he was "happy just to tary 24-second shot clock and 2010. 17-year-old Bryant in a
Bryant lived south of Los be in any conversation with violations at the start of "There's no words to express trade shortly after Char-
Angeles in coastal Or- Kobe Bean Bryant, one of their game in honor of Bry- the pain I'm going through lotte drafted him, and he
ange County for much of the all-time greatest bas- ant, who wore No. 24 for with this tragedy of loosing immediately became one
his adult life, and he often ketball player to ever play. the second half of his ca- my niece Gigi & my brother of the most exciting and in-
used helicopters to save One of the all-time greatest reer. (at)KobeBryant," O'Neal triguing players in the sport
time and avoid Southern Lakers." Bryant opened a produc- wrote on Twitter. "I'm sick alongside O'Neal, who had
California's notorious traffic. News of Bryant's death in- tion company and entered right now." signed with the Lakers as
He often traveled to prac- spired an outpouring of the entertainment field A two-time Olympic gold a free agent. Bryant won
tices and games by heli- grief around the sports in retirement. He won an medalist with the dominant the Slam Dunk Contest as
copter before his playing world and beyond, but it Academy Award in 2018 U.S. team, Bryant retired in a rookie, and the Lakers
career ended in 2016, and was felt particularly pain- for his contributions to "Dear 2016 after scoring 60 points gradually grew into a team
he kept up the practice af- fully in Los Angeles, where Basketball," an animated in his final NBA game. In that won three consecu-
ter retirement as he attend- Bryant was unquestionably short about his relationship December 2017, the Lak- tive championships.
ed to his business ventures. the most popular athlete to the game. He also pro- ers hung banners retiring his Bryant and Spanish star Pau
The crash occurred about and one of the city's most duced content for ESPN. No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys in Gasol formed the nucleus
20 miles from Mamba Sports beloved public figures. In 2003, Bryant was the Staples Center rafters in of another championship
Academy, Bryant's bas- The Lakers' next game isn't charged with attacking a an unprecedented double team in 2008, reaching
ketball training complex in until Tuesday night against 19-year-old employee at honor. three straight NBA Finals
Thousand Oaks, California. the crosstown rival Clip- a Colorado resort. He had Bryant looms large over and winning two more ti-
Bryant, who had four pers, but hundreds of fans said the two had consensu- the current generation of tles.
daughters with his wife, — many in Bryant jerseys al sex, and the charge was NBA players, most of whom Between those title runs and
Vanessa, dedicated him- and Lakers gear — spon- eventually dropped. The grew up either idolizing Bry- before the quiet final years
self to boosting women's taneously gathered at Sta- woman later filed a civil ant or absorbing his work of his career, Bryant ac-
sports in recent years, ples Center and in the sur- suit against Bryant that was ethic and competitive complished innumerable
coaching and mentoring rounding LA Live entertain- settled out of court. Bryant's spirit in the same way Bry- feats including an 81-point
basketball players. Gianna, ment complex on Sunday, adulation remained strong ant's generation learned game against Toronto in
better known as Gigi, was a weeping and staring at in Los Angeles even during from Michael Jordan. After January 2006. Bryant's final
talented basketball player. video boards with Bryant's the sexual assault allega- James passed Bryant on NBA seasons were dogged
Bryant retired nearly four image before the Grammy tions. Saturday, he remembered by injuries, but he still went
years ago as the third- awards ceremony. Bryant had one of the listening to Bryant when the into retirement with that
leading scorer in NBA his- "I thought he was going to greatest careers in recent superstar came to speak jaw-dropping 60-point per-
tory, finishing two decades live forever," Lakers great NBA history and became at a childhood basketball formance against Utah.q