LeBron Jamesis grieving the death of his close friend,Kobe Bryant.
The NBA star, 35, was seen crying at the Los Angeles International Airport after learning that Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning.
A source toldESPNreporter Ohm Youngmisuk that the Lakers found out about Bryant’s death while on the team plane flying home from Philadelphia where they played against the 76ers on Saturday night.
“Everyone is in shock,” a team source said, according to the outlet.
Kobe Bryant.Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty
Bryant and his daughter Gianna were traveling in a private helicopter when it went down on Sunday morning,Los Angeles emergency officials confirmed. A source previously confirmed Bryant’s death to PEOPLE.
Emergency personnel responded, but none of the nine people on board the aircraft survived, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference on Sunday.
Sources told ESPN that the helicopterwas headed to a travel basketball game for Gianna. Last year, Bryant revealed that in his retirement he began coaching his daughter’s team.
Spokespersons for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and L.A. Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Bryant’s death comes just one day after he honoredJamesin what will now be his final social media post.
On Saturday evening, Bryant congratulated James on the milestone with a Twitter and Instagram post.
“On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next,” the retired star had shared on Instagram with a photo of him and James.
“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother ?? #33644,” Bryant then also tweeted.
Many NBA players and coaches have been mourning Bryant’s death, including the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors who took a 24-second violation to nod to Bryant’s jersey number.
Adam Silver, the NBA’s commissioner and chief executive officer, issued a statement on Sunday night.
The statement continued: “For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary: five NBA championships, an NBA MVP award, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and two Olympic gold medals. But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability. He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking a special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.”
“We send out heartfelt condolences to his wife, Vanessa, and their family, the Lakers organization and the entire sports world,” Silver’s statement concluded.
source: people.com
