On Sunday, shocking news emerged that a helicopter carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant had crashed into a hill in southern California. While the identities of all nine of the passengers whose lives were lost in the crash are not public, it was confirmed that among them was the athlete’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant. The passengers were thought to be on the way to Bryant’s youth basketball academy with Gianna’s teammate and her parents.

Since news of the fatal accident spread, many celebrities and public figures have been posting tributes to Bryant’s career and legacy, as well as expressing condolences to the families of the passengers, including Bryant’s wife Vanessa and three other daughters.

The NBA issued a public statement in which Commissioner Adam Silver praised Bryant’s achievements, and, in particular, his dedication to his daughter, also an avid basketball player who was frequently seen attending games with him: “He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.”

People are looking back on pictures of Kobe and Gianna “Gigi” Bryant

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People speak out about Bryant’s death

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